Soy-Sesame Flank Steak
With the busy lives we all live, there are times that you just want to get something on the table without much thinking. One of the easiest dinners I can think of that does this is grilling a steak and serving a simple side. The problem is that sometimes a grilled steak is kind of boring – especially if the only recipe you have to prepare a steak is to season it with salt and pepper.
I grew up with this recipe. When I was a child, my brother and I would devour flank steak whenever it was prepared this way. Today, my daughter loves eating it too! It’s flavorful, quick to put together, and is an absolute crowd pleaser! Perfect for busy parents!
Hands on time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes (not including marinating time)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup sesame seed oil (found in the international aisle of the grocery store)
- 1 or 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 flank steak
Directions:
- Place the soy sauce, sesame seed oil, green onions, garlic, and ginger in a plastic ziplock bag. squish the bag to mix the ingredients and set aside.
- Score the flank steak.
- Place flank steak into the ziplock bag with the marinade. Close bag and wiggle marinade and steak until marinade has coated the steak.
- Let the steak marinade for at least 1 hour or for as long as 24 hours.
- Set your oven on broil or heat grill. Cook flank steak for about 5-7 minutes on side for medium-rare or until flank steak is done to your preference.
- Serve with your choice of side like baked potato, quinoa, couscous, or wild rice.
Teriyaki Chicken with Ginger-Pea Rice
The other day I started a new job. I am on cloud nine, but between excitement and learning as much as I can from the person that I’m taking over for, I’ve come home a bit tired. Then to top it all off, I didn’t really meal plan very well and was running out of ingredients to use to put together a nutritious dinner.
So it was off to the drawing board. On nights like these I always try to find something that fits into three categories – starch/carb, vegetable, and protein. Between the freezer and pantry I came up with a marinated teriyaki chicken with ginger-pea rice. I served it along side my sauteed swiss chard. The best part is that it is beyond simple to put together and didn’t take too much forethought if you want to skip the marination part!
Hands on time: 15 minutes
Total time (including marination): 1.5hrs.
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce, plus some extra for drizzling
- 1 cup Jasmine rice
- 1 tsp finely grated ginger
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup frozen peas
Directions:
- Poke chicken breasts with a fork all over. Place in a ziplock bag and pour in teriyaki sauce. Close bag, mush sauce around so the teriyaki sauce covers the chicken. Place bag in refrigerator and let it marinate for about 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- About 30 minutes before you want to eat, clean rice with water (you’ll know it’s clean when the water is clear).
- IF YOU HAVE A RICE COOKER: Place 1 cup rice with 2 cups water in a rice cooker. Add ginger and frozen peas. Start rice cook rand wait until it is done cooking. Fluff and mix pea-rice mixture with fork before serving.
- IF YOU DON’T HAVE A RICE COOKER: Place two cups of water in a pot and set it to boil. Add rice, ginger, and peas. Bring mixture back up to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce heat so that the mixture simmers (usually low to medium-low). Cook for about 20-25 minutes. When rice is cooked, fluff and mix the pea-rice mixture with a fork before serving.
- Meanwhile, pull out the chicken from the refrigerator. Place chicken directly on grill (or under broiler) and cook thoroughly (about 10 minutes).
- To serve, place rice on plate and place sliced chicken on top. Drizzle with extra teriyaki sauce if desired.
