Sesame Ginger Steak Salad

There was a nice looking steak left over from our weekend festivities, a rare occurence at our place (the steak, not the festivities).  I put it to good use with one of my favorite salads.  The star of this dish is a silky, flavourful sesame-ginger dressing.  It is drizzled over crisp greens and crunchy vegetables topped with succulent, ginger marinated steak and creamy avocado.  MmmnnGH!  The dressing is reminiscent of one of my past addictions - WAFU.  Have you tried it?  Yum.  I only say past obsession because I've learned to make something similar.  This version is just a little bit punchier.  I figured out how to make it a couple of years ago after a desperate search of my city turned up WAFU free.  Luckily, times are a changin' and you can easily pick some up at your local grocery store's sushi station or even here when you need it.  Enjoy this healthy, delicious meal with your loved one, I bet a few of you indulged in too much champagne and chocolate on Monday.  I sure did.

Sesame Ginger Steak Salad
Origin: Jaime, Impeccable Taste

Notes:  This salad is great without the steak of course.  My Hubby had it with leftover seared tuna which was great too.  This dressing would be good with any kind of greens or veggies; tomatoes, green beans and broccoli would all be nice.  The avocado is a must.


Ingredients:

Dressing
1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup grapeseed oil (or vegetable oil)
2 tablespoons warm water
salt

Steak 

3 tablespoons sherry

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced or finely grated

1 lb steak, ribeye or sirloin about 1 inch thick

Salad

6 cups greens, I used chopped romaine lettuce and baby arugula

1/2 cup carrot, coarsely shredded

1/2 cup red or yellow sweet pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 cup cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced

1 avocado, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/2 tablespoon black sesame seeds (optional)

To marinate the steak, combine all of the steak ingredients in a resealable plastic bag, shake to distribute the marinade and set in the fridge to marinate for at least an hour (let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking).

To make the dressing, in a blender, combine the first 6 ingredients (garlic through sugar) and puree.  Add the tahini, oil and warm water and puree until smooth and emulsified.  Season with salt.  You can thin the dressing with a little additional warm water if necessary.

When ready to eat, cook your steak.  Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.  When the oil is hot add the steak, watch out - it will splatter.  Cook the steak for about 2 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.  If you prefer your steak more well done, turn down the heat and cook it for an additional couple of minutes.  Transfer the steak to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

To assemble the salad, plate the greens and vegetables, top with sliced avocado and sliced steak.  Drizzle with dressing and garnish with sesame seeds.  Serves 4.