• Recipe by Illanique van Aswegen

    Chargrilled steak, avocado and orzo salad with caramelised onion dressing

    Ingredients

    • Dressing
    • 30g butter
    • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
    • 5ml (1 tsp) garlic, crushed
    • 5ml (1 tsp) wholegrain mustard
    • 250ml (1 cup) sour cream
    • 125ml (½ cup) milk
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • Salad
    • 200g orzo pasta
    • 300g asparagus spears
    • 4 (600g) sirloin steaks
    • olive oil/avocado oil, to brush
    • squeeze fresh lemon juice
    • 2 avocados, thinly sliced
    • handful rocket

    Instructions

    1

    For the dressing, heat the butter in a heavy-based pan over medium heat. Add the onion and gently sauté until soft and golden, 20 – 25 minutes. Stir in the garlic and mustard. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, combine with the sour cream and milk and blitz with a hand blender until smooth. Season to taste.

    2

    For the salad, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the orzo and cook until al dente, 8 – 10 minutes.

    3

    Blanch the asparagus in some salted water, about 1 minute, then refresh in ice-cold water. Strain and chop into smaller pieces.

    4

    Heat a griddle pan until hot. Brush the steaks with the oil and sear them, 2 – 3 minutes a side for medium rare. Allow to rest, then thinly slice each steak.

    5

    Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the sliced avocados to prevent them from going brown.

    6

    To assemble the salad, place some of the dressing at the bottom of each jar. Add the orzo, then the sliced avocado and chopped asparagus. Add a layer of meat and top with the rocket.

    Notes

    To turn this salad into a vegetarian option, simply replace the steak with chargrilled pieces of aubergine, mushrooms or baby marrow.