These saucy treats blend veggies, meats, herbs & smoke to create some truly hearty flavors. Look through this section to see the recipes and techniques that keep us intrigued, busy and oh so happy...this month's feature>

The Spiced Steak Caesar
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Here's one of my favorite recipes! The first bite is always a surprise to the taste buds. The fennel and thyme provide huge flavors that stand out from the caesar salad dressing.

For as many times as I've done this recipe I haven't
brought my prep time down to 15 minutes. It's still
hovering around 25 to 30 minutes. Crushing the fennel is the most time consuming process. I also like to mince my own garlic.

To speed up the prep time hit the grocery store for these items:
-jar of minced garlic
-bottle of your favorite caesar salad dressing
Note: We're big fans of Martin Bros Calamata Feta
-two bags of Romaine or caesar salad lettuce
-jar of fennel seeds
-jar of ground thyme
Spices don't hold their flavor as long as we'd like
them to, so if your fennel or thyme are over a year old think about a new jar.

Basic Caesar Dressing
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons juiced (about 1/2 cup)
2 canned anchovy fillets
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, press
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
•Place oil, lemon juice, anchovy fillets and
Worcestershire sauce in a blender,
•Whirl until smooth.
•Stir in garlic, parmesan, salt and pepper.
•Refrigerate, tightly covered, up to several days.

Spiced Steak Caesar Ingredients
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon fennel seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 pound flank steak
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/2 cup

The Work
•Mix garlic, fennel seeds, thyme, salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon
oil in a small bowl.
•Rub over flank steak.
•Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
•Add steak, cook 5 minutes on each side for medium rare, until internal temperature registers 145 degrees F, or until desired doneness.
•Place romaine in a large bowl.
•Add Parmesan, remaining 1 teaspoon pepper and dressing; toss to coat.
•Divide salad equally among 4 plates.
•Slice steak into thin slices across grain at a 45 degree angle.
•Arrange over salad.

This is how yummy it looks on the cutting board. Save some for the salad though. Click on image for larger view.

Notes:
I recently cooked the flank steak on the grill instead
of in the frying pan. I seared both sides of the flank
steak over high heat and then moved it over to the
medium low heat area of the grill for 5-6 minutes per
side. I had a foil packet of water soaked hickory wood chips that added a light flavor of smoke to the meat.This didn't make the recipe as quick and easy, but if your a grilling fiend, it's a fun alternative.

Clean up:
Skillet
Cutting Board
Small bowl used for mixing up the spices
Clean up time may depend on your choice of skillets.There'll be some excess garlic and fennel in the pan that'll take a little time to clean. Cutting board will be a juicy mess.

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Watching Video Snippets Can Help You Generate Ideas
When we need a little inspiration, we often turn to the behemoth that is The Food Network. However, instead of slogging thru multiple episodes on the couch w/ pen in hand, we turn to their online video sections. With topics like Charcoal Grill Tips, Grilled Desserts and Wacky Barbecues, there's a enough adventure to go around. Thus we spend more time experimenting on potatoes instead of being one.Requires Windows Media Player

Spiced Salmon Kebabs
with Yogurt Sauce
Bobby Flay brings the spice, style, and flair of Middle Eastern cooking to summer-time grilling with this recipe for Spiced Salmon Kebabs. We highly recommend the Wild Salmon Filets from SeaBear Smokehouse for this recipe.

Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (2-pound) fillet salmon, cut horizontally into 1-inch thick slices
Olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
1/2 orange

The Work
•Heat grill to high.
• Place spices in a small saute pan and toast on the grill for 45 to 60 seconds, shaking the pan several times, or until just fragrant.
• Let cool slightly and grind in a spice grinder or coffee grinder until finely ground.
•Process yogurt, onion, lemon juice, zest, cayenne, and toasted spices in a food processor until smooth.
• Set aside or refrigerate if not using for a while.
 
•Thread salmon onto skewers so the fish lies flat.
• Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until slightly charred and just cooked through.
• Serve with yogurt sauce on the side and drizzle the juice of 1/2 orange over all.