Dinner Tonight

I haven't posted any recipes in a while so I thought I would share what we had for dinner tonight.

The menu included:

• Grilled KC Strip steaks
• Grilled Yukon Gold potatoes
• Spinach Cauliflower Toss
• Cucumber Salad

We don't typically do too much to our steaks before putting them on the grill, and tonight was no different; salt, pepper, garlic powder and a little onion powder.  Same goes for the potatoes.  We just dice them up, toss them with seasoned salt and pepper, drizzle them with olive oil and wrap them in foil.

While the steak and potatoes were grilling, I prepared the Cucumber Salad and the Spinach Cauliflower Toss.

For the cucumbers:
2 cucumbers, sliced
2 shallots, sliced
Seasoned Salt
3 T. Red Wine Vinegar
4-5 T. Olive Oil
Pinch Sugar
Fresh Ground Pepper
Dill

Toss the cucumbers, shallots and a teaspoon (or so) of seasoned salt and pour into a colander.  Let the cucumbers drain for 10-15 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, sugar, fresh ground pepper and dill in a bowl (I didn't really do much measuring so my measurements are just a guess...).  Toss the cucumbers in the dressing, let marinate for 10 - 15 minutes and serve.

I combined a couple of recipes I found to create this recipe and it was really tasty!  Next time I will peel the cucumbers as these cucumbers had pretty tough skins.

For the Spinach Cauliflower Toss:
1/2 head of cauliflower florets, sliced
1 ripe avocado, sliced (pretend I put this in because I accidentally forgot it tonight)
Lemon juice
1/2 bunch fresh spinach, torn
1/2 c small pitted black olives (I use the pre-sliced olives in the can)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Sprinkle avocado with lemon juice.  Combine spinach, sliced cauliflower, avocado and olives in a bowl.  Whisk together the following dressing:

6 T. vegetable oil
3 T. white wine vinegar (I didn't have any so I substituted red wine vinegar)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. dried basil (oregano works, too)
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Pour dressing over salad, add pine nuts and toss.

I believe this recipe came from the Junior League of Wichita's cookbook, Women of Great Taste.  If you don't have this cookbook (which I don't, I steal recipes from my mom's copy), you should pick it up.  It is full of WONDERFUL recipes!!

So, there you have it - our dinner tonight!