Italian Steak Salad With Parmesan Croutons Recipes

STEAK SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, Belgian endive, red onion, baby arugula and cherry tomatoes, and half of the cheese. Toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the salad on a platter.
• Cut the steaks crosswise into thin slices. Arrange the steak slices atop the salad and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the steak slices and serve.
• Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil.

PARMESAN ROMAINE SALAD

Steps:

• In a salad bowl, combine the romaine, tomatoes and croutons., In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil. Drizzle over salad; toss to coat., Using a vegetable peeler, shave cheese into thin curls; sprinkle over salad.

ITALIAN CAESAR SALAD WITH POLENTA CROUTONS

Steps:

• To make the dressing: Finely chop the garlic and anchovies in a food processor. Blend in the lemon juice and mustard. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the dressing, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• To make the croutons: Spread the olive oil over a small baking sheet. Transfer the hot polenta to the baking sheet, spreading evenly to form an 8 by 5 by 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Cover and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hours.
• Cut the polenta into 3/4-inch cubes. Pat the polenta cubes dry with paper towels. Add enough vegetable oil to a heavy large frying pan to come 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil over high heat. Working in batches of 10, carefully add the polenta cubes to the oil 1 at a time and fry until golden brown, stirring to keep the cubes separate, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the polenta croutons to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.
• (The dressing and polenta croutons can be prepared 1 day ahead up to this point. Cover the dressing and polenta croutons separately and refrigerate. Rewarm the polenta croutons on a baking sheet in a 350 degrees F oven before serving.)
• To make the salad: Prepare the barbecue for high heat. Grill the lettuce until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per side. Cut the lettuce into bite-size pieces.
• On a serving platter, mound the grilled chopped lettuce. Decoratively scatter the sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts. Drizzle with enough dressing to evenly coat. Sprinkle Parmesan and scatter the warm polenta croutons over and serve immediately.
• Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, and stir until melted.
• Lightly oil a half sheet pan. Transfer the hot polenta to the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly to 3/4-inch thick. Refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hours.

LAYERED SALAD WITH PARMESAN CROUTONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Cut the bread into bite-sized chunks and toss with the olive oil and some seasoning. Put onto a well-oiled baking tray and sprinkle on the grated Parmesan - try to get it on the bread as much as possible, rather than the tray, or it will stick. Cook for 10-12 mins until golden and crisp. Remove and cool.
• Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling water for about 8 mins, then add the green beans and cook for about 2-3 mins more until both are tender. Drain and cool under cold running water, then set aside. Mix all the dressing ingredients with some seasoning and pour into the bottom of a large, deep container or bowl.
• Layer up the salad on top of the dressing, starting with the potatoes, then the green beans, the salad leaves, the shaved Parmesan and finally the croutons. It is important to layer the salad in this order to stop the leaves wilting or the croutons going soggy. Chill until ready to go. To serve, toss all the ingredients together.

ITALIAN STEAKS

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, whisk egg. In another shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cut steak into four pieces; dip each piece in egg, then coat with bread crumb mixture., In a large skillet, cook steaks in oil over medium-high heat for 2-4 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°)., Meanwhile, heat sauce in a small saucepan. Spoon over steaks; sprinkle with cheese.

GARLIC-PARMESAN CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix butter, Parmesan cheese, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, and salt together in a large, flat-bottomed bowl; add bread cubes and turn with a spatula to coat. Spread coated bread cubes onto a baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool croutons completely before storing in an airtight container.