Panzanella Salad

Knocked off from a local restaurant at the request of my husband.

Ingredients

Bread cubes:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 loaf ciabatta or similar bread, cubed

Salad:

The idea with all salad ingredients, including bread, is to cut into pieces of similar size.

1 avocado, diced

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella

Fresh basil, sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Dressing:

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For serving:

3-4 cups arugula

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange bread cubes on baking sheet in single layer, brush with olive oil. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or so. Bread should be dry and crunchy but not overly brown. Cool.

Combine salad ingredients, tossing well. Combine dressing ingredients and whisk to combine. Toss salad and dressing. You may not need all the dressing. Serve over arugula. Alternately you can plate these individually (without tossing) and serve dressing on the side. The bread will not get as soft.

Steak Sandwiches with Pickled Onion and Herb Aioli

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar $
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise $
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound flank steak, trimmed
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil $
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (12-ounce) French bread baguette
1 cup arugula leaves

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 2 minutes or until boiling. Stir in onion. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Combine mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients (through garlic).

Rub steak evenly with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place steak on grill rack; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak across the grain into thin slices.

Cut baguette in half lengthwise. Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell; reserve torn bread for another use. Place bread, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted.

Drain onion mixture; discard liquid. Arrange steak evenly over bottom half of baguette; top evenly with onion and arugula. Spread mayonnaise mixture over cut side of top baguette half; place on sandwich. Cut into 4 pieces.

Serves 4

403 calories