Tag Archives: flank steak

Identity Crisis?

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Why did I never think of this before? Fajita Quesadilla—a win-win! In this case with red meat, but you could also substitute chicken, fish and/or other veggies. This particular combo, sizzling spiced steak, onions and peppers paired with gooey cheese certainly got my attention. We dubbed them QUESAJITAS.

It was our first dinner party since we began the COVID lockdown the beginning of March (if you can call four people a party—but then, I can be a party of one!) And to be honest, it was the first warm, dry weekend we’ve had since the spring season began; so we were beyond ready for some socialization—that included of course, great food and adult beverages.

We were well on our way in prepping everything in the morning, when unexpectedly our kitchen touch-faucet went on the blink. 3 1/2 hours later, without success in getting the automatic touch feature to work, The Hubs disconnected it—but at least got it to work manually.

Now back to that party. What’s nice about this recipe, and our side of Purple Tex-Mex Slaw, is that all of the prep can be done ahead of time. So you’ll only be standing in front of the stove, or over a grill for an abbreviated period of time. Lucky for us, we had enough leftover for the two of us for lunch a couple of days later. This recipe can easily be cut in half.

And because I’m feeling generous today, I’ll throw in my famous Holy-Moley Lynn’s Great Guacamole recipe. It’s chunky style and packed with fabulous flavor while providing a perfect accompaniment for those Quesajitas!

Margarita anyone?

Steak Fajita Quesadilla

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 lbs. flank steak
  • 1/4 cup. vegetable oil; more as needed
  • 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
  • 2 bell peppers: 1 red and 1 green, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 8 large flour tortillas (9- to 10-inch diameter, burrito-size)
  • 1 1/2 lbs. Mexican-style shredded cheese blend (about 6 cups)
  • Salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and Mexican hot sauce, for serving

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and 2 tsp. salt. Rub the steak all over with the spice mixture. It’s best to do this a few hours ahead of time if possible.
  2. Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, or alternatively, heat an oiled grill to medium high (400°F to 475°F). Cook the steak, flipping once, until rare, 4 to 5 minutes.
  3. Transfer to a cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice across the grain. Repeat if necessary with another steak.
  4. Return the pan to the heat, and add more oil if dry. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pan, season generously with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and the peppers are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside. Wipe out the skillet with paper towels; set aside.
  5. Put the tortillas on a work surface. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the cheese over half of each tortilla. Evenly divide the steak and vegetables over the cheese.
  6. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the steak and vegetables. Fold each tortilla in half so that the empty side covers the filling.
  7. Heat 1 tsp. of the oil in the skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 2-3 of the quesadillas, and cook until golden-brown and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side.
  8. Transfer to a clean cutting board, and then repeat with the remaining oil and quesadillas in as many batches as necessary. Cut the quesadillas into wedges, and serve with the salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and/or hot sauce.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Christine Gallary from Fine Cooking

A Mexican twist for dessert with Dulce de Leche ice cream and double chocolate Milano cookies. (OK, The Pepperidge Farm cookies were of a different nationality…)

Holy-Moley Lynn’s Great Guacamole

Holy-Moley Lynn's Great Guacamole

  • Servings: yields about 4 cups
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup, finely chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tsp. slt
  • 4 large ripe Haas avocados, halved, pitted
  • 2 plum tomatoes, seeded, diced
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded, minced
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro, more to taste

Directions

  1. In a large glass bowl, combine onion, lime juice and salt; let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  2. With a large tablespoon, scoop avocado flesh into the bowl with the onion mixture. Coarsely mash with a potato masher.
  3. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
  4. Cover with plastic wrap pushing down on plastic to make sure no air is between the covering and the guacamole to prevent browning.
  5. Refrigerate up to 24 hours.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Diane with her 24-Carrot-Gold

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It was a dead heat as to whether the main entrée, Steak Diane, or our accompaniment, Roasted Carrots with Blood Orange and Rosemary, should take top billing. This version of Steak Diane, classically made with filet mignon, uses a more reasonably-priced flank steak. The beefier profile of the cut holds its own against a daring sauce that highlights cognac, sherry, Worcestershire sauce, and flavorful herbs—no complaints here!

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Our “24-Carrot-Gold” side dish, were a perfect “10”. Roasting the slender veggies whole gives this easy sidekick a dressy feel—as does using blood oranges (regular ones work too, but lack the pizazz.) And that final embellishment of a maple syrup drizzle halfway through roasting, renders a wonderful caramelization to the underside that takes the root veggies to a higher level, guaranteeing a spot in your top ten accompaniments of all time. (Make sure to buy the young tender carrots with the greens still intact.)

As far as the instructions, we did not change a thing for either dish, nor did we a year ago when we made the steak and carrots the first time, so it’s a safe bet to follow the recipes as written—an ideal dinner for two: romantically luxurious and indulgent. I mentioned back then, that Valentines was around the corner, it already came and went this year, but doesn’t mean you have to wait until next year to treat yourself…

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Steak Diane

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 1-1/2-lb. flank steak
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp. peanut or vegetable oil
  • 3 Tbs. finely chopped shallot
  • 3 Tbs. medium sherry, such as amontillado
  • 2 Tbs. Cognac
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbs. lower-salt chicken broth
  • 2 oz. (4 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
  • 3 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh chives
  • 2 Tbs. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, more to taste

Directions

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Pat the steak dry and season generously with salt and pepper. In an ovenproof heavy-duty 12-inch skillet (preferably cast iron), heat the oil over high heat until shimmering hot, about 2 minutes. Brown the steak on both sides, about 4 minutes total.
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  3. Transfer the skillet to the oven and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat reads 135°F, about 5 minutes.
  4. Transfer the steak to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, pour off the fat in the skillet (be careful of the hot handle). Set the skillet over medium heat, add the shallot, sherry, Cognac, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula to release any browned bits, until the sauce is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes.
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  6. Lower the heat to low, add the chicken broth, butter, chives, and parsley and whisk, swirling the pan occasionally, to emulsify the butter; the sauce should look creamy. Remove from the heat, whisk in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice.
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  7. Cut the steak in half with the grain, then slice the meat on the diagonal across the grain into 1/8-inch slices. Serve with the sauce.

http://www.lynnandruss.com


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Roasted Carrots with Blood Orange and Rosemary

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Roasted Carrots with Blood Orange and Rosemary

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 lb. slender carrots, peeled and trimmed, leaving an inch of greens at the top if possible
  • 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 medium blood orange or regular orange; zest finely grated and juice squeezed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 Tbs. fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 Tbs. pure maple syrup

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F.
  2. Arrange the carrots in a single layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, mustard, and orange zest. Pour over the carrots and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper.
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  3. Pour the orange juice around the carrots. Top with the rosemary. Cover tightly with foil and roast until the carrots are nearly tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
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  4. Uncover, drizzle with the maple syrup, and roast, uncovered, until tender and beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Gently toss, season to taste with salt, and serve.

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Steak recipe by Arlene Jacobs; carrot recipe by Laraine Perri, both from the Fine Cooking “Make It Tonight” series.