Easy Broiled Flank Steak that’s Herbalicious!

Broiled Flank Steak with pan drippings!

You would think that a gal that grew up raising cattle in Oklahoma had cooked a flank steak or two by now. But I have to say, this was my first one. Two things have kept me away from making this particular protein for dinner; 1) cooking shows always talk about it being a tough/chewy piece of meat, 2) I'm kinda scared of the broiler...many pieces of garlic bread have been lost to my broiling failure.

Turns out, flank steak is SUPER EASY! I don't know why I was so worried.  I will make this the next time I need to whip up a quick meal. It's so versatile. The steak can be served with rice or potatoes, or pasta, or in tacos, or as fajitas...endless possibilities!

As the cheap person that I am, I don't like buying marinades, since most of the ingredients are right there in my cabinet or fridge. Also, marinades are part of the creative process and I really get into combining flavors. The marinade I made to season this flank steak was a total mad scientist type of experiment. Thankfully, it turned out great!

Here is my take on a broiled, herbalicious, flank steak! Try it! You'll like LOVE it!

Broiled Flank Steak
Oven: Broil setting on your stove
Time: 13-15 min, for medium well

You will need:

• 1 package flank steak, trimmed of fat
• 1 large freezer bag 

Marinade:

• Seasonings; salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, 
• Herbs de Provence seasoning (includes Savory, Marjoram, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 TBS brown sugar
• 2 TBS balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3-4 TBS olive oil

Instructions:

1. Wash off the flank steak after removing it from the package. Place on a flat surface and season both sides liberally with salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika.
2. Next add the dried herbs.
3. Place the seasoned flank steak in a large freezer bag and add all the other ingredients to both sides of the bag.
4. Massage the marinade into the steak.
5. Refrigerate until you are ready to broil. The longer, the better the flavor.
6. Broil for 13-15 minutes, depending on the thickness and size of your flank steak. Mine was a hefty steak and took almost 18 minutes for a medium well finish.
7. Slice across the grain...thin slices.
8. Save the pan drippings to spoon over the slices.

Washed and ready to go!

Seasoned

Herbs added.

Marinading

Ready to be Broiled

Broiled to Perfection!

Sliced against the grain.

Pan dripping...YUM!

If you don't have all these herbs or spices, just make up your own recipe! Keep in mind, heavy sauces added to the marinade will just encourage your smoke detector to screech, as the sauces will burn quickly under the intense heat. Just saying...

Please try this recipe and let me know how your flank steak turned out!

As the mixing bowl turns,
Donna ; - )

Meltaway Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting: They disappear so fast, you’ll have to eat another!

Meltaway Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

At some point, I will need to get my sweet-tooth under control. But the other night I was sharing some of my Facebook recipes with a young baking enthusiast and now I can’t get these cookies out of my mind. It’s sad. Why can’t I feel that way about a salad? Because salads don’t have sugar and butter, that's why!

I originally saw this recipe on Pinterest. Several blog sites have posted it. I found it to be a great, shortbread type of cookie that can be tweaked to fit whatever flavor creations you would enjoy. I didn’t use anything but butter and vanilla in mine, but you could use cocoa powder, almond flavoring, minced nuts, lemon flavoring/juice, the list goes on and on.

These cookies are very deceiving. The other sites showed them as little 2-bite size cookies. So, me being me, I thought that would take way too long to bake and ice all those tiny cookies. Well, these little suckers are very rich. It’s up to you which size you choose to make them. Just thought I would warn you.

They are so light and literally melt in your mouth. So good!! I mean, a cup of butter; how can that go wrong?

They will hold up well at your outdoor events this summer. I think you could serve them without icing if you mixed a bit of cinnamon to the powder sugar used to tamp the cookies down before baking.

It’s an easy recipe. Only six ingredients! You need to give it a try. And yes, you really do use that much cornstarch.

Meltaway Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup butter, soft
• 3/4 Cup cornstarch
• 3/4 Cup powdered sugar
• 1 Cup all-purpose flour

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, cream butter until fluffy. 
2. Add cornstarch and sugar, blend well. 
3. Beat in flour until thoroughly mixed. 
4. Roll into small balls and drop onto a baking sheet. Flatten each ball down with the bottom of a glass. (Dip glass in powdered sugar to prevent sticking.)
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until edges become golden in color.
6. Cool on wire rack, then decorate with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. of cream cheese, softened
• 1 Cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients together. 
2. Add food coloring or flavorings of some sort to vary the recipe if you choose. Be creative!

Meltaway Cookies, recipe makes over 2 dozen

Baby showers, wedding showers, picnics, July 4th parties, you name it, these cookies are ideal for theme based get-togethers. You can color the dough or the frosting, or both. Have fun with this one. Please send me a photo of your creations! I’d love to see it and possibly try your version!

As the mixing bowl turns,
Donna ; - ) 

Lemon Squares: You had me at two sticks of butter!

Lemon Squares

Hello, my name is Donna and I have a lemon square problem. It all started in a little sandwich shop in Edmond, OK that a coworker and I visited. They had a special, half a sandwich and soup or salad or dessert. Psh, that was easy. I can't even remember the other desserts that were offered, because at that first lunch I chose their Lemon Square.

Tart, sweet, buttery. You had to watch and not exhale when you took a bite or powdered sugar would go sailing onto your lunch companion. I was hooked. Since that day if a bakery offers them in the display case, I HAVE to buy one. No hesitation. Done.

A few months ago a sweet friend I have known since we both were in summer camp shared her Lemon Square recipe. I had just moved to California and a lady at church had a bumper crop of lemons that she gave to anyone who would bag them up. Both those gifts happened in the same week. That had to be a sign. I must make Lemon Squares.

The only healthy thing in this recipe might be the fresh lemon juice. The large quantities of butter and sugar pretty much take over after that and you are to enjoy the experience and not worry about it. Either cut a smaller square or run an extra lap. Your choice. The crust is what makes this recipe even better than the store bought variety. Well, there are two sticks of butter in the crust, which I am sure is what makes all the difference.

Lemon Squares
Oven temp: 350 degrees
Bake time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 powdered sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Instructions

1. Spray a 9 X 13 baking pan, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the butter, flour and powdered sugar until it is a bowl of small crumbly bits.
3. Press the crumblies into the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden around the edges.
5. While the crust bakes beat eggs, sugar, lemon juice and baking powder together.
6. When crust is done, pour lemon mixture over the crust and return the pan to the oven
7. Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, until the top begins to turn golden brown. (My oven runs hot so I put 2 cookie sheets under my baking pan when I returned it to the oven to prevent the bottom of the crust from burning.)
8. Cool for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with powdered sugar
9. Cool completely before slicing.
10. Store in an airtight container, if they last that long.

Initial blending of butter into dry ingredients.

The crumbly form.

Crumbles pressed into prepared baking pan.

My favorite gadget.

All the filling ingredients.

Pouring filling over hot crust.

Cook until the filling doesn’t jiggle.

Dust with powdered sugar.

Enjoy a lemon square, or two.

I love my little yellow lemon juicer gadget. It was free in a bag of lemons I purchased at least six years ago. There is probably a much nicer, sturdier version for purchase, but I will keep using mine. 

This recipe doesn’t have a ton of ingredients and is pretty straight forward and easy. I hope you give it a go! They are lovely with a spot of tea in the afternoon!

As the mixing bowl turns,

Donna ; - )