Tonight I pushed the word 'salad' to the limit... with Recipe!

Seared Hanger Steak with with Roasted Hakurei Turnips and Mushrooms and a Garlic-Truffle Aioli. Served on top of some purple mizuna I found at the market!

GRADE

Serves: 2 as an entrée (or 4 as a small salad)

Cost: $$

Skill Level: Easy

Time to Make: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS

Steak

1 pound hanger, flank, or skirt steak (If using hanger steaks, remove the center vein)

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Roasted Mushrooms & Turnips

10 ounces baby bella mushrooms

6 ounces shiitake mushrooms

1 bunch of hakurei turnips (or Tokyo turnips or 1 regular turnip, cubed)

1 bunch of thyme

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Garlic-Truffle Aioli

3 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 egg

1 egg yolk

Salt to taste

1-2 tablespoons truffle oil, to taste

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad

Purple mizuna and mixed greens (or whatever greens you prefer)
METHOD

Prepare Ingredients: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Pat the steak dry and season with salt and pepper. Cut the stems from the baby bella mushrooms, leaving the mushrooms whole. Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms and slice the caps. If using hakurei or Tokyo turnips, scrub and trim the leafy greens and cut the turnips in half lengthwise. Note: If using a regular, large turnip, cut into bite-sized cubes. In a small bowl, beat the egg and egg yolk.

Roast the Vegetables: Add the whole baby bella mushrooms, the sliced shiitake caps, and the turnips to a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and arrange the vegetables in an even layer. Divide the bunch of thyme into smaller bunches and arrange on top of the layer of vegetables. Transfer to the oven and cook for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Prepare the Aioli: While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the aioli. In a food processor, combine the lemon juice and garlic cloves and pulse until smooth. Add the beaten egg and egg yolk and pulse until smooth and combined. Drizzle in a tablespoon or two of the truffle oil (according to your preference) and then slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil, pulsing after each addition, until the aioli is smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to a serving bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Make the Steak: Heat olive oil in a medium skillet until very hot. Once shimmering and almost smoky, add the hanger steak and cook, without moving, for 4-5 minutes or until very well seared. Flip and sear until desired doneness is reached, about 4-5 minutes more for medium rare (depending on how thick your steak is). Remove from heat and rest 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.

To Serve: Divide the purple mizuna or mixed greens between plates. Arrange the roasted vegetables on top and serve a few slices of steak on each salad. Serve with the Garlic-Truffle Aioli. Enjoy!

(PS, I know it's not a super REAL salad...but it's close enough to meet my 30 days of salads criteria!)