Steak Salad Niçoise and Losing my Memory

So, along with the repeating conversation after all those meds from my surgery, I have discovered my memory has not completely recovered yet.  I was cleaning out my closet to find that one last Christmas gift for the baby boy I could never find in time for Christmas and I came across a cross stitch kit.  Not that big of a deal, except that I was working on the exact same cross stitch, which I purchased sometime in January.  And this unopened kit was also purchased sometime in January.  I don't remember buying two...

Then a couple days later I got a new pair of shoes I ordered, in the mail.  They are basic black shoes to wear with slacks, my old ones squeak, and add the lift in my shoe since my legs are not the same length anymore, they really squeak, so I replaced them.  Only to have the exact same pair show up in the mail a couple of days later.  I ordered the same two pairs of shoes, days apart, and didn't remember doing it.

THEN a couple days later...I got a pair of pants in the mail.  They are the kind you order by how big your butt is.  An A is a flat butt, I ordered the C for the big butt.  A basic black pair of pants for work, and when I got to work and checked my email, I see that I ordered the same pair of pants again.  The second pair should show up any day now.

So, apparently my memory does not do well with medication and it is a good thing I am off everything now.  I will say that I have sworn off shopping for a couple months, just in case.  And I've given up anything that could be considered a toxin, like diet soda, adult beverages, cooking in plastic...just to give my whole body a break.  I'm sure I'll be back to normal in nothing flat.

In the meantime, I'm eating healthy and drinking lots of water.  This salad was dinner the other night.  It was huge, and I didn't finish mine, I took the left-overs for lunch the next day.  At least I remembered to eat it!

Steak Salad Niçoise

4 large eggs, refrigerator-cold

10 oz. red potatoes

12 oz. haricot verts

Cooking spray

8 oz. trimmed New York strip 

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 tsp. dijon mustard

1 small garlic clove, grated

3 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

20 niçoise olives

1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 English cucumber, sliced

1/2 bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed if frozen

Blue cheese, optional

Place eggs and potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with cold water to 2 inches above eggs.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and cook 7 minutes.  Remove eggs from pan; place in a large ice water-filled bowl.  Continue cooking potatoes 13 more minutes or until tender.  Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon.  Cool slightly; cut into quarters.  Add beans to boiling water; cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and place in ice water.  Drain well; place potatoes and beans in a large bowl.  Peel eggs; cut in half, and set aside.  

Heat grill to hot, cook steak 4 minutes per side or until desired degree of doneness.  Remove from grill and let stand 5 minutes.  Cut across the grain into thin slices; sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper.

Combine remaining 3/8 tsp. salt and remaining 3/8 tsp. pepper, parsley, and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl or jar; stir with a whisk or shake until well blended.  Drizzle half of the dressing potato mixture; toss to coat.  Divide potatoes, beans, steak lettuce and all the veggies evenly among 4 plates.  Drizzle remaining dressing over servings.  Serve with blue cheese on the side.

1 year ago:    Lessons from the Road: Wear your Glasses
2 years ago:  Potato Sourdough Rolls
3 years ago:  Prime Rib
4 years ago:  The Manhattan and Remembering Robert

February 29, 2016   Sunrise 8:01 am  Sunset 6:07 pm   Temp. H 28/ L 7°F