Grilled Potatoes

You guys have to try grilling potatoes!  I don't know how this idea escaped me all these years, but I'm in love and make them all the time now.

I needed a side to go with the steaks with cilantro chimichurri and I wanted to grill it.  I had red potatoes on hand and a light bulb went off.  Having never done this before, I did a little Googling, kept the recipe simple and hoped for the best.  The crunchy potatoes were my favorite, but the skin on each potato has a nice crispness in contrast to the tender centers.  Some of the grill flavor comes out in the potatoes too.

COOK'S NOTE:  I've been using salt, pepper and chili powder for seasoning, but use whatever strikes your fancy. 

Grilled Potatoes
Original Recipe

2-4 red potatoes per person (depending on size), sliced ~1/4" thick
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Other seasonings

Preheat the grill.  Coat potato slices with olive oil and seasonings.  Grill the potatoes in a single layer for about 5 minutes on each side or until potatoes are golden and cooked through.

After removing them from the grill, taste and sprinkle with a touch more salt if needed.  These can be served with a dipping sauce, but they are pretty tasty one their own.

Grilled Steaks with Cilantro Chimichurri

Don't you love when you can cook most of your dinner on the grill?  With the exception of the tomato salad, I did just that with this meal.  I grilled some ribeye steaks and thinly sliced red potatoes and we were good to go. 

Traditional chimichurri is made with parsley, but when I saw this steak with cilantro chimichurri recipe I knew I would actually make it.  I already had cilantro in the fridge and ribeyes were on sale.  This dinner was fabulous!  I don't usually cover up a steak, but the cilantro chimichurri gave it something a little extra.  I love the slight heat that comes from the raw garlic in the sauce.


COOK'S NOTES:

• I didn't bother mincing the cilantro and garlic.  I just threw all the chimichurri ingredients into my mini chopper/food processor to do all the work for the sauce.
• The leftover steak and chimichurri made excellent tacos the next day.  I added the chimichurri to sour cream to stretch it since there wasn't much left.

Grilled Steaks with Cilantro Chimichurri
From Eclectic Recipes
Yield: 2 servings

Steaks:
2 ribeye steaks
2 tsp steak seasoning
1 tsp chipotle chili powder

Cilantro Chimichurri:
1 cup fresh cilantro, very finely chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Heat grill to high heat. Allow meat to come to room temperature and rub the seasonings onto the steaks. Grill over high heat until desired doneness.

In a separate bowl, add cilantro, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

Serve steaks topped with cilantro chimichurri.

Carne Asada Tacos

Can you believe it's August already?!  Summer always goes way too fast.  Here's a good entree to throw on the grill.  Whether you're at home or at your favorite Tex-Mex place, carne asada is always a great choice!

Carne Asada Tacos

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Yield: 4-6 servings

2 pounds flank or skirt steak

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Marinade:

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 tsp cumin

1 large handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped (great flavor in the stems)

Salt and pepper

2 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)

2 Tbsp white vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

For Serving:

Tortillas
Pico de gallo (fresh tomato salsa)

Chopped avocados or guacamole
Chopped peppers (red, green, yellow, whatever strikes your fancy)
Cilantro
Lime
Sour Cream
Cilantro Lime Rice (optional)

Lay the flank steak in a large non-reactive bowl or baking dish. Combine marinade ingredients and pour the marinade over the steak. Make sure each piece is well coated. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.

Preheat your grill over medium-high flame (you can also use a cast iron grill pan on high heat for stove-top cooking). Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Remove the steak from the marinade. If you are cooking indoors, you may want to brush off excess marinade as the bits may burn and smoke on the hot pan. Season both sides of the steak pieces with salt and pepper. Grill the pieces for a few minutes only, on each side, depending on how thin they are, until medium rare to well done, to your preference. You may need to work in batches. Remove the steak pieces to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak across the grain on a diagonal.

Serve with warm tortillas (flour or corn). Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side in a dry skillet or on the grill, until toasty and pliable. Alternatively, you can warm tortillas in a microwave: heating just one or two at a time, place tortillas on a paper towel and microwave them for 15 to 20 seconds each on high.  Add the carne asada and additional toppings to the tortilla, then serve.

What a great marinade!