Grilled Balsamic Flank Steak

Here is another great flank steak recipe. This one is also super easy and delicious. The recipe serves four, so this is a great weekend meal with friends. We often pair it with the grilled corn feta salad recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. flank steak
• ¼ c. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoon dark brown sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt and pepper

Combine balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic in a large ziplock bag. 

Add steak, turn to coat; marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature (or 4 hours in the refrigerator, if making ahead of time). 

Grill until desired doneness. We do ours about 4-6 minutes per side depending on how hot our grill is.

Remove from grill and let stand, covered loosely with foil for 10 minutes.

Cut meat in thin strips against the grain.

Original Recipe: Point-less Meals

Grilled Corn Feta Salad

This has become our staple side dish whenever we grill out. IT'S SO DELICIOUS. 

The first time I made this I had some feta leftover from another recipe, and it sounded like it could be good in this dish. So I added it in, and it really does make it that much tastier. I also took out the tomato. We've done it both ways, but as I'm not a huge raw tomato fan, I prefer it without, and others don't seem to miss it. So here is my version (this is for 4 people, if it's just Trip and me, I just cut everything in half).

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ears corn, husked
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1" squares
• 1 large red onion, sliced in 1" thick slices (cut it perpendicular to the root, not through the root)
• 10 large leaves of fresh basil, shredded
• 6 oz. crumbled feta (approximate, more or less to taste)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (for dressing)
• sea salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

Put the pepper and onion on a skewer. The onion should be placed on there so it resembles a lollipop, two to a skewer (you should have 4 big slices). This is kind of a pain in the a**, so be careful. 

Brush the corn, pepper, and onion with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt and pepper.

Grill the corn for 10-12 minutes, directly on the grill, turning occassionally. Grill the pepper and onions about 8-10 minutes, turning occassionally. The veggies should be slightly charred. 

Beforehand or while the veggies are cooking, put the basil, red wine vinegar, olive oil, feta, sea salt, and pepper in a large bowl. 

Once the veggies are done grilling, cut the corn off the cob and dump in the dressing bowl. Take the peppers off the skewers and dump in the bowl. Take the onions off the skewers and chop them up and dump in the bowl. Mix well and serve. 

Original recipe: Comfy Cook

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

We have made this about five or six times and everyone raves about it. It's so easy, and so delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

• approx. 25 large shrimp (I use Trader Joes frozen shrimp, they come 21-25 in a bag. Thaw for about 18-24 hours in the fridge beforehand)
• 3/4 cup olive oil (I just guestimate, just enough to cover all the shrimp)
• juice of 2 lemons
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (less if you're a wimp, more if you're crazy)
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

Put the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne, and salt in a large ziploc bag along with the thawed shrimp and marinate for a few hours in the fridge. 

Soak long wooden skewers in water for about 5-10 minutes so they won't burn on the grill. I pour water in a cookie sheet and put them in there.

After it's marinated, put the shrimp on the skewer, 5 to a skewer (just touching, but not squished).

Place on the grill for 2-3 minutes per side. DON'T OVERCOOK. Shrimp need to be pink and cooked through, but it doesn't take long. We have a charcoal grill, so you may need to vary the time if you have a gas grill. 

That's it! This is a great recipe for guests, as each get their own skewer. 

The original recipe (thanks Oprah!): Oprah