The Tasty Fork

Clean Eating Chicken Salad

May 30, 2013 by admin · 10 Comments

I LOVE chicken salad. I remember the first time I ever had it. My family and I were on a vacation white water rafting in Colorado. We were half way into our day on the river and stopped for lunch. The crew leaders made chicken salad with chunks of celery and onions. It was probably my favorite part of the trip. When we returned home, my Mom started making the recipe & it became a family favorite.

Chicken salad sounds like it would be healthy but a majority of recipes are total calorie bombs. Filled with mayo and sour cream. Using dark meat from chicken. Huge portions of chicken salad on sourdough bread. All are wonderful things in their own right, but it makes me feel gross seeing the calorie content on chicken salad recipes. There was a time in my life when eating healthy all the time wasn’t something I thought too much about. But the older I get and more educated I am about food effects on the body, the more I strive to “healthify” my favorite recipes.

This chicken salad recipe would fall under the clean eating category. Clean eating is classified by eating foods as close as possible to their natural state. Avoid processed and packaged foods with preservatives and chemicals. A clean eating diet consists of fresh produce, lean meats, nuts and whole grains. Some books I’ve read allow limited dairy, some do not. The main dairy product I see widely accepted is Greek yogurt; reason being Greek yogurt is loaded with protein & that makes it ok.

To make Clean Eating Chicken Salad, you’ll need two cooked chicken breasts (cut into cubes), celery, onion, red grapes and Greek yogurt. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and season with sea salt & pepper. I could eat it just like this but I turned it into a sandwich with a 100% whole wheat pita. An easy mistake of clean eating is not looking at labels. Many breads will say 100% whole wheat on the package but when you read the list of ingredients and refined white flour is on the list, put back the bread and find something else. Across the board, you want to eat food with fewer ingredients & recognize all of the ingredients you’re eating. If you can’t pronounce something listed, don’t eat it.

Have I rambled enough for you yet?? I guess my point of this little post today is know what you’re putting into your body. I created a healthy chicken salad recipe because I can’t live my life with out eating it! Greek yogurt is an easy & tasty substitute for mayonnaise. There is a nice crunch to this salad from the celery and onion. My favorite part are the red grapes! It gives this chicken salad an element of sweetness perfect for the summer months. By using chicken breast meat, this recipe is loaded with protein and very little fat.

What are our favorite recipes you can’t live with out? Do any of them need a healthified makeover? Let me know in the comments and I might be able to help! I’m not a clean eating expert…just trying to apply some simple steps to every day life.

Clean Eating Chicken Salad

Ingredients

2 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breasts - cut into cubes
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, quartered
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
dash of sea salt
2 100% whole-wheat pita halves (optional)
4 romaine lettuce leaves (optional)

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix all of the salad ingredients. Chicken salad can be eaten as is or eat as a pita sandwich. Recipe serves 4.

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Deviled Egg Potato Salad

May 28, 2013 by admin · 2 Comments

I can not believe it’s almost June! Where in the world is 2013 going? I mean, I’m not even used to writing 2013 yet. It puts a smile on my face knowing we have a full summer ahead of us! What do you look forward to over the summer months? For me, I love Chicago Street Festivals, alfresco dining at my favorite restaurants and being able to walk to my favorite fro-yo spot. I also enjoy a good cook out! When it comes to a cook out, I think I get the most excited about the side dishes. Don’t get me wrong, I love some meat on the grill. But I never overlook what to eat with what’s being grilled. Potato salad & deviled eggs are probably my favorite summer side dishes. So why not combine to two??

I created this Deviled Egg Potato Salad last summer. It’s the best potato salad I’ve ever eaten. It’s loaded with crunchy veggies, like celery, red peppers and onion. The dressing is tangy from the Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar. And I just love egg in my potato salad. My Grandma would always add egg to her potato salad, so it’s something I grew up eating. Garnishing the potato salad with parsley & paprika gives the salad a pop of color.

Deviled Egg Potato Salad pairs nicely with just about anything you put on the grill. Burgers, brats, hot dogs, chicken or pork could all use a side of this potato salad. If you like getting compliments and hearing, “yummm, this is soo good!” then you’ll want to make Deviled Egg Potato Salad. Pin it now so you’ll have the recipe on hand.

Deviled Egg Potato Salad

Ingredients

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 pounds cooked small (2-inch) boiling potatoes, cooled to room temperature and quartered
5 hard-boiled large eggs, sliced
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp parlsey, chopped
Paprika to taste

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine mayo and the next 5 ingredients. Stir until smooth.
Add potatoes, 4 of the sliced eggs, onion, celery and red pepper. Fold into the dressing. Garnish the top of the potato salad with the remaining egg, parsley and paprika.

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Filed Under: Grill, Recipes, Salad, Vegetarian · Tagged With: deviled egg potato salad, egg potato salad, grilling recipe, grilling side, picnic, potato salad, recipe, summer recipe, summer side dish

Recipe Blog Swap – Kelley from Miss Information

May 27, 2013 by admin · 2 Comments

Today’s the day! I’m so excited to be participating in an Old Fashioned Recipe Blog Swap! Julie {White Lights on Wednesday}, Kelley {Miss Information} and Rachel {i love my disorganized life} have paired up 30 incredible bloggers to trade recipes on each others blogs for the day.

I am swapping blogs with Kelley from Miss Information. I just know you’re going to love what she’s got for you today.

I’ll be sharing Mushroom & Goat Cheese Chicken with Easy Pan Sauce on her blog, so be sure to stop by and check it out! If you want to go see all of the recipes in the blog swap be sure to go and visit one of the host’s Rachel {i love my disorganized life}, Julie {White Lights on Wednesday} or Kelley {Miss Information}, to see all the recipes linked up in the swap.

Hi I’m Kelley from Miss Information and I am so excited to be swapping recipes with Meghan today. I love The Tasty Fork and Meghan has become such a great friend and support in blog land! I hope you click over to see what Meghan has on my blog today you will stay a bit and visit Miss Information where there’s a little bit of paint, a little bit of food and a whole lot of wine!

OK so I’ll quit pitching myself and get to it. Today I am sharing with you my Tropical Pork Loin. This recipe is great for chicken as well and is one of my families favorites! It is so easy and you most likely have most or all of the ingredients on hand.

Ingredients:

1 2-3 lb pork loin

2 Oranges

2 Lemons

1 teaspoon Garlic

1/2 teaspoon Rosemary

1/2 teaspoon Thyme

1/2 cup Moore’s Marinade

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

Juice the oranges and lemons and mix the rest of the ingredients in with the juice. Take a fork and poke holes into your pork loin. Put the loin down in the marinade. Depending on what kind of container you marinate it in you might need to turn it occasionally. Marinate for 4-24 hours. It just depends on how together you are as to how long you get to marinade it! Grill it till it’s 145 degrees and then let sit for about 5 minutes so you don’t loose all the juice!

When I made this last week I served it with my creamy homemade Slow cooker Mac and Cheese, it was a clear winner.

Thanks Meghan for letting me swap recipes with you today and I hope you will all come and check out the other great recipes in the swap today!

Filed Under: Guest Posts, Recipes · Tagged With: Miss Information, Recipe Blog Swap, The Tasty Fork

Salmon with Avocado Pesto & Tomato Quinoa Salad

May 26, 2013 by admin · 2 Comments

Since Memorial Day is the official kick off to summer, it’s time to use your grill. I’m sure many of my readers will be using a grill this weekend. It’s the patriotic thing to do. But instead of grilling the typical burgers or brats, why not try something different?? Today over at The NY Melrose Family, I’m sharing Grilled Salmon with Avocado Pesto & Tomato Quinoa Salad. It’s a healthy recipe and totally delicious! Click now to get the recipe!

Filed Under: Fish, Grill, Guest Posts · Tagged With: grilled salmon, pesto, quinoa, salmon recipe

Family Recipe Friday: Chocolate Chip Cookies

May 24, 2013 by admin · 8 Comments

If you’re here today in hopes I have the most original chocolate chip cookie recipe on the internet, well sorry. You aren’t going to find that here.

After having summer weather for over a week, Thursday morning was a cold and harsh surprise. I took out the dog and ran back inside. It was 45 degrees. What the **** Mother Nature??!! It’s Memorial Day Weekend. These chilly days should be long behind us.

When Mother Nature gives you crappy weather, make cookies. (That’s my new motto.)

Every family has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. When I was a kid and I’d ask my Mom for chocolate chip cookies, she’s head over to the baking pantry and bring out a bag of Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chips. We’d follow the recipe right on the bag. When I was old enough to cook on my own, I’d throw all of the ingredients in the bowl at once and just mix it. My Mom would wince, but she never corrected me. I think she was happy I wanted to be in the kitchen with her.

Now that I’m older, when I get a craving for chocolate chip cookies, I still use the classic Nestle Toll House Recipe on the bag of chocolate chips. All that’s changed is I now mix the ingredients correctly….and sometimes I’ll do a combination of semi-sweet & milk chocolate chips. These chocolate chip cookies are absolutely perfect.

Why mess with perfection??

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (or a combo of semi-sweet and milk chocolate)
1 cup chopped nuts (I like pecans)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda and mix. Set aside. In a large bow, mix butter, both sugars and vanilla extract. Mix with a hand mixer until the consistency is creamy. Continue to mix and add one egg at a time.
Add the dry ingredients 1 cup at a time. Be sure the dry ingredients are well combined before adding more. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

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This recipe can be found on the back of Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip packages or right here on the internet.

Filed Under: Dessert, Recipes · Tagged With: chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, cookie, cookie recipe, cookies, easy cookie recipe, family recipe friday, Nestle Toll House

Thai Chicken Noodle Salad

May 23, 2013 by admin · 12 Comments

Last Friday, we went out to dinner to a local Thai restaurant not too far from our home. It’s BYOB which is always a perk! The food was great. Service was interesting…. We had two different servers, both didn’t have a handle on what we ordered. It just felt kind of chaotic. In the end, we’ll probably order carry out from them so we don’t have to deal with the service again. Or I can make this Thai Chicken Noodle Salad instead. It was pretty amazing!

There are so many things I love about this noodle salad. It can be served hot or cold. So you can make it and eat it warm. Leftovers can be eaten warm or cold. It tastes great both ways. To cut a corner, I used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Not having the extra step of cooking chicken is a total time saver. Especially when you’re super hungry or busy during the week. There are a lot of fresh vegetables in this dish – purple cabbage, jalapeno slices, red peppers, green onions and cilantro. The sauce is super easy too! (Pantry ingredients!!) The rice noodles cook up quick. I bought Thai Kitchen’s Rice Noodles. You can find these noodles in the Asian section of a grocery store.

Thai Chicken Noodle Salad recipe makes a lot…. like tons! It’s perfect if you have a few mouths to feed or if you love leftovers. It can be made ahead and eaten through out the week, too. It’s a quick & easy recipe which competes with anything you can order from a Thai restaurant…and a lot healthier for you! I know I’ll be making this Thai Chicken Noodle Salad a lot this summer. I hope you will do the same!

Thai Chicken Noodle Salad

Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken
Salt
8.8 oz box of thin rice noodles (I used Thai Kitchen brand)
3 tbsp sesame oil
1 red pepper, sliced thin
4 green onions, sliced on an angle
2 jalapenos, sliced thin (I left in the ribs and seeds)
1 inch ginger root, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups shredded purple cabbage
1 cup chopped cilantro
Sriracha, to taste (optional)

Instructions

Discard chicken skin. Remove chicken from the bones and shred with your hands.
Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil. Salt the water. Cook noodles according to directions. When done cooking, drain and rinse noodles with cold water. Set aside.
In a wok, heat sesame oil over high heat. Add red pepper, onions, jalapenos, ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add fish sauce, soy sauce and stock. Fold in chicken. Heat the chicken through. Add noodles; mix until well combined. Remove wok from heat. Stir in cabbage and cilantro.
Dinner is ready! Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. Serve with Sriracha, if you need additional spice.

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Filed Under: Chicken, Entree, Recipes, Salad · Tagged With: Chicken noodle salad, Dinner recipe, easy dinner, easy recipe, recipe, take out fake out, Thai Noodle Salad, Thai recipe, Thai salad

Easy Dessert: Red, White & Blue Crock Pot Cobbler

May 22, 2013 by admin · 16 Comments

Memorial Day is the official kick off to summer. Kids are getting out of school. Vacation plans are becoming realities. Every weekend is booked with get togethers with your friends and family. If you’re like me, I need a good variety of of amazing recipes. I’m the type of girl who could never show up to a party with a recipe I’ve already shared in the past. I came up with an easy dessert which would be a hit anytime of the year…but I love it since it’s a summer cobbler and no oven is required. This easy treat can me made in the crock pot.

I try not use my oven once the weather is in summer mode. I hate how hot it makes our place and even standing in the kitchen makes me sweat. YUCK! Being able to make a cobbler in a slow cooker is a godsend on a hot summer day! And this Red, White & Blue Crock Pot Cobbler would be an easy option for picnic or cook out. It’s easy to assemble, loaded with fruit and can be cooked in just 2 hours with no effort. It even has a crispy cobbler topping. (that’s the best part about a cobbler, right??!!)

So what makes this cobbler so patriotic?? Red berries like cherries and raspberries. White from gala and granny smith apples. Blue is for blueberries. Topping with a scoop of ice cream makes this easy dessert creamy and disappear from serving bowls.

I love the tartness of the berries, crispy cobbler topping and how the ice cream melts into the warm cobbler. By cooking it in the crock pot, this easy dessert is the perfect summer treat! Give it a try at your next cook out, Memorial Day or 4th of July!

Easy Dessert: Red, White & Blue Crock Pot Cobbler

Ingredients

For the topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped pecans

For the cobbler:

1/3 cup white sugar, or to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped (I used 2 Gala and 2 Granny Smith)
2 cups of frozen mixed berries (I used cherries and blueberries)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Garnish with ice cream or frozen yogurt

Instructions

For the topping - Mix flour, brown sugar, 1/2 cup of white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl. Combine butter with the flour mixture using fingers or a fork until coarse crumbs form. Stir in pecans and set aside.
Whisk together 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Place the apples in a slow cooker, stir in the cornstarch mixture; toss with lemon juice. Sprinkle the pecan crumb topping on top. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours, until apples are tender. Partially uncover the slow cooker to allow the topping to harden, about 1 hour. Serve with ice cream or frozen yogurt.

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Filed Under: Crock Pot, Dessert, Slow Cooker · Tagged With: 4th of July recipe, apple and berry cobbler, crock pot, crock pot cobbler, Easy Dessert, Memorial Day Recipe, Patriotic recipe, recipe, slow cooker, slow cooker cobbler. dessert

Exciting things to come….

May 17, 2013 by admin · 3 Comments

Happy Friday! How was your week? I don’t know about you but I’ve been trying to spend as much time outside as possible. I’ve been working outside, taking the dog on long walks and gave my grill a deep clean. (it needed it!) Anyway I can enjoy the warmth and sunshine, I’m there!

So I have a few Tasty Fork things to share with you…

I’m participating in a Good Old Fashioned Recipe Blog Swap! Julie {White Lights on Wednesday}, Kelley {Miss Information} and Rachel {i love my disorganized life} have paired up 30 incredible bloggers to trade blogs for the day.

Kelley from Miss Information and I will be sharing a fabulous recipe on each other’s blogs {but we can’t tell you what they are, because they’re a secret!}. Be sure to visit both of us on May 27th, we wouldn’t want you to miss out on any deliciousness!

See that little button above?? That little chef man is going to be my best and worst friend. I’ve partnered up with My Recipe Magic and all of my recipes will be showing the nutritional information. Of course, this is a work in progress and I’m seriously back logged, but when you see the that button next to one of my recipes, click it!

Have you been thinking about attending the BlogHer’13 conference in Chicago July 25th-27th?? When it comes to the blogging community, there is not a better one to be a part of than BlogHer. They put on these amazing conferences for women to help grow their blogs. (You can see the agenda here!) But let’s be honest, it can be an expensive business trip. To help you out, I’m sharing a 20% discount code!! You’ll want to act fast — this conference is filled with the best bloggers and speakers! The networking, growing your blogger community and new skills you’ll learn are priceless. To get the discount, be sure to list me (Meghan Swint) and my blog (The Tasty Fork) has your referral. In case you don’t have a chance to sign up today, I’ll have the BlogHer’13 discount code button in my sidebar.

See you on Monday with a new recipe!! Have a great weekend!!

Filed Under: Recipes · Tagged With: BlogHer, BlogHer'13, BlogHer'13 discount, My Recipe Magic, Recipe Swap

Asian Chicken Burrito with Sriracha Peanut Butter Sauce

May 16, 2013 by admin · 13 Comments

Ever wonder what to do when you have one piece of chicken left in a package? If you live with more than one person, looking at one chicken breast and trying to figure out dinner can be a challenge. I guess you could freeze it, but I dare you to look into your fridge and see how many frozen pieces of chicken you already have. For me, I have probably about 6. I don’t need to make it 7. And I’m glad I didn’t take the easy route… because I came up with Asian Chicken Burritos with Sriracha Peanut Butter Sauce. And turned one chicken breast into 4 meals.

I went to Hawaii in January 2012. It was wonderful. Beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful. We spent a majority of our time on Kauai, the garden island. Since I’m constantly thinking about food, months before we left for our trip, I had already scouted out places to eat. And I’m talking about places were the locals go. I looked like a tourist by taking over 700 photos, but I didn’t want to eat like one.

I did my research and found a local place called Kilauea Fish Market which was off of the beaten path. They’re known for their huge burritos stuffed with local produce and brown rice…and some of the best ahi tuna you can find in all of Kauai. This picture doesn’t give it justice.

So here I am, over a year later, still thinking about a burrito I had in Hawaii. I’m crazy, I know. I have no idea when I’ll get back to Kauai. The next best thing I can do is try to recreate what I ate in my own home.

Let’s start with the meat of this dish. I chopped up the one lonely chicken breast into bite sized pieces and cooked it in a skillet with fresh garlic and ginger. I made a marinade of soy sauce, sriracha, honey and orange juice. It wasn’t spicy at all and really paired nicely with the ginger & garlic. You can really taste the orange juice and soy. I loved it.

I think I was able to stretch this recipe into 4 servings by adding an 8 oz package of sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Anytime you can go the extra mile with meal by adding vegetables, I’m all for it. Of course, its not a burrito with out some rice, so I took the easy route and used 90 second microwaveable brown rice. (Might be the best invention ever.) Brown rice goes on to a large spinach tortilla first, then chicken and mushrooms, top with fresh veggies like carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, purple cabbage and red peppers. Then it’s time for the best part – Sriracha Peanut Butter Sauce. You guys, I can’t even get over this stuff. It might sound strange at first, but just trust me.

In a bowl, mix peanut butter, sriracha, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and brown sugar. Microwave it for 60 seconds. I grabbed a piece of cucumber and dipped it in to the sauce. The soy sauce cuts into the peanut butter taste, so it isn’t too sweet. And the sriracha really brings some heat. I added more to my burrito but I’m a spice freak. Drizzle this sauce all over the top of the ingredients, roll up the burrito and serve. And serve some on the side. The sauce might be gone before you finish the burrito

In general, I rarely have met a burrito I didn’t like. Sadly, my favorite burrito stand resides in Hawaii. However, by taking my everyday ingredients, trying to use up one last piece of chicken and wanting an Asian flair in my dinner, I came up with a very satisfying burrito. And considering I’m not a leftovers girl, it speaks volumes that I ate this easy Asian chicken burrito for dinner 2 nights in a row! I hope you’ll give it a try and tell me all about it.

Asian Chicken Burrito with Sriracha Peanut Butter Sauce

Ingredients

Burrito Filling:

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
3 green onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp sriracha
2 tsp honey
8 oz package sliced mushrooms

Peanut Butter Sriracha Sauce:

1.5 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1-2 tbsp sriracha
splash apple cider vinegar

Burrito Toppings:

1 package microwaveable brown rice (90 second kind)
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 cucumber, skin & seeds removed
1/2 purple cabbage, shredded
Cilantro sprigs
4 large spinach tortillas

Instructions

In a large skillet at a medium heat, pour sesame oil. When it's warm, add chicken, green onions, garlic and ginger. Cook and stir until chicken is done, about 8 minutes. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, OJ, sriracha and honey. Pour into skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir in mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are soft.
Make peanut butter sriracha sauce by mixing all ingredients into a bowl. Place bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Set aside.
To make burrito, place 2 tbsp brown rice in the middle of the tortilla. Top with chicken and mushroom mixture. Place vegetables and cilantro on top. Drizzle peanut butter sriracha sauce over burrito filling. Roll tortilla to form burrito. Cut in half and serve with additional peanut butter sriracha sauce. (Repeat steps with the remaining 3 tortillas.)

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Filed Under: Chicken, Healthy, Recipes, Sandwich · Tagged With: Asian Burrito, Asian Chicken, Asian Chicken Burrito, easy dinner, easy recipe, Healthly, Peanut Butter Sauce, recipe, Sriracha Chicken, Sriracha Peanut Butter Sauce, Sriracha Sauce

Grilled Cumin Flank Steak with Tomato Lime Salsa

May 15, 2013 by admin · 8 Comments

There are times in my life when I feel a little more grown up…which is strange because I think you’re considered a grown up once you’re supporting yourself. So in that way, I’ve been an adult for awhile. But for me, I always feel a bit more adult like when I want to do home improvements. We’re renting right now, so I can’t go to crazy but there is an area of my place that needs some TLC. Our patio.

One Sunday, I went to Home Depot (grown up store!), World Market and H0meGoods to get some inspiration. I was on a patio mission. I didn’t even give much of a glance to kitchen stuff at World Market or HomeGoods, which is HUGE for me. I could easily loose hours of my life going through entertaining and dining stuff.

Trust me, I did wander for hours but I felt like I was getting someplace. I decided there are 3 areas I can improve our patio. We have a cast iron gate door which is rusting. It’s a total eye sore, so I want to remove the rust and paint it. Right out front of the back door, we have a small space which would be a cute seating area. We have two cast iron chairs already, so I bought orange and white seat cushions and then I’m going to get a tourqouise stool which I’d use as a drink/end table. Then in the main patio area, we have a table and chairs. I’m looking to get a tourqouise umbrella and stand. I should look into getting cushions for those chairs but since they came with the place, it’s not a high priority. If you follow me on Pinterest, you can see the items I’m eyeing.

In case you’re wondering where this sudden inspiration is coming from — it’s all from my grill. I spend a lot of time grilling and cooking outside. I think it would be nice to have an area where I can cook, entertain and not feel a sweaty hot pig.

Back to the idea of feeling grown up, cooking for myself used to make me feel I was more like an adult. One of the first things I made on a grill was this Grilled Cumin Flank Steak with Tomato Lime Salsa. Flank steak is a pretty cheap cut of meat and it’s really flavorful. The meat is marinaded in toasted cumin, garlic and lime juice. I love the smokey flavor of the cumin and the freshness from the lime juice. Grilling flank steak is really easy, just 5 minutes per side. The flank steak cooked to about medium and is really juicy.

After letting the meat rest, top this flank steak with a tomato lime salsa. It’s a light and pairs perfectly with the smokey flank steak! To round out this meal, serve it with some black beans & rice. It’s a sophisticated Mexican meal at home!

Whenever I make this Grilled Cumin Flank Steak with Tomato Lime Salsa, it always makes me smile. I can’t believe I used to think making dinner for myself was such a big deal. Cooking is more than just some hobby to me now; it’s a huge part of my life. But one thing that’s still the same to me is how I have to be excited about what I eat. This flank steak recipe still does that for me. I’m sure you will love this easy and tasty recipe, too!

Grilled Cumin Flank Steak with Tomato Lime Salsa

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 beef flank steak or top round steak (1 1/4 pounds), trimmed of all visible fat
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 can (4 1/2 ounces) chopped mild green chiles, drained
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Spray grill with cooking spray. Preheat the grill.
Place the cumin in a small skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until fragrant and darker in color. Place in a small bowl and let cool.
Remove 1 teaspoon toasted cumin and place in a medium bowl. To the small bowl, add the garlic, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, the black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and mix well. Place the steak on the prepared rack and rub the cumin mixture over both sides of the steak. Let stand at room temperature.
In the medium bowl with the reserved cumin, combine the tomato, chiles, scallions, the remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let stand at room temperature.
Grill steak for 5 minutes per side, or until a thermometer inserted in the center registers to at least 145°F for medium-rare.
Place the steak on a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut the steak into thin slices and serve with the salsa. Black beans and rice make a nice side item.

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