One of my favorite foods other than eggs (of course) is quinoa. It’s easy to cook, it goes with everything, and I have successfully convinced myself that it counts as healthy. I’ve been on the hunt for quick and simple weeknight meals – this one came together pretty quickly and used minimal dishes, which is always a plus.
I was inspired by the Steak Sizzle from the December issue of Food and Wine magazine however me being me, I forgot to get multicolored carrots (as called for in the recipe) so naturally I substituted quinoa for carrots. I feel like that is a pretty even trade – see earlier note about quinoa being the best. Other than the quinoa substitution, I followed the recipe pretty exactly. Grilling the steak on my new grill pan proved easy yet filled my apartment with smoke so I may need to find a way to combat that (open the front door while cooking? Maybe.). The quinoa and grilled onions, jalapeños, and garlic was actually a really incredible matchup. The acidity from the lemon paired with the spiciness of the jalapeño and the bitterness of the arugula made for a really unique dish. I will be making this again and again.
The steak seasoned with coriander, lemon zest, and paprika was also really great. I have to admit, I have been spoiled because my dad can cook a MEAN steak. This one did serve it’s purpose well though and it went well with the quinoa – and the leftovers will make good tacos tomorrow.
All in all, I would do this again. It probably took an hour, start to finish, and compared to other weeknight meals the cook time on this one was pretty standard. The quinoa though… make the quinoa.
The Deats:
Steak Sizzle with grilled veggies and Quinoa (adapted from Food and Wine)
1 pound skirt steak
2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt
Pepper
1 cup of dry quinoa
1 red onion, halved
and sliced lengthwise
1/4 inch thick
1 jalapeño—halved, seeded and cut into julienne
6 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
One 6-ounce bunch of arugula
Brush the steaks with olive oil and season with the coriander, paprika, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Cook 1 cup of quinoa according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, preheat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the steak and cook over high heat, turning once, until charred on the outside and medium-rare within, about 4-5 minutes total; do not wipe out the skillet. Transfer the steaks to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes.
While the steak is resting, in the same skillet or grill pan, add the onion, jalapeño, and garlic and cook over high heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the arugula and lemon juice and cook until sizzling, about 1 minute. Combine the onion mixture and the quinoa in a large bowl and salt to taste.
Plate and serve! 🙂
MiyaEats 