Jen/Juniperr: Teacher. Biker. Scientist. Fiber Arts fanatic. Animal lover. Craft-a-holic.
Jaryn: Rockstar. Baker. Chef. Outdoor lover. Adventure Seeker. World Traveler. 
My month of no processed foods has really made me realize just what a hard job it is to be a homemaker. Growing up, my mom stayed at home with me and my two older sisters. Every night she put a nutritious, often delicious (yep that’s right I said often) meal on the table that she mostly made from scratch. Sure, there were nights were we got a treat and had pizza or something fast, but more often than not she served us vegetables from her garden, homemade bread, etc. It may sound silly, but this month has really made me realize just how much she did for us. I remember being quite a brat many a nights complaining, “ugh, leftovers.” Meal planning is a lot of work, especially if you don’t want to waste a lot of food. I’ve found it tough to not buy a ton of stuff that I can’t use up in my next week’s worth of recipes. And leftovers, yea I’ve been eating a lot of those 
Flank steak is good if you want red meat, but you don’t want a huge heavy steak. By slicing it up you can have just a little bit and still be satisfied.
Italian Flank Steak with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Recipe adapted from Family Spice
Ingredients:
- 2 TBS balsamic vinegar
- 1 TBS basil, fresh, chopped
- 3 garlic clove, crushed
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp italian seasoning, dried
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 TBS Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 lb beef flank steak
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved & seeded
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, whisk together:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves , crushed
- 2 TBS Italian parsley , chopped
- 1 TBS basil, fresh , chopped
- Pour this mixture into a large ziploc bag and add the flank steak:
- Place in the refrigerator and let meat marinate 4-6 hours
- Remove meat 30 minutes prior to grilling.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Preheat grill pan outside grill on high heat.
- In a small bowl whisk together:
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
- 2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 TBS balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning , dried
- Half and seed your cheery tomatoes
- Pour your mixture over the tomatoes making sure it coats them evenly.
- Pour onto a baking sheet and roast in the hot oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove meat from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels.
- Spray the grill with cooking spray before placing meat on it.
- Place steaks on hot grill and cook until browned, about 6 to 7 minutes for medium rare on each side. Flank steak is best served medium-rare, as it can toughen if over-cooked.
- Cover steak with foil, and let steaks rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Prior to serving, slice the meat on a bias. Top with roasted tomatoes and serve hot.
JessicaP
/ May 23, 2012Our mother is the best! Applesauce, macaroni and cheese and pork chops!