A Spring Salad Recipe: A SPICY TROPICAL SALSA VERDE STEAK SALAD {+ a dessert to cool things down!}

I love spring-grilling and the weather over the weekend was perfect enough to cook outdoors! If you like a little heat in your food, than you will enjoy my spicy steak tropical salad! Strips of filet mignon, seasoned with salsa verde, a spicy pineapple-avocado salsa over a bed of mixed salad; made up this spring time dinner with a splash of tropical brightness. I prefer steak without fat so my choice of steak is a good ole’ filet but you can definitely substitute for your preferred steak choice.

The combination of spicy and sweetness gives this tropical salad an unexpected kick of savory flavors! You can find the recipe at the end of this post.

For a dessert, you will want to cool down your taste buds with what else but ice cream and not any ordinary ice cream but one that compliments your tropical salad like two scoops of Haagen-dazs Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream and top it with toasted sweetened coconut flakes!

To toast the coconut, I simply added two tablespoons of shredded sweetened coconut flakes to a small frying pan and stirred on medium high heat until it reached a medium to dark golden color. Toasting your coconut brings out the nuttiest flavor! Top off your ice cream with a sprinkle of the toasted coconut and garnish with fresh mint leaves. One mouthful of this chewy, crunchy and creamy ice cream will have you wanting more!

Tune in tomorrow, as I will be sharing the spring-inspired tablescape for this alfresco dinner I made!

-Pictures + Styling by Rose Angel Lopez

A Spring Salad Recipe: A SPICY TROPICAL STEAK SALAD {and a dessert to cool things down!}

 

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Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• 2 (3 oz. ) Filet Mignon steaks, lean (or steak of choice)
• Kosher Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1 Lime
• 1 Lemon
• 2 TBSP, Salsa Verde (I used Trader Joe's brand)
• 1 TBSP, Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 50/50 Mix (Spring mix & Spinach) - I also added some baby arugula but this is optional
• 1 cup, fresh Pineapple
• 1 small-medium, Red Onion
• 1 Hass Avocado
• 1 Serrano Pepper (for less heat, use a Poblano Pepper)
• ½ cup, fresh Cilantro

Instructions

1. FOR THE PINEAPPLE-AVOCADO SALSA:
2. Cube 1 cup of fresh pineapple and place in a medium-sized bowl
3. Dice the red onion; place in bowl
4. Cube the avocado; place in bowl
5. Slice the serrano pepper in half, remove seeds and mince the pepper; place in bowl
6. Rinse and dry the cilantro, take the cilantro leaves off the stem and place in bowl
7. Mix the ingredients in the bowl; quarter the lime and lemon; top with the juice and toss. Set aside.
8. FOR THE STEAK:
9. Pre-heat your outdoor or indoor grill to medium high heat.
10. Brush 1 tbsp of olive oil on your grill.
11. Rinse and pat dry your steaks with a paper towel; season both sides with kosher salt, pepper and 2 TBSP of Salsa Verde.
12. Add the seasoned steak and cook 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until browned and cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Transfer to a plate and top the cooked steak with the juice of 2 quarter lime wedges; loosely cover with aluminum foil and set aside to rest for at least 5 minutes.
13. Transfer the rested steak to a cutting board and thinly slice crosswise. Divide the sliced steak between the salad. Garnish with a ½ tsp of Salsa Verde, if desired.
14. Rinse and dry your salad and place in a large bowl; season with salt, pepper, the remaining lime juice and drizzle with olive oil.
15. To plate your food, layer your first layer with 50/50 salad, add a large spoonful of pineapple-avocado salsa and the final layer will be strips of steak.
16. Enjoy!

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