Down Home Surf and Turf

It is that time of year, when we haven't seen the grass for a month and a high temperature of 25 feels balmy, that I long for a visit to the south. No travel plans in sight, so I have to bring the south here with a little down home cooking. Here are the recipes for both Barbecue Steak and Low Country Shrimp with sauteed Soycutash. For the steak, I used a simple rub that I've posted before, but changed just a few ingredients to compliment the beef. The shrimp is a classic-boiled with Old Bay Seasoning, which some southern grocery store butchers will steam for you in the store while you shop! Finally, Soycatash is a Trader Joe's product that I can not live without. It is a combination of frozen corn, edamame, and chopped red bell peppers. Steamed, sauteed, added to soups or salads, eaten frozen(my kids favorite!) Soycutash is a modern and healthier version of the "mixed vegetable" that most of us have buried in the back of our freezer. Tonight I sauteed the mix with red onion, salt, pepper, olive oil, and a splash of red wine vinegar. If you seek a heartier side dish, cook diced new potatoes for a 5-10 minutes in a saute pan with olive oil before adding Soycutash and other ingredients.

BARBECUE STEAK

1 2-3 pound flank steak

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Mix brown sugar, paprika, cinnamon, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, ground chipotle chili pepper, and salt in a bowl. Rub flank steak with spice mixture, covering both sides of meat. Grill flank steak on medium high heat for 7 minutes on each side. Remove from heat, cover plate with foil, and allow meat to rest for 5-10 minutes for a medium rare center. Slice thinly, cutting against the grain of the steak, and serve.

*Flank Steak is currently on sale at Sunset Foods*

LOW COUNTRY PEEL-AND-EAT SHRIMP

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp with shells and tails

4-6 cups water

1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning

Bring water and Old Bay Seasoning to boil in a medium to large sized pot. Pot should be 2/3 full of water, leaving room for shrimp. When water reaches a rolling boil, add shrimp, stir, and cook for 3-5 minutes until shrimp are opaque and pink. Remove shrimp from water with a strainer and serve with lemon wedges, and favorite cocktail sauce.

*Shrimp is currently on sale at Dominick's*

Sorry, no pic of the shrimp. I did make it tonight, but they were gone before we were able to get the camera ready!