My newest recipe follows my “how to plan a healthy menu” guidelines perfectly! It contains a quality protein, a healthy fat and 75% of the plate is covered with vegetables. This is “The Organic Kitchen Southwest Salad”. Tender filet mignon set atop chopped romaine with grilled shallots, red or orange bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, and spicy pepitas all tossed with a creamy avocado dressing. The way this salad is shown is grain free, but I also offer an option using grilled corn and black beans!
We start with two grass fed cuts of filet mignon (or your favorite steak), thinly sliced…
…seasoned sea salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Then we sear these tender cuts of meat in the healthy fat of your choice; butter, ghee or coconut oil. After searing, we set the beef aside and sauté the shallots, zucchini, and bell pepper in the same pan.
Our spicy pepitas can be made ahead.
Homemade creamy avocado dressing tops it off just right!
The Recipe: South of The Border Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
You will need: (affiliate links) a pan to sear beef and saute vegetables, (I like these grilling pans), a hand held juicer for limes (where to buy), ancho chile or chili powder (where to buy), sea salt (where to buy) and an excellent quality white balsamic vinegar (this is my favorite!)
Spicy Pepitas:
Make ahead of time. Allow time to cool. If you want a fast no work version, use store bought salted, roasted pepitas.
The perfect crunchy snack!
- 1 cup raw pepitas pumpkin seeds
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ancho chile or chili powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 T fresh squeezed lime juice
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place rack in upper third of oven.
- Place all ingredients together in a bowl toss and then spread on a cookie sheet. Bake, shaking pan once or twice, until lightly browned, 6-8 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place rack in upper third of oven.
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Place all ingredients together in a bowl, toss and then spread on a cookie sheet. Bake, shaking pan once or twice, until lightly browned, 6-8 minutes.
Creamy Avocado Dressing:
You will need a good quality white balsamic vinegar. (affiliate link)
Salad:
Greens topped with grilled veggies and creamy herb avocado dressing. This recipe is grain free but I offer an option to use grilled corn too.
- 2 - 6 oz cuts filet mignon sliced 1/4 " thick
- 2 T butter, ghee or coconut oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1/3 a head of Romaine lettuce
- 1/2 and orange red bell pepper diced
- 2 shallots thinly sliced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1 to mato diced
- kernals from one cob of corn optional
- 1/4 cup black beans
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Prepare all vegetables. Chop romaine and place on two plates.
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Season sliced meat with sea salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat a pan on medium/high heat for two minutes. Add butter, ghee or coconut oil. When fat is and hot, add filet slices searing both side (just a minute or two per side) remove steak, add bell peppers to pan. Saute, stirring frequently for 5-6 minutes. Remove steak from pan and set aside. Add shallots, bell pepper and and corn (optional) to pan and saute for 3 minutes. Add zucchini cooking and stirring till edges are brown. Allow to cool slightly, top salad with veggies, tomato, steak slices, pepitas, black beans (optional) and dressing. Serve
This salad is satisfying and delious!
For more amazing recipes like this one, please check out my cookbooks! Available in hardcover and PDF and ebook for iPhone or iPad.
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Post tags: Gluten free, grain free
This looks really good and easy to make! I love pepitas and cilantro!!
Me too Kim…and filet mignon:)
Awesome recipe. I love the sound of the avocado dressing. As I have intolerence to dairy, what would you suggest I replace the cream with?
I would use almond or coconut milk. Thanks for the reminder, I will add that suggestion to the recipe:)
Yum, every time I come to your site I haven’t eaten and your pictures make me so hungry lol!
I’ve had avocado ranch but will have to try your dressing! Yum!
I’m SO jealous of your filet mignon! Ha! I am definitely making this dressing this week and I think I’ll grab a flank steak or something! I love the spicy pepitas idea!
Pinning. I might try the dressing tonight. It looks lovely!
I appreciate how print-ready your recipes are; makes it so easy to add a recipe to my cookbook.
Avocado dressing sounds amazing. I am going to try this soon. I love avocado but have never made dressing with it. I bet the creaminess would be perfect.
Thanks Kelly, I hope you love it!