Steak and Potatoes Salad

Yesterday I mentioned that Haley made a supertasty salad during my weekend visit.  She got the recipe from Real Simple, and it was perfect for summer!  If you have a grill (lucky!), try grilling the steak outside instead of using a skillet; I'm sure it can only add to the deliciousness.
This salad has something for both the carnivore (um, steak?  Bacon?), as well as some veggies, although I would add grape tomatoes to recipe.  It's really, really tasty; even more so when your cute-as-a-button sister makes it while you get to enjoy a drink a watch!

Flank Steak with Lime Marinade

It's not often I get a crazy craving for steak, but, when it happens, I get it bad.  For the most recent case of steak fever, I broke open my trusty Everyday Food: Great Food Fast for a summer marinade.  Is there anything more summery than limes?  It's refreshing, tart, and a great foil for tasty red meat. 
I'll be honest: true to my "no cooking meat" form, JP actually cooked the steak while I steamed the green beans.  We poured the juice from the steak on top of the veggies; yum!

Flank Steak with Lime Marinade (Everyday Food: Great Food Fast, 2007)
1/3 c. fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/3 c.)
2 Tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1 1/2 lbs. flank steak
Coarse salt and black pepper
1. In a resealable plastic bag, combine the first 5 ingredients.  Add the steak and seal the bag (place it in a dish to prevent any leaks); marinate the steak in the fridge, turning occasionally, for 30 minutes.
2. Heat grill to high; lightly oil the grates.  Remove the steak from the marinade letting excess drip off; season with salt and pepper.  Place on grill and cook; turning once, until the meat has reached desired doneness.  Let steak rest for 10 minutes before slicing thin.

Thai Beef Noodle Bowl

 As much as I enjoy eating Asian food, the majority of the time, the recipes involve wayyy too many sauces and spices that are used for that one meal.  It's frustrating to search high and low for something to use very seldom;y, so I was thrilled when Summer passed this meal on to me. 
I would feel bad about having two pictures for this post, but this recipe is SO easy that it doesn't require a lot of work.  There's a very minimal amount of prep involved, and only six ingredients.  They're easy to find in a grocery store, and relatively inexpensive.  Perfect for a mid-week dinner!

Thai Beef Noodle Bowl

1 lb. boneless sirloin

1 Tbsp cooking oil

3 14oz cans beef broth (

1/3 cup peanut sauce

1 1/2 cup medium egg noodles

2 cups broccoli florets

 

Brown meat.  Add broth and peanut sauce and bring to a boil.  Add noodles; simmer 4 minutes.  Add broccoli florets, bring back to boil and then simmer 4 minutes.

Steak and Onion Sandwiches

Every time I post a vegetarian recipe, I can hear my Aunt Nesi in the background saying, "I'm a carnivore, Abbi, where's my meat?!"  And she's right; there's nothing wrong with indulging in a little steak every once in a while.  If I'm going to have some red meat, though, I like to do it with lots of carbs...you know, to balance out the protein.  Add a little caramelized onion, a couple slices of cheese, and I'm in nirvana.  Obviously, top this sandwich with whatever makes your skirt fly up: mustard, homemade mayonnaise, tartar sauce...

Steak and Onion Sandwich (courtesy of John Paul, cook extraordinaire)
For 2 people:
2 onions, sliced into strips
4-5 shakes of Worcestershire sauce, to taste
1 ribeye steak, sliced thin
2 ciabatta rolls
Salt and pepper
1. Toss onions into olive oil and soften in a large sautee pan over medium heat, about 15 mintues.
2. Remove onions from pan, and cook steak until opaque, in batches if necessary. Remove to a plate until ready to assemble.
3. Without cleaning pan, put onions back in and turn heat up to medium-high. With a wooden spoon, scrape off burnt parts of the steak in order to "preserve the essence of the meat" (JP's words, not mine!) and add Worcestershire.
4. Toast rolls.
5. Pile a ton of onions onto rolls, top with steak and your choice of toppings. Eat with your hands, like a caveman would!