Soy Grilled Steak with Avocado and Red Pepper Salsa

Hello there wannabe foodies!

I’m back from a much needed four day weekend in the windy city with my college girlfriends.

We did all those things that old girlfriends do. We chatted, we ate, we shopped, we drank we danced, we played catchprase.

You know, all the things girls in their mid-twenties do.

It was everything I needed and more. Like I totally didn’t know I needed this awesome maxi dress that I’m wearing today, but it somehow found me in Chicago.

The trip was awesome. But it just reminded me how wonderful my life is here at home. I missed my family. And the beach. And Wesley. And living in a place where the humidity doesn’t make you feel like your sweating your insides out.

And I missed cooking.

I’m REALLY excited for Tuesday this week.

But until I get to get back in the kitchen, I will leave you with a recipe to hold us both over.

You will need…

For the meat:

2 pounds your favorite cut of steak

1 cup soy sauce

½ cup brown sugar

Zest of 1 lime

Juice of 2 limes

½ tablespoon fresh ground pepper

For the salsa:

2 orange bell peppers, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 avocados, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large zip top bag, combine the soy sauce, zest, lime juice, pepper, brown sugar and steak.

Close the bag securely, shake up the mixture and let it marinate for at least an hour and up to overnight.

When you are ready to cook your meat, heat your outdoor grill or grill pan to a medium heat.

Start by searing your meat over direct heat on one side for about 2 minutes.

Flip the meat and sear the other side for 2 minutes to make sure you have good grill marks on both sides.

Move the meat off of the direct heat, close your grill and cook the steak until it is about 135 degrees F in the center for medium rare.

The time depends on the thickness of your cut of steak. Mine was about an inch thick and it took about 15 minutes.

After your sear your steaks are finished cooking, remove them from the heat and cover them with foil to let them rest for 10 to 15 minutes so they hold in their juices.

In a medium sized pan over medium heat, combine the bell peppers and tomatoes and season them with salt and pepper.

Cook them down for about 5 minutes until the bell peppers start to soften.

Add in the garlic, the paprika and the cinnamon and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute.

Pour in the vinegar and cook for another minute.

Add in the avocado and the cilantro and cook just until the avocado is hot.

Remove from the heat and season again with salt and pepper.

By now your meat should be rested.

Slice the meat into pieces about ¾ and inch to an inch thick.

Top with ¼ cup of your salsa and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

For the meat:

2 pounds your favorite cut of steak

1 cup soy sauce

½ cup brown sugar

Zest of 1 lime

Juice of 2 limes

½ tablespoon fresh ground pepper

For the salsa:

2 orange bell peppers, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 avocados, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large zip top bag, combine the soy sauce, zest, lime juice, pepper, brown sugar and steak.

Close the bag securely, shake up the mixture and let it marinate for at least an hour and up to overnight.

When you are ready to cook your meat, heat your outdoor grill or grill pan to a medium heat.

Start by searing your meat over direct heat on one side for about 2 minutes.

Flip the meat and sear the other side for 2 minutes to make sure you have good grill marks on both sides.

Move the meat off of the direct heat, close your grill and cook the steak until it is about 135 degrees F in the center for medium rare.

The time depends on the thickness of your cut of steak. Mine was about an inch thick and it took about 15 minutes.

After your sear your steaks are finished cooking, remove them from the heat and cover them with foil to let them rest for 10 to 15 minutes so they hold in their juices.

In a medium sized pan over medium heat, combine the bell peppers and tomatoes and season them with salt and pepper.

Cook them down for about 5 minutes until the bell peppers start to soften.

Add in the garlic, the paprika and the cinnamon and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute.

Pour in the vinegar and cook for another minute.

Add in the avocado and the cilantro and cook just until the avocado is hot.

Remove from the heat and season again with salt and pepper.

By now your meat should be rested.

Slice the meat into pieces about ¾ and inch to an inch thick.

Top with ¼ cup of your salsa and serve hot.