grilled steak and potatoes

MENU
Grilled Steak Skewers
Grilled Potatoes
Steamed Edamame
Fresh Fruit

I was at a hotel and had the late night munchies, so I took it upon myself to order grilled steak skewers to my room. It came with a custard dish full of blue cheese dipping sauce; if I had had a spoon in my hand I would have thrown all the steak right in the sauce and renamed it soup on the spot—it was that good.

When I returned home I made Grilled Steak Skewers w/ Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce. Grilling potatoes happened b/c—although my habit is to roast or saute potatoes—Seattle had hit over 100 degrees midsummer and we melt here (even though many of you are used to higher temps!). There was no way the oven or stove-top were contributing more heat to my already hot home. So, there I was with a pile of potatoes. I washed them, sliced them in half the long way (or thirds if they were bigger, creating slices of about 3/4 inch each), lubed them in olive oil, course salt and a sprinkling of herbs. They only take a few minutes on the BBQ (grill both sides).

Steam edamame—soybeans—right in the shell for a few minutes, then toss with big grains of kosher salt (or black sea salt, Hawaiian red sea salt, etc.: big grains of salt are all the rage these days). Use your teeth to slide out the beans and discard shells/skins. Perfect for healthy eating AND that salt-fix, I first enjoyed steamed edamame at one of my new fave swank restaurants in Seattle: Bal Mar. (Instead of Steamed Edamame you could make Sauteed Edamame). For fresh fruit, I had on hand watermelon and seedless black grapes. A light vanilla ice cream, fruit sorbet or simple sugar cookies make a nice, simple dessert.

•