Flank steak fajitas and guacamole

Excuse my absence. I hadn't been cooking much lately. We had been eating out most days. He had been traveling recently. I had been busy with the restaurant new opening (Did you tell you about that? Hang in guys. I will announce in due time). His brother and cousins visiting us and we were entertaining them bringing them out with every meal to savor as much local food as their stomach can fit. We are talking about four to five meals a day with spread that can fit an army. There were the Singapore's famous crabs, All the noodles alike, minced pork, wonton and fish ball. We can't skip chicken rice. Oh and the laksa, the carrot cake - both black & white of course. Durians fit for dessert. And a prata washed down with some watery curry or bak-kut-teh sealed the supper spot There was so much to eat in this little tiny city.

I wished his brother and cousins had stayed a little longer. Long enough to taste every local favorites. Long enough for their tummies to crave a homemade dinner. Long enough to be guests of our dinner party cooked with laughters, care and love as we always do. How we had experience new food together and make new memories with meal. Because it is not about what's on the dinner table. It is about the the comfort it brings. If they had stayed a week longer, I am sure to win them over to be avid cooks of their homes sharing new memories with their families. Because cooking with heart and love can be contagious. There were so much recipes we discussed making together. Terry wanted to master the molten chocolate cake to please his dame. The girls wanted to see the clouds bloom in soufflés.
After they said goodbyes. I made a feast on our first meal together. I had serve the feast on a large board for some hands-on action. For a moment I though that they were still around, the apartment is quiet again without their laughters. Their luggages that once hoard the pathway is gone. Though it is just us now enjoying the loot with divine sauce dripping all over the table with plenty of left overs.


Ingredients
Feeds 4-5 hungry people

Guacamole
3 ripe avocados
2 limes, juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 green chilies, chopped
1 big handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
3 spring onions, chopped or you can use ½ small onion
Salt and black pepper to taste
Drizzle olive oil

Halve and pit the avocados. With a tablespoon, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them still a bit chunky. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, and fold everything together.
Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Steak Marinate
10 large garlic clove
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon soy sauce
3 chipolte chiles/ or normal red chili if you are unable to find
Cajun spice to taste
Cumin powder to taste
Lots of salt and black pepper
½ cup olive oil

1 large flank steak. I use a 1kg flank steak.

Method
Combine all the marinade ingredients. Using a blender, puree the marinade until smooth. Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and add the steak, seal and shake to coat. Refrigerate the beef for 4 to 6 hours (best to marinate it overnight) to tenderize and flavor the beef.

Preheat a grill pan on high heat. Drain the marinade from the beef and lightly oil the grill pan. Grill the steak over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes on each side and then transfer to a cutting board and let rest.

Thinly slice the steak against the grain on a diagonal.

Note: you can add stalks of rosemary when grilling to add more flavor to the steak.

Putting everything together
My version is a little different. I serve with sliced lettuce, tomatoes and onion rings instead of cooking peppers and salsa.

1 whole lettuce, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
½ onion, thinly sliced (use the remaining half onion)
tortilla wraps (I prefer whole wheat)

Warm tortilla in pan. Serve all the ingredients in separate bowls to let your guest wrap themselves.

-till next post, ss.

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