Lime-Chili Rubbed Steak

Dearest Ladies,
I am sick of being pregnant. I am getting bored. I have nothing left to do except wait. So I actually tried a new recipe last night and loved it. Seriously, I thought the steak was as good as you'd order in a restaurant. I got it from Our Best Bites.

Rub:
1 t. chili powder
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. coriander
1/2 t. oregano
1/8-1/4 t. cayenne pepper or chipotle chili powder (I did 1/4 t. of the chipotle)
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 T. lime juice
1 T. olive oil

Mix all together. Massage into 1-2 pounds of steak. Let sit for 15 minutes. Grill 5-7 minutes on each side. Let sit for five minutes before serving.

Wa la! We grilled ours and it was superb. I'm sure you could bake or broil if no husband is around. (Unless you actually know how to work a grill on your own-- which I do not.) As sides, I did rice, Briana's yummy black beans, and salad.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

This one is super easy and astronomically yummy. To celebrate the last few weeks of summer, I'm going to post a few more of my favorite grilling recipes. Original credit for this should go to Kristi because she introduced me to the amazing goodness of grilled corn on the cob a year or two ago. Fantastic grilled corn on the cob, I mean. I'd had grilled corn on the cob a few times, but this method changed my life. Frills.

Briana's Interpretation of (The Best) Grilled Corn on the Cob

• 4-6 ears of corn, de-stringed (is that what you call those things?), husks left on (!)
• 4-6 TBSP Extra virgin olive oil
• 2-ish TBSP Garlic Salt (Use Lawry's Brand and then thank me later)
• A few good sprinkles of coarse ground black pepper

Pull down the husks to de-string the corn, but leave the husks attached. Mix olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Note: the measurements listed are approximate - I never measure it out exactly. I just dump in a LOT of garlic salt and a few good shakes of pepper. The goal your aiming for is to form a paste that is really grainy with seasoning rather than super, super runny from being mostly olive oil. Using clean hands, rub the garlic salt/oil blend into the corn - cover it! Then pull the husks back up over the corn to protect it during grilling. (Note: a lot of people say that you have to soak corn before grilling it - we never do and it turns out just fine. Delicious, in fact.) Grill on medium high heat for approximately 15 minutes or until corn is done. It should have some good char marks like the picture above and be crunchy, yet soft. Don't be afraid of flame kissing them - do not undercook. Remove from grill and discard husks and ENJOY!

You'll never be able to go back to regular boiled corn on the cob. We cry every year when grilling season is over. :)

*You can use any seasonings you want, really - get creative: basil, cilantro, etc, etc.

Chipotle Flank Steak Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

otherwise entitled: YUM!!

This meal is a win-win-win-win situation. It's a Jillian Michael's recipe, so it's low in calories and fat. It's grilled flank steak and grilled pineapple. It's a cinch to prepare - if you have someone else to man the BBQ, you can make the salsa in the interim and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes. It's steak tacos with pineapple salsa, people - do I need to say more??

You have to try this recipe! Don't be scared by the pineapple in the salsa, if you're not the sweet salsa type. It blends really well with the other flavors in the salsa and and the meat and just becomes this slightly sweet, tangy flavor to offset the nice smoky, savory flavor of the meat. I was surprised how much I liked the combination of the two. You have got to try this!

Chipotle Flank Steak Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

From Jillian Michaels

• 12 soft corn tortillas
• 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, plus 1 pinch, divided
• 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 1 pound flank steak beef, trimmed of fat
• 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch thick rings (or, to save time you can by the canned cored pineapple rings)
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 TBSP red wine vinegar

1. Preheat grill to high. Stack tortillas and wrap in heavy duty foil. Combine oil, 1 tsp chipotle powder and 1/2 tsp salt in a small dish. Rub mixture into both sides of steak. Place the tortilla stack on the coolest part of the grill and upper warming rack, if possible, and heat, flipping once, until warmed through and very pliable.

2. Meanwhile, grill the steak for 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium, or until desired doneness. Grill pineapple rings until moderately charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the tortillas, steak, and pineapple from the grill. Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing very thinly crosswise into strips.

3. Meanwhile, dice the pineapple and transfer to a medium bowl. Add bell pepper, onion, cilantro, vinegar, the remaining pinch of chipotle powder, and the remaining 1/2 tsp. of salt; toss to combine. Serve the sliced steak in the warm tortillas with the pineapple salsa.