Flat Iron Steaks with Whole Grain Arugula Salad

Every now and then you have one of those nights when you just need dinner to come together fast. Like in under 20 minutes fast if at all possible. The other night was one of them. OK, just about every night is one of them. I was able to whip up dinner in no time flat and it tasted pretty darn good considering the effort that went into it.

I had a package of Seeds of Change Seven Whole Grains. I’m not promoting this brand specifically but this is the one that I used. I found it at Target and I got it because it was pre-cooked and I like to be prepared for dinner emergencies. It also was just a mixture of basic grains without a weird flavoring like broccoli cheese or anything like that.

Plain flavors are a bit more versatile since you can flavor them how you like instead of being stuck with the flavor they already are. Since the dressing from my black bean butternut squash salad was so good, I made another batch quickly. Dinner was pretty much done in the time it took to grill steaks, heat the grains, toss a salad, and throw it on plates… with two servings for lunch the next day.

Flat Iron Steaks with Whole Grain Arugula Salad 

• 16 oz flat iron steaks
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 4 cups (120g) baby arugula or other greens
• 2 cups pre-made whole grains or brown rice*

Fire up the grill and salt and pepper the steaks on both sides. When the grill is ready, toss the steaks on and start on the dressing. Mix the vinegar, olive oil, sugar, paprika and salt in a small bowl.

Don’t forget to flip the steaks about now. Heat the grains/rice according to package instructions. Toss the arugula and grains together in a bowl to combine. Drizzle with the dressing and mix well. Divide equally onto 4 plates.

Remove the steaks from the grill and let them rest about 5 minutes. Add the steaks to the grains and salad, and enjoy.

Makes 4 servings at approximately 366 calories each – 24g protein, 27g carbs, and 18g fat.

Always try to keep a few pre-made things on hand for emergencies so that you can quickly get dinner on the table when you need to. I usually keep a few cans of beans, pre-cooked rice or grains, and lots of chopped veggies. You never know when they might come in handy for a gourmet dinner instead of take out.