Grilled Flank Steak with Thai Cucumber, Tomato and Mint Salad

Cook or no cook, there are items that you should have in house that signify it’s summer.

Homegrown tomatoes are coming into season now…thank God.

Tomato sandwiches are now allowed in the house.

Fresh mint abounds in the garden for iced tea.

Cucumbers are prevalent south of here and will soon be in abundance for cool cuke and cream cheese on dark rye for lunch with a bit of fresh dill.

Limes…for summertime cocktails and a squeeze over grilled shrimp tossed with cilantro and garlic for a quick meal…

And flank steak. Fast grilling, slicing and begging for a cool salad over top to make a quick weeknight or even company meal.

Beg no more…

Grilled Flank Steak with Thai Cucumber, Tomato and Mint Salad
Adapted from Molly O’Neill’s A Well-Seasoned Appetite
1 cup lime juice
½ cup Thai fish sauce or nam pla
A good pinch of vanilla sugar
½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 medium homegrown tomato, diced
½ large English cucumber, peeled, diced
1 cup fresh mint leaves
Small to medium flank steak, about 1-½ pounds, drizzled with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and jalapeno pepper in glass or ceramic bowl. Add the tomatoes and the cucumber and refrigerate.

Grill the flank steak about five a side and let stand for five minutes. Add mint leaves to salad and toss. Slice steak thinly and top with the salad.

Serves 3 generously.

Salad lasts several days in fridge.

Click here for a printable recipe!

One Year Ago on Feeding Groom

Grilled Flank Steak with Thai Cucumber, Tomato and Mint Salad

Linguine with Shrimp and Scallops in Thai Green Curry Sauce

Look at the picture. It’s beautiful, if I do say so myself.

This is so easy to do. If you’re in the mood for a bit something different but familiar, some shrimp and scallops in a green Thai curry sauce on linguine will do just fine.

Make this one. It tastes as good as it looks.

Linguine with Shrimp and Scallops in Thai Green Curry Sauce
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook


A couple of good swirls vegetable oil (all we have is olive)
1 red jalapeno pepper
4 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts reserved separately
1 pound sea scallops
¾ pound 21-25 shrimp, peeled, tail on
Coarse salt
1 14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tbsp Thai Green Curry Paste
¼ cup chicken stock
1 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
1-½ tbsp Asian fish sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2/4 pound thin linguine
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat a good swirl of oil in skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chile and white parts of the green onions and cook stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Transfer to paper towel to drain. Set skillet aside.

Pat the scallops and shrimp dry and season with salt. Heat two good swirls of oil in that skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add scallops and cook , turning once, until browned, takes about tow to three minutes on each side. Transfer to a bowl. Cook shrimp in skillet stirring occasionally until almost cooked through, about three minutes. Add the shrimp to scallops.
Add coconut milk. Curry paste, stock, brown sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice to skillet, bring to a simmer, stirring and simmer, stirring occasionally for five minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water. Until done, drain.
Stir scallops and shrimp with any liquid in bowl. Reduce heat and simmer until scallops and shrimp are just cooked through about two minutes.

Transfer seafood to a clean bowl. Add the pasta and cilantro to sauce tossing to coat.
Divide pasta and sauce in bowls. Top with the seafood and sprinkle with green parts of the green onion and chile scallion mix.

Serves 3

Linguine with Shrimp and Scallops in Thai Green Curry Sauce