Making steak in the air fryer is pretty easy! Combined with scallops, a simple surf and turf can be made for a quick Valentine’s Day meal. While the scallops and beef tenderloin cook to perfection, make a simple balsamic vinaigrette from scratch. I love to have a simple fresh-tasting meal on Valentine’s Day because no one wants to be weighed down and groggy after a dinner date.
The Ingredients
Again, simplicity is key here. Scallops and steak go so well together. When you use a steak spice blend of choice, seasoning the skewers is a breeze. You don’t need to add onions or peppers to the salad but it does add some colour. Use any salad greens – I used arugula in mine.
beef tenderloin
scallops
steak spice
salt
bell pepper
red onion
salad greens
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
dijon mustard
honey
fresh herbs
salt
pepper
balsamic reduction, optional
bread to serve
Season and Skewer
To prepare the scallops, make sure they are free of any silt and remove the side muscle. Cube the beef, season both the beef and scallops, and skewer. I did 4 skewers. Preheat the Ninja Foodi to 400F and start cooking your skewers.
Prepare the Salad and Dressing
I like to maximize my time while I prep. Feel free to do this step before you get cooking but if you have all your ingredients out you may be able to cut your onions and peppers and make your salad dressing before the skewers are done cooking. The salad dressing is really easy to make. Just put all of the ingredients in a mason jar and shake the dressing well before serving.
Plate and Serve
Remove the skewers from the Ninja Foodi when the beef is cooked to your desired doneness and tent with foil. Put raw onions and peppers into the Foodi and warm for a couple of minutes. Add the veggies to your salad greens and toss with a bit of dressing. I like to just coat the leaves with the dressing and put the rest of it on the table. People can add more dressing as they eat. This prevents your salad from getting too soggy. Plate the salad with the skewers and enjoy! Happy Valentine’s Day.
Valentine's Day Surf and Turf in the Ninja Foodi
Servings: 2 people
Equipment
Ninja Foodi
Wooden Skewers
cooking spray
Ingredients
200 g beef tenderloin cut into 1" cubes
6-8 large bay scallops side muscle removed and rinsed
1 tbsp steak spice
pinch salt
1 bell pepper seeds removed and cut into thin strips
1/2 cup red onions sliced into thin strips
2 handfuls salad greens
Balsamic dressing
¼ cup Olive Oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh herbs minced
pinch salt
pinch ground black pepper
Optional
balsamic reduction to garnish
crusty bread, mashed potatoes or rice
Instructions
Preheat Ninja Foodi to 400F.
Pat scallops and steak cubes dry with a paper towel. Season with steak spice. Skewer onto wooden skewers. Spray with cooking oil.
Air fry 5 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the steak and cook until the desired doneness. Remove carefully and tent with foil.
Meanwhile, place ingredients for the balsamic dressing together in a jar. Top with lid and shake until combined.
When skewers are removed, place red pepper and red onion strips into Ninja Foodi. Spray with cooking oil. Season with a pinch of salt. Air fry 2 minutes.
To plate, place skewers on a plate. Add salad greens to a bowl and toss with a little salad dressing, shaking the salad dressing while closed in the jar to reconstitute dressing. Place salad greens coated with dressing besides the skewers. Top with red pepper and red onion strips.
Serve with optional sides.
