the PW asian-inspired flank steak

here's to trying new meals and sticking to the menu plan! This is actually from LAST week, but it's worth the post. I followed the pioneer woman's flank steak recipe with asian-inspired marinade. here it is, but remember that i am not the best at measuring.

• 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
• 1/2 cup Cooking Sherry
• 3 Tablespoons Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
• 2 Tablespoons (heaping) Minced Ginger
• 3 cloves (to 5 Cloves) Minced Garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 whole Flank Steak

put everything but the steak in a shallow dish and mix well. add the flank steak, turning a few times to cover completely. i marinated it for about 3 hours, flipping it over at 1.5 hours.



i wish i'd flattened it a little in the middle. i think my steak was very thick because i had to cook it longer than she suggested (3.5-4 minutes per side? more like 5-6 minutes per side). also since i don't have a grill or grill plate, i did it in a skillet. next time i'd use the electric griddle at least. i chose not to make her "controversial optional sauce" with it (boiling the strained, leftover marinade with some water until it thickens some) only because i forgot to and dumped it down the drain. not because i'm concerned about any contamination at all.



served with steamed green beans and white rice! yes, i'd have loved to have asparagus and brown rice. but we use what we have when we're budgeting.

grilled tangy spicy honey dijon pork tenderloin... FOUR INGREDIENTS!

oh yeah, you read it right. only 4 ingredients. well, excluding the pork- so, 5.

2 lbs pork loin
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/4-1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp salt

mix ingredients in a bowl, pour over pork loin in a plastic bag.
marinate in fridge for at least 4 hours, but i do overnight

oil grill grate- heat to medium.
place pork on grill, let flame hit each side to make nice grill marks
grill for about 25-30 minutes, turning every so often for even cooking. stay close- the honey can char on the outside...still will taste ok though:)

KEEP EXTRA MARINADE FROM BAG
and boil while pork is on the grill- stir occcasionally.

when done, slice pork and serve with boiled marinade over white rice.

you will love it (i hope)!

chow!



when done,

grilled flank steak fajitas

i like this recipe because:

-it is easy, and not very time consuming. the most arduous part is prepping the veggies and honestly, slicing a couple of peppers is hardly arduous if you ask me.

-it uses the grill. grill=less mess=less cleanup

-it eradicates the use for the salty flavoring/seasoning packs. no salty packets=healthier

-it is the color of the rainbow. ish. not only is it pretty to photograph and present, a friend of mine once told me that to stay healthy and happy, one should eat foods that represent the colors of the rainbow. she usually knows what she is talking about. wait, what's that?....no people, not like skittles.


ingredients:

1 lb flank or skirt streak (i prefer a non-fatty flank)
2-3 bell peppers ( i like to use one of each- red, yellow, green)
1 red onion
1 tbsp ground cumin
salt
pepper
evoo! (extra virgin olive oil)
1-2 tomatoes
lettuce
cheese
tortillas

method:

season steak with salt, pepper and cumin on each side

slice peppers/onions- thick enough to not fall thru the grill grate, if you want them thinner, lay them on a grill foil on the grate. toss veggies with oil, salt and pepper.

place steak and veggies on lightly oiled grill grate over medium heat, grill for 8-12 minutes (turning steak once) or until veggies are tender and steak in done to your likeness. (i do about 9-10 minutes for a pink center)

while food is grilling, i take the time to cut up lettuce and tomatoes. see my tip for dicing tomatoes by clicking here

when food is done, take off the grill and let rest for a couple of minutes before slicing meat across the grain. i take these few minutes to warm the tortillas over low heat on the grill, less than a minute per side.

serve with rice (spanish, white, etc) and sour cream, homemade guac and salsa.

chow!