MARINADE RECIPES: Grilled Salmon Salad . . . Grilled Strip Steak with Olives and Feta

Grilled Salmon Salad

2 salmon fillets, about 8 ounces each

8 asparagus spears

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar

1½ cups fresh snow pea pods, trimmed

6 cups torn salad greens

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

Place salmon fillets in zip-top bag. Trim asparagus spears and place in another zip-top bag. Combine lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and ginger; stir well to combine. Drizzle 2 tablespoons lime juice mixture over salmon; seal bag. Drizzle 1 tablespoon lime juice mixture over asparagus; seal bag. Turn bags to coat evenly, then refrigerate about 30 minutes. Stir vinegar into remaining lime juice mixture; cover and refrigerate.

Preheat grill or allow coals to burn down to white ash. Spray grate with nonstick spray coating or lightly oil it.

Remove salmon from bag; drain and discard marinade. Grill salmon 4 to 5 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Remove asparagus from bag; drain and discard marinade. Grill asparagus until just fork tender, 5 to 7 minutes, turning to cook evenly.

Meanwhile, heat a small amount of water to a boil in a covered saucepan. Once water boils, add pea pods, cover and cook about 2 minutes or until hot, but still crisp. Drain pea pods and plunge into ice water.

Arrange salad greens on 4 individual plates. Top each salad with ½ of a hot, cooked salmon fillet. (If salmon fillets have skin, remove before serving.) Sprinkle sesame seeds evenly over salmon. Arrange asparagus spears, pea pods and sliced tomatoes on each salad. Drizzle with reserved lime juice mixture.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 257 calories , 9 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), 59 milligrams cholesterol, 19 grams carbohydrates, 28 grams protein, 357 milligrams sodium, 5 grams dietary fiber.

Grilled Strip Steak with Olives and Feta

4 strip steaks (or other favorite steak), about 6 ounces each

MARINADE:

½ cup canola or olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon minced or crushed garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

TOPPING:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves

½ cup sliced mixed green and kalamata olives

½ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Cut several slits on the fat side of the strip steaks so they don’t curl when grilling. Place the steaks in a plastic bag. In a small bowl whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Pour half of the marinade over the steaks in the bag. Seal bag and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate the other half of the marinade.

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Remove the steaks from the marinade and discard the marinade. Let steaks sit at room temperature while you make the topping.

In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Add the onions and saute until soft. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, olives and feta and saute 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Oil the grill grate. Place the steaks on the grill and grill 5 minutes or until you get good grill marks. If desired, turn on an angle and cook 1-2 minutes to get nice cross-hatch marks. Turn and continue grilling until the steak is cooked to the desired degree of doneness. It’s best to have an instant-read thermometer. For medium-rare, the internal temperature should range from 125 to 130 degrees. Cover with the topping and drizzle with remaining marinade, if desired.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving (based on 5 ounces of beef): 422 calories, 23 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 7 grams carbohydrates, 45 grams protein, 641 milligrams sodium, 112 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram fiber.

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