Pesto Flank Steak {Tasty Tuesday Recipe}

We love to grill. And over the years, I’ve shared many great grill recipes here on Tasty Tuesday.  My favorite recipes are ones that are simple. So simple, in fact, that they are often overlooked. Recipes don’t have to be complicated to be good. 


A few weeks ago, we had a flank steak (or “london broil”) defrosted and ready for the grill.  We usually opt for our traditional marinade, but I eyed a container of pesto in the fridge and felt slightly inspired.  In a few minutes, I had the steak marinating and a few hours later, it was cooking on the grill.


End result? AMAZING.


Sometimes the best recipes are the most simple.

Pesto Flank Steak

• 1 2-3 lb flank steak (or “london broil”)
• 1/4-1/2 cup of pesto sauce

1. Spread pesto over the entire steak so it is well-coated.  Place in a ziplock bag and let the steak marinate for at least 2 hours.


2. Heat the grill, and let the steak cook for 7-11 minutes per side (depending on how rare or not rare you like your steak).  


3. Once the steak is finished cooking, take the steak off the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes so the juices redistribute.  Slice the steak into thin slices against the grain.


4. Serve with potatoes and broccoli for a yummy meal!

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Delightfully yummy and moist. We love this simple way to prepare steak – and it’s perfect for Summer Grilling!

Steph spends most of her days tripping along the road of parenthood, occasionally getting it right along the way. You can read more about Steph’s life and recipes at her blog, Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday: Rosemary Grilled Pork Chops

Ok, so I posted this recipe on my blog yesterday. I’m not trying to double post by any means. But this recipe is SO GOOD, and the weather will be perfect for grilling this week, so I couldn’t NOT share it with you. Right?

That would just be wrong.

So if you want the back story to how Hubby and I came across this recipe, you can read about it here. It’s not very exciting, but it does explain why it was SUCH A BIG DEAL that we were grilling pork for the first time in years.

If you want a compelling reason why you need to try this recipe, here it is: it’s SO STINKING AMAZING. As a mom with 2 kids, I really appreciated that it was simple. I could whip it together in 2 minutes in the morning, let it marinate all afternoon until Hubby came home, and then we could just throw it on the grill. These pork chops are a great blank canvas to create a meal from. They work well with many side dishes, so you can be flexible with how you serve them. And, the taste is impressive enough to serve to guests, but not too adult that your kids wouldn’t like it.

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Rosemary- Grilled Pork Chops

(adapted from Steve Raichlan’s recipe, Rosemary-Grilled Pork Loin, in The Barbeque Bible)

• 4-6 Center Cut Pork Chops
• 3-4 tsp minced garlic (or 6 cloves of garlic peeled)
• 1 TBS dried rosemary (or 1 bunch of fresh rosemary, stemmed)
• 1 TBS course salt (kosher)
• 1 TBS ground black pepper
• 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a mortar and pound to a smooth paste with a pestle (if using minced garlic, grind until a smooth paste). Work in the oil until it is combined. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, combine ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

2. Spread paste over both sides of each pork chop. Place the pork chops in a pan, covered in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator to marinate for 2-4 hours.

3. Heat grill and cook each pork chop roughly 5 minutes on each side (2-4 minutes for thin chops, 4-6 minutes for thick).

4. Enjoy!

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We served this with a side of potatoes grilled in foil packets (which were also delicious, and I will be sure to post in the coming weeks!) and grilled asparagus.

If you try this recipe, we’d love to hear how it turns out for you! I’m also now on the lookout for new pork recipes, so don’t hesitate to send them my way!

Have a great week!

You can read more about Steph’s life and recipes at her blog, Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Mom.

Tasty Tuesday

Hope you all had a great Spring Break last week (and to the few who have it this week, enjoy it!). I am eating UP this weather! Rather, I am eating OUT in this weather 🙂 Does it get any more beautiful than this? I can’t help but post another Grill-tastic recipe today. If I weren’t babysitting tonight, I’d fire up the grill (rather, I’d politely ask Hubby to fire up the grill, because my attempt would be short-lived and unsuccessful) and whip up this recipe for dinner tonight. This is not one of my recipes. Rather, I caught it on The Food Network last Spring. My mouth started watering as I watched the segment, and I quickly went out to get the recipe. Hubby is already begging me to make the recipe again soon! (If you want to see where I got the recipe from, click on the title below).

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Sandra Lee’s Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers

– Serves 4-

1. 1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef
2. 1 packet Beefy Onion Soup Mix
3. 2 TBS Ginger Teriyaki Marinade Mix (powder form, not liquid) – [recommend McCormick’s Grill Mates]
4. 1 (8oz) can Pineapple Rings (keep rings intact), drained and juice reserved
5. Salt and Pepper
6. 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
7. 1 TBS wasabi paste
8. 1 TBS soy sauce
9. 4 Burger Buns

Combine Beef, Soup Mix, Teriyaki Marinade Mix, and 1/4 cup reserved Pineapple Juice. Form 4 patties slightly larger than bun. Gently press pineapple rings into tops of patties. Season burgers with salt and pepper. Place on grill, starting with pineapple side DOWN. Cook 8 minutes per side for medium.

Mix together Mayo, wasabi paste, soy sauce. Spread on buns. Place burger on buns. Top with lettuce, tomato, onion – or whatever toppings suit you!

Lettuce, Tomato, Onion (for toppings)

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Now, I had difficulty finding the Ginger Teriyaki powdered marinade mix – so I got the closest sounding packet mix. Either way, it turned out amazing.

And what is a BBQ without a little dessert? Here is a great easy add-on for after dinner treats! When fruit is in season, I make this about every other night. So yummy! Try to get your fruit from the local farmer’s market – there are so many great markets in this area! To find one near you, check the LocalHarvest website.

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Fruit Crisp

1. 5 Peaches (or 5 Apples, or 2-3Pts. Blueberries)
2. 1 1/3 cup Brown Sugar (1 1/2 for Apples)
3. 1 cup Flour
4. 1 cup Oats
5. 1 tsp Cinnamon
6. 1 stick Butter, melted

1) Preheat oven to 375º

2) If using Peaches or Apples, peel and cut into bite-sized cubes. If using Blueberries, rinse and drain.

3) Place fruit in a greased 9×9-inch square pan. Mix remaining ingredients, and spread over fruit.

4) Place in oven, and bake until topping is golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.

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Enjoy this weather while it lasts! And leave a comment to let us know how these recipes turn out for YOU!

You can read more about Steph and her recipes at her other blog, Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom.