Little Italy Relish: Quick pick-me-up for grilled steak

One of the simplest dinners is grilled steak. It's quick and easy, but with a little extra effort it can seem like an elegant dinner. Paired with a nice side dish, a classic caesar salad, and some good red wine, it was a perfect Saturday night dinner. To add a little more flavor and flare to the meal, I made a fresh batch of Little Italy Relish. It's a no-cook relish that comes together as fast as you can chop the ingredients. Olives, roasted red peppers, and more combine to bring a unique flavor to a simple steak dinner. Served at room temperature, the heat from the steaks brings out even more flavor.

I made more than enough for the two of us. I wanted leftovers! This relish will be great on roast beef sandwiches or even better on a hot steak sandwich with melted provolone on garlic bread. It'd also be delicious as a topping for a salad with grilled chicken. Or simply put a scoop of it on a piece of crusty bread like Jeff did after dinner!



Little Italy Relish
Adapted from Weber Real Grilling

1 roasted red bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium ripe tomato, diced
1/2 cup pitted green olives, diced
1/2 cup pitted black olives, diced (I used Calamata)
1 stalk celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 Tbsp. good quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving. If making a day ahead, refrigerate overnight and let come to room tempterature before serving.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Serve over your favorite cut of grilled steaks.