Peaches and Steak: A Match Made in Grilling Heaven

Grilled Peach and Steak Salad with a Balsamic Vinaigrette

Summer is in full swing and along with the camping trips and days on the lake, comes with it the triple digit sizzling temperatures. When the heat gets turned up there are two things that I want: a light, healthy meal and to not be standing over a hot stove or opening a warm oven making the house as hot as the outside. Don't get me wrong I love to cook, but there are so many other ways of making an amazing meal without sweating through it. How do I accomplish these two things? Only by using one of the best inventions ever. Drum roll please. The barbecue! Yep it's an amazing contraption that offers so many opportunities to try different cooking styles. You have gas versus charcoal grills. Then there are different wood chips you can use as opposed to charcoal. Not to mention the choice of grilling on a high temperature to cook your meal or smoke it using a low and slow method of low temperature for an extended amount of time. The options are endless. And you thought my answer was going to be to order pizza.

When I cook I love to cook with seasonal fruits and veggies and find inspiration at the farmer's market. I kept seeing all these amazing peaches and I have always had a soft spot for white peaches and decided that I wanted to incorporate them into a recipe. The combination of sweet grilled peaches and savory steak danced onto my notebook in perfect harmony and I knew I had to give it a try. I love to experiment with different marinades and dry rubs and with this recipe I wanted to tie in the balsamic reduction that I was planning to drizzle over the grilled peaches throughout the recipe by using balsamic vinegar in both the marinade and salad dressing. Add a few herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper to this wild mess I was about to create and my crazy idea for a Grilled Peach and Steak Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette came together in perfect matrimony, or at least that's what my mom said, but you know how wonderfully biased parents can be sometimes therefore I am leaving it to you to try and see for yourself . Were my test buds and my mom deceiving me (with good intentions) or is this really a grille masterpiece?

Grilled Peach and Steak Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves 8-10 people

Prep time: 30 minutes
Rest time: 2-8 hours
Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Don’t be scared of the different components of this recipe. They are all quite simple and just a matter of a little extra measuring and a few more dishes.

Red Wine and Balsamic Marinade

¾ cup of balsamic vinegar
4 cloves of garlic
.75oz container of chives (or a handful of about an inch in diameter)
1 bunch of Italian parsley
1 bunch of basil
1 ½ cups olive oil
¾ cup red wine
Juice of ½ a lemon
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Balsamic Vinaigrette

¾ cup of balsamic vinegar
¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves finely minced
Juice of ½ a lemon
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp cracked black pepper

Balsamic Reduction
1 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sugar

Salad Mix
8 white peaches (yellow if you prefer)
2 lbs of Flat Iron Steak
3 5oz. packages of Spring Mix Lettuce
5 oz. package of Arugula
Handful of Italian parsley chopped
Handful of basil chopped
.75oz of chives chopped
Package of candied pecans
1 cup of vegetable oil
2 tbsp Agave nectar
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Directions:

First step is making the marinade for the Flat Iron Steak which couldn’t be easier. Give the herbs and garlic a quick rough chop to make them a bit smaller. Add all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until everything is incorporated (approximately 10-15 pulses). Then pour the marinade into a large plastic resealable bag with the steak in it. Make sure to place the resealable bag in a bowl or baking dish so that if any marinade leaks out it doesn’t get all over your refrigerator. Move the marinade around the bag to get it disrupted throughout, seal and place in the fridge. See, I promised it would be easy.

To make the Balsamic Vinaigrette I use a lock tight round plastic container that you would use for leftovers. I finely mince the garlic and then add all the ingredients together and shake until it appears to be a thick consistency and the olive oil and balsamic vinegar have blended together. Right before you are adding it to the salad give it a few extra shakes.

To make the Balsamic Reduction pour the balsamic vinegar in a pot and put the temperature to high. When it starts to boil, turn the temperature down to medium and add the sugar, stirring until it is dissolved into the balsamic vinegar. Let it simmer until it is about 75% of what you started with. You can measure by looking at the side of the pot for the different markings left around the edge from the balsamic vinegar. After it has reached the point you are looking for set it aside to cool until it reaches a syrupy consistency and looks like chocolate syrup.

Next cut the peaches in half and pit them. I found I melon baller works well for this job. Combine the vegetable oil and agave nectar in a small bowl and mix together and then brush the mixture on the meat side of the peaches. Lightly sprinkle a bit of kosher salt and cracked black pepper on top.

Place the grill on high and when it has reached that desired heat place the flat iron steaks on the grill for 4 minutes each side for a rare to medium-rare doneness. Cook longer if you prefer it cooked to a more well done temperature than that. Important thing here is not to flip it over and over again. Flip it only once and if you would like the diagonal markings on the steaks then rotate it 45 degrees halfway through on each side.

After you take off the steaks to let them rest, turn the grill down to a medium temperature and then place the peaches meat side down on the grill and cook until tender. This will intensify the juicy, sweet taste of the peaches.

Now it is time to assemble. Mix the Spring Mix Greens and arugula together in a large bowl along with the chopped basil, parsley and chives. Pour the balsamic Vinaigrette into the salad bowl, reserving about ¼ of the dressing on the side, toss until all the green and herbs are evenly coated and distributed throughout. Thinly slice the flat iron steak placing it in the middle of the bowl. Arrange the peaches, meat side up around the outer edge of the bowl. Lightly drizzle the balsamic reduction on the peaches and finish by topping the whole thing off with candied pecans. And then the best part, filling up your plate and tasting the efforts of the evening. Delicious!

Helpful Hints

ü  Organize and gather all the ingredients as well as the proper tools for the job to make it go quick and easy

ü  You can make the marinade in the morning, do errands or go to work and it will be ready for dinner time

ü  Make the Balsamic Reduction in the morning before it gets hot so you aren’t cooking inside in the heat of the day and it has time to cool.

ü  Use kitchen scissors to cut the chives that you are adding into the salad.

Memorial Day: More Than A Day of BBQ. A Day of Remembrance and Thanks

Pepper Jack Cheeseburger on a Sesame Seed Bun with Romaine Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato and Red Onion
with White Corn on the Cob

As we celebrate with family and friends laying by the pool, barbecuing and filling our tummies with chips and salsa, macaroni salad, potato salad, corn on the cob, strawberry shortcake, brats and hamburgers and all the fixings that go along, let us take a moment to remember the meaning of Memorial Day. Let us give thanks and remember all those that gave their lives fighting in the military for the United States and our freedoms. It is because of a soldier that we are here, enjoying this beautiful day in May, with the rights that were drawn out so long ago and protected through the years by the sacrifice of the men and women of the military. Also give thanks to the men and women that today are actively fighting to keep your rights intact and fight for your protection and safety. They deserve our utmost respect for the job that they are doing, or have done, and a job that they have taken on as their own responsibility. Also give thanks to the husbands and wives, children and families behind these brave men and women in the military, for they are also the embodiment of bravery and strength as well as they are there giving support, sacrificing and stepping into different roles as needed . I am proud to be an American and to live in a country built by the determination of so many brave soldiers willing to fight and give their all to keep me safe and stand up for what they believe, even if that meant at the risk of losing their life. With that I say thank you and I take a moment to remember all the brave men and women in the military who have lost their lives in the pursuit of freedom and thank all the military men and women currently serving our country or have served and are one of the many great veterans of the military. Thank you!

And to my brother who currently serves in the Army, I am so proud of you and the man and father you have become. I am so lucky to have you in my life and to be able to call you my brother. I pray for your safety and strength and for your return home. Today I raise my hamburger to you little brother. Next year you will be eating one right next to me. Love you.

My brave and amazing brother.
Sorry Ladies, he's taken! And by an amazing woman who fought for our country as well.

My Cheeseburger toast to my brother

My younger, yet bigger, brother and I.
What can I say, good looks (and a goofy smile) run in the family :)

                   

Patriotic Treats: Red, White and Blueberry

You picked the short straw and got stuck bringing a dessert to the Memorial Day BBQ. Before you go out and get the store bought sugar cookies and place them next to the homemade appetizers and entrees, that people planned weeks before, try this recipe. At least read it and let it kick around your thoughts for a minute. First of all, it is so easy! Second, it is delicious and third, it will make you the hit of the party, because admit it everyone loves the person that brought the amazing dessert. A memorable dessert gets you invited to more parties. Store bought cookies...not so much.

So it was my turn to draw the coveted (not really) dessert card and with it a determination to bring a dessert that I was proud of walking in with instead of trying to hide it in a bag until it was time to serve. I got inspiration from a picture on Pinterest from the website the-girl-who-ate-everything.com of a Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberry. I decided to take it further with my own Cheesecake recipe, cutting the strawberries in half to make them bite-size and adding a blueberry to go with the red, white and blue theme of Memorial Day.

All I can say is that when everyone is stuffing their face with dessert and it's completely quiet, you know you have a winner. And this recipe is a winner. The fluffy cheesecake with the sweetness of the strawberry and tartness of the blueberry is a perfect marriage. And if the lemon juice seems a bit strange to you in the cheesecake mixture, please just try it once for me, because it brings a fresh hint to the mixture that makes a big difference in the taste.

Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Bites

Serves 12

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Rest time: 1 hour

Cheesecake Mixture

I package Jell-O No Bake Original Cheesecake
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
¾ cup cream cheese
½ ricotta cheese
1 ½ tbsp vanilla extract
Juice of ½ lemon

4 lb strawberries

6 oz blueberries

Directions:

Prepare a sheet pan covered with parchment paper.

Clean the strawberries and then pull off the leafy top, cut in half and then trim the tops cutting in a V-shape and clean out the center. The smaller ones do not need to be cut in half but instead just trimming the top and cleaning out the center of the strawberry is adequate.  

In a mixing bowl add the Jell-O No Bake Cheesecake mix and 1 ½ cup of milk as directed on the box. Mix for 3 minutes with a hand mixer and then add the mascarpone cheese, cream cheese and ricotta cheese all at room temperature as well as the lemon juice and vanilla extra at a low speed incorporating all the ingredients.Transfer the mixture to a freezer size zip lock bag and cut the corner when ready to fill the strawberries.

Fill the strawberries with the cheesecake mixture and then place a blueberry in the center. Place the strawberries on the prepared cookie sheet and then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.

Take out the strawberry cheesecake bites out of the refrigerator and place on a serving plate for presentation 15-20 minutes prior to serving.