Seared Beef & Dressed Greens

I'm maybe two months away from my trip to Italy and I haven't really accomplished much in the way of losing weight. I may have lost the kilo or two that I packed on during the holidays at the most. I was trying to shed a few extra pounds so that when I went to Eataly and gorged on delicious pastas for nine days, I could return home back at my normal weight.

I can only blame myself, as I haven't really been trying v. hard to reduce my food intake (as is evidenced by this blog) or to increase my activity. I have been debating the purchase a Fitbit for months now but I haven't made the plunge because I'm not sure if it would help me or just depress me. Anyway, I've been making an effort to at least put more greens on the table. We always have some giant vegetable dish on the table for every meal but I'm trying to eat even more. It's not a difficult task because I love vegetables but in the winter, when so much of the produce aisle is out of season, it's harder to vary what's put on the table.

Enter: baby greens. There is an entire wall in our grocery store devoted to lettuces and an entire panel devoted to baby lettuces. Baby greens are just as delicious and nutritious as their adult counterparts but they're more tender and sweet and delicious and they never get old in my world. But, because I'm a huge fatty fatso, I can't just sit there and eat a pile of greens and pretend to be happy. I need a little more substance. And I think seared beef is the simplest and most elegant accompaniment.

Ingredients [serves 2]:
seared beef
8 oz. sirloin tip beef (or whatever cut you prefer)
olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon coarse pepper

dressed greens
3 cups baby greens (kale, rocket, mesclun, watercress, romaine, spinach, whatever you like)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
parmesan shavings

Start by getting a skillet on the hob over medium heat and get it really good and hot. Meanwhile, coat the beef in really good olive oil.

Get the beef in the pan and sear until lovely and brown, about 2 minutes on each side. If you're not into rare beef, you can certainly cook the beef for longer (if you want to ruin it). No, I'm kidding; please, prepare the beef the way you like it. Once the beef is cooked to its desired doneness, move it to a plate and let it rest for 10 minutes.

While the meat is resting, prepare the greens. This particular week, I had baby kale in the fridge so that's what I used. Baby kale is super mild and tender and a great "starter" green for people who are salad-averse.

Instead of drowning out the natural flavors of the vegetable with some sort of heavy dressing, opt for a more natural (re: preservative-free) dressing. Squeeze on just a little lemon and drizzle in a little olive oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and then toss to dress. Each leaf should glisten but there shouldn't be any excess liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Honestly, I cannot stand watching meal companions drown their salads in dressing. It always prompts someone at the table to joke, "Hey, pal, you want some more salad to go with that dressing?" which is another aspect of salad-drowners that I can't stand: the yuk-yuk jokers that feel the need to make that stupid comment. Seriously though, if you're going use a cup of dressing, you're better off eating a bag of chips.

Once the beef has rested, cut it into thin slices. Drizzle with more of the really good olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Pile the greens right next to the beef and then garnish with parmesan cheese shavings (if you want). I think the nuttiness of the parmesan is a great accompaniment for the bright greens and the rare beef. This makes a delicious lunch or dinner, especially if you're watching your weight, and it's a breeze to whip up. Plus, it's super pretty - I mean come on, the red and green together is lovely - and you'll feel energized and full instead of food coma-y and lazy after eating it.

Here's the recipe page: