AY Magazine / September 2011 / Create: Tailgating 2011 ... A Meal

 Email  Print

Create: Tailgating 2011 ... A Meal

Here’s a change from burgers and brats — a bit fancy, but not fussy. The salad and lemon bars can be made the day before, leaving you to concentrate on the meat, the drinks and the game — in whatever order of priority suits you — on game day. My wine colleague Jonathan Looney, owner of O’Looney’s Wine & Liquor, recommends you compliment the menu with: Bottletree Blond Belgium White Ale, made in North Carolina; Toso Sparkling Wine from Argentina; and Marietta Old Vine Red.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corn and Black Bean Salad with Lime Juice

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 ½ cups fresh corn, cut off the cob, about 2 medium ears
¾ cup favorite salsa
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
115-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
Juice of 1 fresh lime, more to taste

  

Instructions

Heat vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn to pan, sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro, salsa and beans, cook 30 seconds or until heated through. Stir in lime juice. Serve warm or room temperature.

Yields 4 to 6 servings.

Adapted from Cooking Light.

 

---

 

Southwestern Flank Steak & Grilled Purple Onions

Ingredients

2 to 3 pounds tenderized flank steak
½ cup tequila
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 fresh lime
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon cumin
3 medium purple onions, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

Combine the cumin and chili powder, and sprinkle them over the steak, rubbing them into the meat well and covering both sides. Put the steak in a glass cake pan or other non-reactive container. In a small bowl, mix the tequila, olive oil, crushed garlic and lime juice; and pour mixture over steak, coating both sides. Allow steak to marinate overnight. You can do this the day before your tailgate party; and simply store it in the fridge.

Method is everything when grilling flank steak. Remove the steak from the marinade and shake off as much of the liquid as you can — the steak should be dry when it goes on the grill (you can remove the marinade at home if you wish). Allow the steak to come to room temperature, Build a hot fire, and spread the coals evenly. Be certain your grill surface is hot when the steak goes on. Salt and pepper the steak generously, and grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once for medium rare.

Grill the onions 5 to 10 minutes, until softened. Mix the butter, balsamic vinegar and honey, and brush over the onions as they come off the grill.

 

 

 

Let the steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing thin, slanted slices across the grain. This is great with soft tortillas or as steak tacos with some guacamole and chopped tomato.

Serves eight.

Submitted by Barry Goldberg, Little Rock, AR

 

---

 

Lemon Squares

Ingredients

Bottom Crust

½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

Topping

2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
a pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the flour and confectioners’ sugar into a food processor, and pulse once to combine. Add the butter to flour mixture, and pulse just until the butter is evenly distributed. Press the crumbs into a lightly-greased 9-inch square pan. Bake 20 minutes or until light brown.

Combine the topping ingredients. When the bottom is done, and still hot, pour the topping over it, and continue baking for about 25 minutes. Cool, cut into squares and sprinkle top with confectioners’ sugar.

Adapted from kingarthurflour.com

 

Faith conducts healthy cooking programs for kids and their families in central Arkansas; e-mail her at info@kidscookarkansas.com.