Monday, April 21, 2008

Flank Steak with Corn and Red Pepper Quesadillas

I originally got this recipe from the Good Housekeeping magazine. You can check it out here. We've made a few changes here and there...and we love this on a Spring/Summer night. It makes a great alternative to the normal barbecue!

1 lime
4 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoonbrown sugar
Salt
1 (about 1 1/4 pounds) beef flank steak
3 ears corn, husks and silks removed (or we use a few small frozen ones sometimes)
1 large red pepper, seeded and cut into quarters
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
3/4 cup(s)(3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat (2%) Mexican-style cheese (and yes, the Mexican style DOES make a difference)
2 green onions, thinly sliced (we omit these)
Plain fat-free Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream (optional)

Prepare outdoor grill for covered direct grilling over medium heat.

From lime, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 1 teaspoon juice. In small bowl, combine lime peel and juice, chili powder, cumin, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Rub steak with chili powder mixture to season both sides.

Place steak, corn, and pepper on hot grill rack. Cover grill and cook steak and vegetables 12 to 15 minutes or until corn is browned in spots, pepper is lightly charred and tender (turning vegetables occasionally), and steak is medium-rare or desired doneness (turning steak over once).

As vegetables are done, transfer to cutting board. Transfer steak to another cutting board; let stand 10 minutes to allow juices to set for easier slicing.

When vegetables are cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cobs and coarsely chop pepper. Place tortillas on work surface. Evenly divide cheese, green onions, corn, and peppers on half of each tortilla. Fold each tortilla over filling to make 4 quesadillas. Grill quesadillas about 2 minutes or until browned on both sides, carefully turning over once. Return quesadillas to same cutting board; cut each in half.

Thinly slice steak and serve with quesadillas and yogurt if using.


Serves 4

***My kids love these quesadillas. They are full of good stuff and are easy to handle!