Arugula, Steak and Lemony Roasted Potato Salad

So, I eat meat now. I know, try and keep up, will you? I got a complete and elaborate blood work up a few weeks ago with a trusted "whole wellness" doctor and friend. I'd say holistic, but that's not quite right. He's a real doctor who gets whole body wellness, health, nutrition, and is an advocate of vegetarianism and veganism as well as some good ole meat eating, providing it is grass fed and not too often. He looked at my numbers and said:

Krysta, you look great...except...you are low in iron, protein, B-12, and red blood cell count, all of which affect each other, all of which could be remedied by eating red meat twice a week until after the baby is born. Getting your levels up now will help with energy and stamina during labor and your bodies ability to bounce back after delivery and all that blood loss. 

I'm paraphrasing here, but coming from someone who knows me and my husband and and our diets, I completely trust him. Sure, he said I could raise my levels through eating mussels, oysters and wild salmon for my B-12 and spinach and beans (among other things) for my iron and protein...but the truth is it was going to be more work. I already eat those things. I need more, obviously, in higher quantities and I need to be taking vitamin C with it to ensure I get good absorption. In other words, it was going to require more work on my part...or I could just eat the meat and boost my spinach and call it good. I love red meat and my body feels good eating it. This choice was a no-brainer. I still take the vitamin C though, for good measure.

Springtime weather in the Mountains is perfect for roasted potato and steak salad


I am coming to believe the more I learn about health and wellness that there is no right way for everybody. It depends on what you are trying to accomplish and how you feel. Are you an ultra marathoner? You are going to need different types of food to fuel your body than a sedentary person. Do you need to loose a significant amount of weight? Yours is going to be a different story. I'm certain red meat would not be prescribed. And truthfully, I think some bodies can process certain foods better and more efficiently than others. So while I still believe animal protein is not good for the body for disease prevention in large quantities, it can be very beneficial for some in smaller quantities every so often. This is just personally what I think. You should explore and come to your own conclusions. It's like my doctor also said:

Your triglicerides are on the high side of normal. I'd tell you to watch that, but it depends on other factors as well. If your family history is one of heart disease and problems of that nature, I'd say we need to get that number down. On the other hand, if your family has a tendency to go crazy (dementia, etc) then I'd like that number to be higher because it's going to work for you and I'd tell you not to worry about it. Same thing with red wine. Red wine has many health benefits. I'm a big proponent of drinking a glass at night. However, if breast cancer runs in your family, it's not a good idea. The risk outweighs the benefit.  

Health is personal. I'm just trying to find the right things for me. I don't need to be defined as anything in particular. I believe in whole foods and lots of them. That's my statement as of now.



I got all giddy when I saw this recipe for a grilled steak salad because I could actually make it! And it was easily adaptable for Jeremy (who is not eating red meat) because I just added asparagus and he had a beautiful and simple filling salad, and I was free to just add the meat to mine. It's a hearty meal, but still light and bright for the season with the lemony-parsley filled dressing. I'll be making it again.

Arugula, Steak and Lemony Roasted Potato Salad
adapted from Women's Day Magazine, June 2013

For the Potatoes:
adapted from Dinner at My Place, by Tyler Florence

1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 fresh rosemary sprig, leaves only
1 lemon, cut into quarters
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash potatoes and cut lengthwise. Toss potatoes with oil. Toss with rosemary and lemon wedges in a roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper, then roast potatoes for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown (sometimes, I crank the heat up to 375 for a few minutes if they are not browning as fast as I'd like). When done, toss the potatoes with the lemon wedges to make sure the juices get distributed evenly (the heat will release the oils from the skin and the juice from the inside). Season again with salt and pepper again and set aside to cool. 

For The Salad:
1 recipe lemony roasted potatoes (recipe above)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 1/2 lb skirt steak, cut crosswise into 6 pieces (I just grilled a grass fed ribeye and sliced it thin)
Kosher salt and pepper
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoons capers
1 clove garlic
1 bunch arugula, thick stems discarded (I used a 5oz container)

Heat the broiler. Season the steak with salt and pepper and place on a broiler-proof baking sheet. Broil to desired doneness, 2-3 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

For the dressing, place the shallot, lemon zest and 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice, parsley, capers, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a mini food processor or magic bullet. Pulse until combined. Add 4 tablespoons olive oil and blend until just combined. Ideally you want it to be a bit chunky (although I pulverized mine and it was still delicious). Arrange the arugula, steak and potatoes on a platter. Drizzle with the dressing.