Recipes...finally

I had this salad at a restaurant back home called Cafe Delux - french bistro type place, really good. Whenever I have something at a restaurant that I like I come home and try to re-create it, and this salad is very simple to make, and fast.

Montreal Steak Salad - serves 4
2 Strip steaks, trimmed of excess fat
8 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce (split down the spines first)
3 T Montreal steak seasoning (found at any grocery store)
Olive oil
1 Avocado, sliced
8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
3/4 cup halved grape tomatoes

Dressing:
3 T white wine vinegar
1/2 t dijon mustard
1/2 t minced garlic
1 egg yolk
3/4 t kosher salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil (the flavor here makes a big difference, so make sure you like it)

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, garlic, egg yolk, and salt and pepper until combined. Then slowly pour oil while whisking to combine and emulsify dressing.

Bring steaks to room temperature, and heat the grill on high (I use a cast iron grill pan on the stove). Rub steaks with olive oil, and season with Montreal seasoning. I like to rub the spices on and press them into the meat a little - don't be shy here, but the spices have a little kick to them, so be careful if you are sensitive to heat. Turn the heat down to medium high and grill steaks about 6-7 minutes each side for medium. Remove from grill and cover with foil to rest for a few minutes. While the steaks are resting toss the lettuce, tomatoes, and bacon with enough dressing to coat, and divide among plates to serve (I like to reserve some bacon and tomatoes to sprinkle on top of each serving). Divide and arrange avocado slices, and blue cheese on top of each serving, and slice and arrange steak. You're done!

As for these, the recipe I used was one given to me by my brother-in-law Ben, who is a fabulous cook and knowledgeable foodie. It comes from The New Best cookbook, which I think is an essential in any kitchen.

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 & 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1 large egg, and 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 t vanilla
2 cups + 2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet, if you prefer)

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 325
Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, add and mix in vanilla and egg and yolk until combined. Add combined flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until incorporated, but do not over-mix. Fold in Chocolate chips.
Scoop dough into rounded balls, they should be large, a scant 1/4 cup each. Bake cookies for 15 minutes. They will look like they aren't finished, but they will be done, and soft. Remove to a cooling rack and enjoy!