Power Up with Main Dish Salads! Beef Tenderloin, Pear and Cranberry Salad

I’m not sure where I first had a steak over salad greens dish, but what I do remember is that it was a terrific combination that surprised my taste buds. So when I saw this recipe from the Texas Beef Council I knew I had to try it! What I love about this type of meal is that it gives us our lean protein and tons of terrific veggies and fruits too. I’ll admit, I don’t think I’d ever bought tenderloins before so it was a bit of sticker shock on the price but I decided to splurge and got a little under a pound and that was plenty for my family of four (we even had a little leftover). The butcher had told me that the tenderloin would be, well, tender unless I just cooked it to a crisp.

Since it was relatively warm outside, I chose to grill the meat which seemed to take a bit longer than I expected (I think it’s our grill, honestly) but the meat was finally cooked to a medium rare and practically melted in our mouths and was easy to eat with the salad greens. (So my tip is, pan cook it like the recipe calls for the first time!) And talk about simple—this dish was SO EASY and went together quickly. I especially liked the added crunch of the nuts. I think we’re going to have to start adding more nuts to our salads! The beauty is that it makes a great looking salad too—one that is definitely company worthy too! And my family really loved the homemade honey mustard dressing—it made plenty so we’ve used that the last couple of nights on our regular salads too.

TENDERLOIN, CRANBERRY & PEAR SALAD WITH HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING

Servings: Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
4 beef tenderloin steaks, cut 3/4 inch thick (approx. 4 oz. each)
1/2 tsp. coarse grind black pepper
1 package (5 oz.) mixed baby salad greens
1 medium red or green pear, cored, cut into 16 wedges
1/4 cup dried cranberries
salt
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Honey Mustard Dressing
1/2 cup prepared honey mustard
2-3 Tbsp. water
1-1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. coarse grind black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt

Instructions
Season steaks with 1/2 tsp. pepper. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Place steaks in skillet; cook 7 to 9 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, whisk Honey Mustard Dressing ingredients in small bowl until well blended. Set aside. Divide greens evenly among 4 plates. Top evenly with pear wedges and dried cranberries.

Carve steaks into thin slices; season with salt as desired. Divide steak slices evenly over salads. Top each salad evenly with dressing, pecans and goat cheese, if desired.

Suggestions
To toast pecans, spread in single layer on metal baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Set aside to cool.

Gather all the ingredients--makes preparation much easier!

Grilled tenderloins over medium heat.

So, this is the REAL vinegar I used. The ingredients picture had the wrong one (that's what happens when there are kitchen distractions--doesn't happen to anyone else, right?)

Carved meat all ready for the salads!

This is the bonus picture--my son saw me taking photos for this post and wanted to do one of his own. Not too bad--just need to work on the angle!

This recipe courtesy of and used with permission from The Healthy Beef Cookbook published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. To get your copy of The Healthy Beef Cookbook click here.

Nutritional Information
Nutrition info per serving: 321 calories; 14 g fat (3 g saturated fat; 7 g monounsaturated fat); 67 mg cholesterol; 434 mg sodium; 21 g carbohydrate; 3.3 g fiber; 26 g protein; 7.6 mg niacin; 0.6 mg vitamin B6; 1.4 mcg vitamin B12; 2.4 mg iron; 30.0 mcg selenium; 5.1 mg zinc.</blockquote>

And here’s the bonus for making a main dish salad like this for dinner: According to a new study called BOLD (Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet), it proves that nutrient-rich lean beef, in addition to being satisfying and great-tasting, can be part of a solution to building a heart-healthy diet.

Protein is great for things like providing energy, boosting immunity and brain power, enhancing weight lost via satiety and maintaining lean muscle mass among other things. For more information on the BOLD study, click on this link.

This is the second of four weeks through March 18th where I’m cooking up new recipes from the Texas Beef Council. Don’t forget to be sure to mark your calendars for the #TxBeef Twitter party on Tuesday, March 6th from 8 p.m.-9 p.m. CST, where we’ll be sharing great tips and information to help you get those nutritious and delicious meals for your family and friends. Stay tuned for more details!

Disclosure: I am participating in a four week campaign with the Texas Beef Council and am being compensated. All opinions are my own. Recipes are courtesy the Texas Beef Council.