When my son was in utero (he’ll be 7 in a week), I took a trip to York, Maine.  With the ocean lapping at my toes, and him in my 9-months-pregnant-ginormous belly, he kicked happy and warm in my belly.

I made it a tradition to go somewhere coastal each year in the first week of July ever since. 

And that quiet, peaceful sound of ocean waves slapping against the shore have been replaced with shrieks of excitement and laughter, and bags upon bags of STUFF.  I’ve literally been packing non-stop, piling the vehicle with everything you never knew you needed on a trip with kids.

That’s why, when my friend Hallie mentioned what she’d had for dinner, I jumped at the opportunity; I asked if she wanted to do me a humung-o favor, and guest blog for me today.  She agreed, and since she was having a wonderfully supportive (and enormously delicious!) dinner, I was super-excited to be able to pack longer while SHE did the cooking!  So without further ado, here’s HALLIE!

My boyfriend and I have opposite schedules, so it is the rare Tuesday night that we get to spend together. Couple that with the fact that his birthday was a few days ago and we haven’t celebrated yet! So I had to do something special and that’s where steak (he’s a man and therefore likes steak) and caprese salad (he’s a man and will eat whatever I put in front of him) come into play. Note: This is not your regular caprese salad, we do it a bit differently in our house! You will need: tomato, cucumber, basil, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and fresh mozzarella. After marinating the steak (top round of course!) for about 24 hours, I threw that on the grill for about 6 minutes each side for medium-rare. While the steak was sizzlin’ I placed about 5 slices of cucumber, tomato and mozzarella on a plate. Then drizzle 1 capful of extra virgin olive oil and 1 capful of vinegar on top (yes, we are very technical in my household). Sprinkle some fresh (or in our case freeze dried) basil on top and you’re good to go! Super easy and very delicious!

That’s it guys!  Doesn’t that look incredible?  Yum!  Now I’m hungry!  And while I’m not sure what she marinated hers in, you can use whatever marinade you like.  My go-to is always Italian Dressing.

 Now, I won’t be posting any recipes till I’m back on schedule Monday, but I will be sending lots and lotsof food posts to the lK travels section (to the bottom right of this post) as I eat my way up and down the New England Coast!

See you Monday!

HUGE thanks to Hallie!!

Related posts:

1. Quick Caprese
2. Garlic Butter Steak and Shrimp
3. Grilled Watermelon, Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad

Sirloin Strip Steak topped with shrimp and cheese

It’s such a delicious and QUICK meal to recreate!  First up, take your sirloin steak (or whatever kind-the better the quality, the better your dinner will be), and grill or broil it with salt and pepper until it’s cooked to the temperature you like yours.  I personally like mine in the broiler, for about 6-8 minutes per side (mine’s about 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches thick, flipped halfway through).  If you cook it till just UNDER your prefered temp, you’ll end up with steak perfection, as when you stick it in the boiler the second time, it cooks a bit longer.   I have made garlic butter before, but this is such an easy cheat- top the steak with a heaping spoonful (more or less if you like it more or less) of chopped garlic, a tablespoon of melted butter, a sprinkle of parm (any other cheese will also work), and then stick it back in the broiler till cheese is melted, and the steak is done.  Serve with a side of broccoli, and VOILA!  A delicious, restaraunt-style, supportive meal!

Related posts:

1. Yellow Garlic Smashed Fauxtatoes
2. Lobster, Shrimp, and Scallop Scampi
3. Peppered Steak with Portabello Mushrooms