Southwestern Succotash and Steak Salad

It was another steak night and it was also another salad night. I LOVE a good steak salad. This deliciously colorful salad was loaded with all kinds of good vegetables too. I counted them up and I think I counted 9 different vegetables I used for this salad. We shared this deliciously colorful salad with our friends Julia and Bruce. Yes, our very own Julia from http://retirementrvdream.wordpress.com/ We all enjoyed our dinner out on the deck, where over dinner we caught up with each other and had a great time.

Southwestern Succotash Steak Salad

There is a lot of alliteration in this name, for all you English majors out there. Yes, that includes me as well. 🙂

I made the dressing first because I also used it as the marinade for my steak.

The Dressing

1/2 cup yogurt

2 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP lime olive oil

3 TBSP lime juice

3 TBSP lime balsamic vinegar

1 TBSP honey

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili lime seasoning

red pepper flakes to taste

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine

Whisk everything together and marinate your steak in it as well as setting it aside for your salad dressing later.

The Salad

mixed baby greens

2 cups corn

1/2 cup bacon crumbles, optional

2 cups green beans, cut into pieces about 1/2 inch in size

1/2 red bell pepper, diced fine

1/3 cup Peruvian peppers, optional

1/2 red onion, diced fine

2 cups lima beans

1-2 sweet potatoes, cut into thin round slices, pan-fried

1-2 lbs steak, grilled and sliced thin

optional toppings – avocado slices, roasted pepita seeds, cotija cheese

Boil the green beans, corn and lima beans together for about 5-7 minutes, or until slightly tender, then drain.

In a hot skillet, saute the red peppers and red onions, and bacon if using, for about 2-3 minutes, then add the corn, green beans and lima beans. Continue to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Add the Peruvian peppers, if using, at the very last minute. They are pretty delicate and don’t hold up to the heat very well.

In a separate very hot skillet, add a combination of both olive oil and butter, then carefully add the sliced sweet potato slices. Do not over crowd them and cook them in batches if needed. Cook for about 3-5 minutes per side, or until lightly browned and slightly crispy. Drain them on a paper towel. You can add a little salt too if you like.

Start layering your salad, starting with the mixed greens, followed by a layer of the sweet potatoes, then some of the succotash. Slice the steak into thin strips, and add, followed by another layer of succotash. Top it all off with any combination of avocado slices, pepita seeds and/or Cotija cheese. Julia was the only one who had all three. Bruce and I both had the avocado slices and pepita seeds, whereas Larry only had the Coitja cheese. Then dress it all up with the dressing. I served it all with some fresh rosemary focaccia on the side, abd red wine, since after all, it was steak . It was all a big hit. We all thoroughly enjoyed this very tasty and colorful and healthy salad and all the good times shared around the table. !Delicioso!

The salad was very good, and is a definite do-over, but the best part of the evening was sharing it with our good friends, Bruce and Julia. 🙂 After dinner, we all played games and laughed away the evening.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. Enjoy all the friendships that come your way. Our friendships are precious gifts. ‘Til next time.