Recipe: Steak Fajita Salad

Shannon Beigert

When we have steak, there are sometimes leftovers that do not have quite enough remaining for another meal. These are a great main ingredient for several entrees, including steak fajita salad.

Attention vegetarians: Read on for a variation to suit your preferences.

Ingredients

Makes two entrée salads

4-8 ounces of cooked steak, either leftover or raw flank steak, purchased for this purpose
1 head of prepped and washed romaine lettuce, cut into bite-sized pieces
3-4 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
3 pods of garlic, finely diced or pressed
1 plum tomato, chopped or 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cucumber, cubed or chopped
½ Cup of commercially prepared red salsa
½ of a lemon, seeded
¼ Cup of shredded cheese (optional)
1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
Garnishes such as sour cream, jalapeno pepper slices, salsa, corn chips or cilantro

Instructions

If you are starting with a raw steak, cut it on the bias into bite-sized pieces.  Cook the raw meat on the stovetop in a little vegetable oil until it is nearly as done as you would like. Then turn the burner down low and add the red salsa to the now-cooked steak, and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Turn off the burner and let the steak mixture rest in the pan. Or: 

If you are using leftover steak that is already cooked, cut it into bite-sized pieces and place it in a frying pan on the stove along with the salsa. Let the steak mixture warm over low heat for a few minutes, then rest in the pan.

Using two entrée-sized shallow serving bowls, line the bottom of each bowl with chopped romaine lettuce.

Meanwhile, using the vegetable oil, add it to another skillet on a medium flame, and when the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers. Stir the vegetables. As they cook, add the garlic to the mixture and continue to cook for another two minutes. Then add the cumin and taco seasoning spices and mix well.  The vegetables should be aromatic, and crisp tender. Squeeze a little lemon juice into the vegetables just before plating.

Now it is time to put your salads together:

On the lettuce beds, add the onion and pepper mixture, dividing it between the two bowls.
Place half of the tomatoes and half of the cucumbers in each bowl.
Add the steak mixture as the next layer to each of the bowls.
Add one-half of the avocado slices to each salad.
Top with a little shredded cheese if desired.
Garnish the salads with your favorite Mexican-style toppings, such as extra salsa, jalapeno slices, sour cream, cilantro, or tortilla chips.

NOTE: For those avoiding meat, this salad is also delicious by substituting cooked black or pinto beans instead of beef. Cook in the exact same manner, with the salsa.

Enjoy!

Shannon Beigert is a chef and baker who loves to entertain guests at her Olympia home. If you want to let her know that this recipe worked well for you, send her a note at  shannon@theJOLTnews.com