Savor this Steak Salad

Accompanied by a heart-healthy basil green goddess vinaigrette.

First, nutrition defined:

Nutrition defined: The act or process of nourishing or being nourished (insert female emoji with hand slapping her own face).

Believe it or not, nutrition is the least advanced science.  Why?  We all have bio-individual needs, so there is very little control when it comes to testing new theories and philosophies.  It is said that the best study would last 30 years with 10,000 people under randomized, controlled diets.  Even then - we wouldn’t have the answer for everything. 

I have spent the better half of my adult (and adolescent) life attempting to identify the right foods and the right diet.  I have been the starving vegan eating her own prepared food at the company holiday party.  I have tried eight small meals each day, and I avoided pasta for years.  Feeling frustrated, lacking an answer to the right options, I dug deeper.

Joy-based, everything!

One day, I finally realized how much time and stress I was adding to my life, and frankly - those around me.  I was limiting the amount of joy I could have in my life by paying most of my attention to what I was eating.

As a Nutritional Health Coach, I love witnessing our society beginning to understand how diets do not work.  We have billions of chemical reactions happening at this very moment in each of our bodies.  What may work for one person may actually be poisonous for another.  We all choose different physical fitness, financing, career and spiritual options that are appropriate for our own, personal long term goals.  Food should be no different!  Like other major components of our lives, our bodies will naturally crowd out elements that are not important to us. 

Nutrition definition, explained. 

Initially confused how broad the definition of nutrition was, I seeked out education and personal exploration only to understand the vague explanation was perfectly acceptable.  It is impossible to define nutrition for any other individual, even if you are Merriam-Webster, herself!

There are days when my body wants carbs, at certain times my body craves chocolate and there are moments when it wants wine!  Savor the taste of everything your body is asking for, the joy paired with this decision will be worth every bite!  I often consider myself a flegan (flexible vegan) because I eat plants for breakfast lunch and dinner, but those plants are complimented with the occasional filet of salmon, an egg or like last night a perfectly seared and roasted medium-rare steak.  In the end however, my diet is the same to everyone else - personal to me!  Cheers to this savory steak salad, and to the idea of co-existing in a world of vegans, flegans and carnivores combined.

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Salad Ingredients: 

• One handful of baby arugula (or your favorite choice of leafy greens

• One half of a local peach 

• 5-7 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 

• One half to one third of an avocado (personal choice, I chose half!) 

• One quarter of a red onion, thinly sliced & placed in golden balsamic vinegar (again, personal choice, any vinegar will work) 

• One small handful of toasted cashews (to toast, use small saucepan on medium heat for about five minutes, sprinkle with sea salt and flip every 30 seconds or so)

• One small handful of sprouts 

Directions: Place arugula on plate, drizzle with dressing (recipe, directions below).  Remove onions from vinegar and add all remaining ingredients to salad plate.  Design to personal preference.

Steak Ingredients: 

• One grass-fed filet 

• Salt & pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon of ghee

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.  Melt ghee in medium-sized, oven safe saucepan.  Wash steaks, pat dry with cloth and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.  Once hot, sear one side of filet for 30 seconds - one minute.  Flip, sear other side for 30 seconds.  Place sauce pan in oven for 8 minutes for medium-rare - medium.  Let sit for two minutes, slice and serve with salad.

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 cup of fresh basi

• l2 gloves of garlic Juice from one lemon 

• 1/4 cup of olive oil 

• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup golden balsamic vinaiger 

• 1 teaspoon of salt 

• 1 teaspoon of pepper 

Directions: Process all ingredients together, and store in fridge.  Serves about 2-3 salads depending on preference.