Delicious Date Nights - Skirt Steak Salad

Waiting for the "Tropical Storm Emily" has proved to be the most boring two days, ever. I almost don't care how petty this sounds, I've been sitting and waiting for the excitement of my first almost-hurricane  in Santo Domingo, and I can't take it anymore. Is it coming or not? The fiancé called me this morning, explaining how I should "tape up the windows" to prepare for the insane winds that were a'coming, but no, we've only had so much as a little bit of rain.

After a month of running running running, some downtime was definitely needed - but I get restless in the blink of an eye. I'm already bored writing this post.

Seriously.

I've been keeping myself busy by cooking, a lot. The Skirt Steak Salad has been one of the fiancé and I's favorite. I made it for an at-home date night, with martinis to match! The salad itself is light but filling enough thanks to the thinly sliced (and perfectly seasoned) steak. I made a big batch, assuming we would eat only half. As we were drinking and talking and laughing, we got carried away. By the time we looked back down in the salad bowl/my caldero, there were 3 tiny pieces of steak left and a few sprigs of arugula. It was divine.

Recipe

Skirt Steak Salad


2 slices of gluten-free bread (Whole Foods' Prairie Bread is my favorite) or 1 entire gluten-free bagel (Glutino brand bagels are amazing), cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgen olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 red onion, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

1 lb. skirt/flank steak, cut into 4 pieces
3 tablespoons your Favorite Steak Seasoning (I went for it and used Garam Masala. Surprisingly - or not? - it was a perfect fit.)
2-3 tablespoons butter or butter substitute
salt and pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgen olive oil
5 ounces baby or wild arugula




First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the gluten-free bread with 1 tablespoon oil and Parmesan cheese on a baking sheet, and then season with salt and pepper.  Also place the chopped chunks of onion, cut-side down, on the baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Bake the bread until it is golden brown,  about 7-10 minutes. Remove the bread pieces and let the onions roast for another 10-15 minutes, until the cut surfaces are golden brown, but not burned.


Second, on 1 side of the steaks, liberally season with your seasoning-of-choice, along with salt and pepper. Rub 1 tablespoon of butter on this side. Flip your steaks and season again with salt and pepper, and then rub in the butter. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of butter on medium heat. Cook each side for 3-4 minutes and remove. After they have cooled, about 5 minutes or so, thinly slice the steak by cutting against the grain at an angle. This step is important, especially if you are tempted to skip it because you've never done it before. Look at your skirt/flank steak. Do you see those lines running through it at an angle? Those lines are fibers that are very difficult to chew through. By cutting against the grain, you are cutting through those fibers and making the steak more tender and easy to eat.

Finally, in a large bowl, whisk together the dijon mustard, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the arugula and season with salt and pepper. Add onions, steak, and croutons and toss to mix together. Top with more grated Parmesan cheese!



a buen tiempo!

Beach Vacation, Visitors, and Sausage and Vegetable Kebabs

View from the roof of my apartment at sunset.
Yes, that's the ocean you see in the background.

 I'm not sure what people think of when they hear the "Dominican Republic". I knew nothing about the DR before I landed here, with my only reference to the Dominican Republic being a documentary about gang violence in Haiti (the DR's island-sharing neighbor). It scared the shit out of me.

The DR and Haiti are completely different entities, with food, customs, and traditions that very rarely result in similarities, and Haiti is still somewhat of a mystery to me. However, I may or may not be becoming an expert on DR life and on what it has to offer in terms of internal tourism.This country is absolutely breathtaking. A new facet of this blog will be to show you what I see when I travel outside the city.

My mom was in town to visit, and while she was here we did a few different things. Wine on the roof of my apartment, laid back pool time at the hotel where we stayed a couple of days, dinner at the fiancé and I's favorite place, and then a weekend trip to Bávaro. Bávaro is located on the Eastern tip of the country, right next to Punta Cana.

We stayed in the Barceló Resort Dominican Beach. For about 50 dollars a night, you get the room, food, and drinks included. If you are looking for an easy trip, where you don't need to worry about Spanish or venture outside of the hotel area, Bávaro/Punta Cana should be your destination, due to its innumerable all-inclusive hotels and their beautiful beaches. There is even an airport in Punta Cana, so you can fly directly in without having to navigate through Santo Domingo.  

However, if you are adventuresome and want to see more of the DR, this probably isn't going to be your type of thing. For our purposes, it was exactly what we wanted. The resort offered everything we could need in the sense that we relaxed and shared each other's company without having to worry about food or drinks or "where to next?". To be clear, 12 of us went on this trip and we had a ball, but the all-inclusive hotels are not examples of Dominican culture in the slightest. On the other hand, the beaches. are. so. pretty.

My mom and the fiancé on the beach at the resort.

Our 7:00am walk on a Sunday morning meant an empty beach was guaranteed.

We made a friend and named him Gofyto.

Recipe

Sausage and Vegetable Kebabs


When my mom came to visit, I wanted her to be able to feel at home in our apartment. With so many differences between North Carolina and the Dominican Republic, I think it's hard to imagine that the feeling of home is universal. One night we ate this dinner, Sausage and Vegetable Kebabs, and drank wine on the roof. It was a special night, and the food just made it that much better (it was awesome).

2 sausage links of your choice, cut into chunks

2 red onions, quartered

1 bell pepper, cut into 1 inch squares

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

Juice from 1 lemon or lime

skewers

salt and pepper

First, mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, basil, and lemon/lime juice in a small bowl. Toss the vegetables and this marinade together in a large bowl or tupperware and cover for at least an hour. Add other vegetables if you want - squash, eggplant, and mushrooms would all be great additions. 

Once the vegetables are done marinading, get your skewers ready and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the sausage with salt and pepper, and then place your vegetables and sausage evenly on the skewers. Place each skewer on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Turn them and bake for another 10-15 minutes. The kebabs are done when the sausage is cooked all the way through and the vegetables are soft and starting to brown - but not burned!  Transfer your kebabs to plates and finish by spooning more of the marinade right on top to add to the flavor.

a buen tiempo!