Jinny's Filet Mignon Salad

 One of my favorite dishes to order in a restaurant is steak salad. It is easy to eat, not too heavy, and you get all the flavor of a steak without eating too much. When I found this recipe in the cookbook, I was so excited! I have been anticipating making it for months now. And since we are not eating out at restaurants during the pandemic, I am all the more eager to become adept at making this to enjoy at home. Not frequently, mind you. It's not every day one can afford filet mignon. But for a treat, it is a delight.

The person who submitted this recipe, Heather Paquette, said that it comes from her grandmother, Virginia Gearan, who owned a restaurant, The Glass Menagerie in Kennebunk. The salad recipe comes with a homemade dressing recipe. I bought an inexpensive glass cruet for serving the dressing. The recipe calls for using a blender for the dressing, but I made such a small amount that a hand whisk worked just fine.

My husband and I come from different worlds, when it comes to how we like our meat. I grew up on well-cooked meat. He has always enjoyed rare meat. Since we've been together, I've learned to like medium to medium well meat. His steak, therefore, had to be rare, and mine medium to medium well. 

We recently purchased electric salt and pepper grinders with a light at the bottom of the grinder. I know, it's a little odd, having a flashlight on your food. But at the touch of a button, you have freshly ground salt and pepper, which on this very excellent filet mignon is just about perfection itself.

I love the simplicity of the recipe. I added a few things and subtracted a few things, such as: I'm not crazy about artichokes, and I do love purple onion in my salads. That's the fun of making this amazing salad at home. Do it up exactly how you like it. The homemade dressing is "to die for" to quote Heather. An all around excellent steak salad.