Flat Iron Steak Salad & Berry Pound Cake & Cream

With the weather FINALLY beginning to clear up out here, I've got summer on my mind. Sun, beaches, bikini season :| (oye vay!) To keep in line with the inpending season change, so has the recipes in my kitchen (or at least for tonight...lol). As much as I would love to have salad most days, I also have to keep in mind that my always hungry husband is gonna crave a little more than just salad after work :D So today's recipe of Flat Iron Steak Salad ensures I get a light but delish salad with a gluten free dressing and he gets something that sticks and doesn't make him crave dinner #2 a couple hours later.

Of course with a light dinner, there has to be a reward at the end. After all we're saving calories on dinner...lol. My Berry Pound Cake & Cream fits that bill PERFECTLY! So let's get started...

Happy cooking and better eating y'all...

Flat Iron Steak Salad:
2 (1-pound) flat iron steaks or tri-tip steaks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 onion (thinly sliced)
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 1/2 cups red wine (whatever you like to drink)
1 package arugula
1/2 cup edename (thawed)
1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved)

**Prepare the grill or barbecue (medium-high heat).**

- Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper and drizzle with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Grill to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand 10 minutes.

- Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.
- Add the garlic and oregano and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the wine. Simmer until the sauce reduces by half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Strain the sauce into a small bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids in the strainer and return the sauce to the saucepan and bring back to a slow simmer.
- Cut the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into small 1/2-inch chunks and whisk in the sauce a little at a time. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.
- Thinly slice the steaks across the grain. Divide the steak slices among 6 plates. Serve over arugula, cherry tomato, edename salad. Drizzle the sauce over the steak & salad - drizzle a little more extra-virgin olive oil to finish.

Berry Pound Cake & Cream:

1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Bisquick Mix (plus more for dusting the loaf pan)
2 teaspoons orange zest (about 1 medium orange)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (at room temperature, plus more for greasing loaf pan)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (10-ounce) bag sweetened, frozen raspberries, thawed and drained

Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
3 tablespoons Vin Santo wine (or Moscato wine)

**Set an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 by 5 by3-inch loaf pan.**

- In a medium bowl, combine the Bisquick mix, baking soda, orange zest & cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
- In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until blended.
- Add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, until just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold the drained raspberries evenly into the batter.

- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (Cake may deflate in the center during cooling)

To make the Vin Santo Cream:

- In a large bowl, beat the cream until it holds soft peaks.
- Add the vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and Vin Santo. Continue to beat mixture until cream holds stiff peaks.
- Transfer the pound cake to a serving platter. Slice and serve with the Vin Santo Cream.