Sliced Steak, Arugula, Raspberry Salad with Goat Cheese & Balsamic

I should've just named this salad "Superfood Salad" since it contains so much goodness.
Unfortunately, because it was so good, I dove in right away without remembering to take a picture of it!  Trust me, it looks almost as amazing as it tastes.
Any type of steak will work; just slice it thinly.  You can use leftover grilled steak, or pre-slice and simmer it with onions and garlic as I did here.  Also you can use any type of goat cheese (we used bucheron for its creaminess, but a less expensive feta would do just fine).  The creamy flavor of the goat cheese is absolutely necessary with all of the other flavors going on here - I've made this salad before without the cheese, and it's just not as delicious!


2 steaks, any type (I used rib steaks in this version) sliced thinly
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, S&P

Arugula (or any combination of salad greens, but it must contain generous amounts of arugula for its bitter/tangy bite!)
2 c fresh raspberries
2 c toasted walnuts
1 "round" of bucheron, crumbled, or one container of feta (roughly equivalent to 6-8 oz)

Dressing:
3/4-1 c balsamic vinegar
1/4 c Cherry Heering (can substitute red wine or even omit this; the Heering will give it the required sweetness...if omitting Heering, substitute about 1-2 T honey)
2 T butter
S&P

Place thinly sliced steak into heated & oiled cast iron skillet on low-medium heat with a generous splash of balsamic and olive oil.  Saute with the sliced onions and garlic.  When meat is mostly browned, add a little water, turn down heat and simmer while rest of salad is being prepared.  This will tenderize it a bit and really get that balsamic incorporated for good flavor.
For dressing, simmer all ingredients except the butter to reduce by 1/2.  When reduced, turn off heat, and add the butter while stirring to incorporate.  This will thicken the dressing further and add a nice consistency & flavor.  Set aside.
Assemble arugula on plates and add a few slices of the simmered steak strips & onions; top with very unselfish amounts of raspberries, walnuts, and goat cheese.  Drizzle balsamic reduction and voila!  You have yourself a very superfood-y salad that will help you live to see 100.

This salad was enjoyed with a nice cold glass of Chardonnay (only because I didn't have any reds on hand - it wasn't bad, in the same sense that sex & pizza are never bad; but really it would be better with a Merlot or any bolder red to offset all the strong flavors of this salad).