Editorial
Front Page - Friday, October 1, 2010
Kay's Cooking Corner
Kay Bona
Knock on wood, but in the last few days, it seems like maybe the hot, hot, can’t breathe, weather of summer is waning and we are finally getting into one of the most pleasant times of the year – fall.
In early fall days you can sit outside on your porch (in the shade, mind you) without sweating so profusely you have to take a shower five minutes later, and the birds and squirrels and bugs (not the mosquito-type) all seem to be enjoying themselves again. The fireflies are still out and it is fun to watch the kids catch them in the evening: campfires start earlier in the mornings and evenings, filling the air with a fall-ish smell – I just love this time of year. Oh, and one of my favorite things, and don’t ask me why because I don’t quite know, is when I am driving back from visiting my daughter and her family in Memphis, and the farmers are burning off their summer crops, preparing the fields for the winter crops. I love that smell. And I love the haze it puts in the air.
I was out early one morning this weekend with a few friends, at Hill Lake off of Highway 70 to get sunrise pictures of the sun coming up over the cypress pond that lines the highway for about a mile or so. Beautiful, quite time and a slight chill was in the air. At least I thought it was chilly, and I had on a sweatshirt. It was just 60 degrees, but the wind picked up, so it was somewhat chilly. I was glad I had my Starbucks in hand! As far as the pictures…the sky was just a bit too cloudy to get some beautiful color on the water, but we still took some good pictures, regardless.
Another thing I like about this time of year is the cookouts. They are always fun because you can finally sit around with your family outside and visit. I have a great budget-friendly steak recipe for you today that would be great at one of those cookouts or even just for your family night dinner. Yeah, I said steak, but it is made with flank steak, so it is really budget friendly.
This recipe is made with a corn salsa to go along with it, so I think putting some quartered potatoes with some olive oil sprinkled on them, along with salt, pepper and a few other spices in the oven to bake while you are cooking the steak would put this fine dinner together in no time flat.
The steak has to marinate though, so get that done early morning – before all the activity starts. It should only take you about five minutes. This only serves about two, so increase it a little if you need to feed more. Enjoy! (Oh, and did I mention, it is a heart-healthy recipe?)
Flank Steak with Corn Salsa
8 3/4 ounces frozen whole
kernel corn
3/4 cup Salsa Verde
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 1/4 pounds beef flank steak
3/4 cups fat free Italian
dressing
2 tablespoons freshly ground
Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
sauce
1 teaspoon ground Cumin
For corn salsa, in a medium bowl, combine corn, Salsa Verde, and tomato. Cover and chill for 6-24 hours.
Trim fat from steak. Score both sides in a diamond pattern by making shallow diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals. Place steak in a Zip-lock bag set in a shallow dish.
For marinade, in small bowl, combine Italian dressing, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and cumin: pour over steak. Seal bag; turn to coat steak. Marinate in refrigerator 6-24 hours, turning bag occasionally. Drain steak, discarding marinade. Place steak on rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill to desired doneness, turning once. To serve, thinly slice steak diagonally across the grain. Serve with corn salsa.
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