Steak & Panzanella with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Panzanella, a popular bread salad in Tuscany, gets a bit of a make up with the blue cheese dressing. It’s a perfect salad to make on a hot summer day. The smoky notes from the grilled bread lead perfectly with the arugula, tomatoes, and olives. Rocket is very low in calories and is high in vitamins A and C. A 1/2 cup serving is two calories.  Capers, the flower buds of a small bush, have been used for centuries in Mediterranean cuisine. They provide a salty tang and decorative flair to a variety of meats, salads, pastas and other foods.  They are a good source of natural antioxidants that show promise for fighting cancer and heart disease when added to meals.  If you like this, then you might also like Tuna and Egg Panzanella.

Serves 4
recipe from Cuisine Grilling
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1/2 Italian baguette, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices, brushed on both sides with olive oil
4 New York strip steaks (8 oz. each)

For the Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons blue cheese
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

For the Salad
4 cups arugula (rocket)
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 cup seeded and sliced cucumber
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives
1 tablespoon capers
crumbled blue cheese

Preheat grill to medium-high. Season bread slices with salt and pepper, and grill, uncovered, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from grill and rub both sides of bread with cut garlic cloves.

Puree vinaigrette ingredients in a mini food processor.

Season steaks with salt and pepper and grill, covered, on medium-high heat to desired doneness about 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing into strips.

Toss arugula, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, capers, croutons, and vinaigrette in a large bowl. Serve salad over sliced steak, garnished with crumbled blue cheese.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Depending on how sharp you like this vinaigrette, I would change the white wine vinegar to 1 tablespoon and do a taste test as I found 2 tablespoons too strong. I ended up adding a bit more olive oil and more blue cheese plus a bit of sea salt to try and balance out the flavor. This is such an easy meal to prepare and is packed full of goodness!