7.20.2011

Recipe Challenge, Day 5 of 5

Ta-dah! I did it. Completed my 5-Day Recipe Challenge to create a string of new dishes I'd never tried before, all courtesy of the weeknight meal planner from Rachael Ray's July issue of her magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray. If you're just tuning in, here are the links to Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4.

Day 5 was the best meal of the set, it got rave reviews from both the husband and my friend, Lisa, who joined us for dinner that night. And it was, arguably, one of the easiest recipes as well. So without further ado, let's dig in!


Garlic-Marinated Steak with Corn Salsa
1 lb. skirt steak, halved crosswise (you can also cut the steak up after you've grilled it, or you can use rib-eye steaks like we did!)
Salt & pepper
4 small garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed but still whole
2 tbsp. EVOO, plus more for drizzling
1 pkg. corn tortillas
2 ears corn, shucked
2 avocados, cut into bite-size cubes
1 small bunch radishes (about 8), thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 lime, zested and juiced

Step 1) Season your steaks with plenty of salt and pepper, then rub them all over with the smashed garlic cloves. Don't be afraid to smush it in there! You should be able to smell the fragrant garlic. After sliding the garlic around the surface of the meat, discard the garlic and drizzle the steaks with some EVOO and let them sit at room temp for about 15 minutes. Don't skip this step! It really does help the garlic settle in and lets the steak flavor truly marinate before grilling.


Step 2) Oil the grill grate and grill the corn, uncovered and turn occasionally, until blistered. About five minutes or so. When it's cool enough to handle slice the kernels off the cob and place in a large mixing bowl.



Step 3) Grill the steaks, turning halfway through cooking time. (A meat thermometer really comes in handy here to avoid overcooking the steaks, we chose to keep ours around medium for best flavor.) When grilled to desired doneness, remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. While steaks are resting, wrap a stack of corn tortillas in foil and place on non-direct heat on the grill for about 8-10 minutes to warm.



Step 4) Add the avocados, radishes and onion to your bowl of corn kernels. In a small cup, whisk together 2 tbsp. EVOO, and the lime zest and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper then add to the large bowl and toss with your corn salsa.



Step 5) Plate your dinner! A corn tortilla, a few strips of steak and a hearty helpin' of your corn salsa will do it. Best devoured with a nice cold beer. :)



That wraps up my 5-Day Recipe Challenge! I'm glad I did it, though the hard part was keeping up with blog posts, not so much the cooking. I'll admit all five recipes were pretty easy to handle, which was just the point. I knew it was going to be different trying to blog five dinners in a row—and turns out, I had to take a break in between when work and life just got a little too busy to keep up. But it's motivated me to get on the blog more often and share other experiences, from cooking and crafts to projects and vacations. Blogs are a wonderful way to present useful, creative and inspirational information!

The Recipe Challenge isn't over, though. I'll continue to do Recipe Challenge posts in the future, especially when it comes to new and more difficult dishes I've not always had the patience to conquer. I've already selected one for next week, in fact, that's from a wonderful Italian cook book I've been reading through. It involves crisping basil leaves and even making a white bean passatina. Eek!

Until then, c'mon back for a trip recap of our visit to Niagara Falls, the Guadalupe River and some other projects I've been looking forward to sharing. Oh, and bon appetit!!

2 comments:

  1. AMAZING!! I served your Tuscan soup at lunch today and it was a big hit with everyone.....except LD!! He DID at least TRY it today though! I picked up Rachael Ray's magazine for July and am trying my hand at a few things! You inspired me!

    ReplyDelete
  2. another great job...

    ReplyDelete

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