I have to confess that I’ve messed with and tweaked the original recipe six ways to Sunday.  I’m pretty sure I’ve never made it once as it was written.  First, I’ve changed up the cut of steak – the original calls for skirt, which we all like (I especially like it for tacos).  But have you ever tried the marinated hanger steak they have in the meat case?  It’s awesome.  I think we had it 10 times last summer.  Anyhoo, one day back in March I was being indecisive at the meat counter and before I could say “I’d like some skirt steak please” I blurted out, “I’ll take two pounds of mushroom marinated hanger!” and I’ve never looked back.

(By the way, don’t be dissuaded by the ‘mushroom marinated’ part, even if you have picky eaters at your house.  You won’t find any pieces of mushroom on the steak.  If there were, my kids wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole, and it would never have earned a spot in the DamFam Dinner Hall o’ Fame.)

I won’t bore you with all of the changes I made, other than to tell you that I also switch up the bread based on what’s available.  The original recipe calls for ciabatta rolls (always yummy), but the first time I made this sandwich, the bakery was out.  I swapped in Ecce Panis French rolls, and they worked out great.  They’re on the smallish side, so you’ll end up with more of a slider-sized sandwich, but no one here seems to mind that.  Besides, using smaller rolls helps with portion control, which can’t be a bad thing, right?

Sendik’s Demi Baguettes are on sale this week, and they would work here too – just make two or three larger sandwiches and cut them into thirds.  Or halves.  Or don’t cut them at all and eat the whole darned thing yourself, I’ll never tell.

Enjoy!

GRILLED STEAK SANDWICHES WITH HERBED MAYONNAISE
Serves:  4 – 6
Source:  adapted from this recipe

2/3 c. mayonnaise
1 1/2 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 T. chopped fresh basil
1 small garlic clove, minced

6 French Rolls, or 3 demi baguettes (Sendiks Demi Baguettes are on sale), halved horizontally

2 red bell peppers (red bell peppers are on sale)
2 red medium red onions, sliced into 1/3″ rounds

1 1/4 – 1 1/2 lbs. skirt steak, cut crosswise into thirds (**see note**)
Olive oil for brushing

Prepare barbecue (medium high heat).  Whisk first 5 ingredients in medium bowl.  Set aside.  Pull out some of inside of bread, forming thick shells.  Brush peppers, onions, cut sides of bread, and steaks with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill vegetables until charred and just tender and steaks until cooked to medium-rare, about 8-10 minutes for vegetables, and 3 minutes per side for steaks (**see note). Let steaks rest (tented with foil) for ten minutes.  Grill bread, cut side down, until golden and toasted, 2-3 minutes.

Cut steaks diagonnaly against the grain into 1/3 to 1/2″ thick slices.  Arrange steak, peppers, and onions over bottom halves of bread.  Spoon mayonnaise over.  Top with bread, pressing slightly to compact.  If using baguettes, slice into six sandwiches.

**NOTES** Black Angus New York Strip Steaks are on sale, you could easily swap them in.   I used the marinated hanger steak as mentioned.  For the hanger steak, I usually cook it for three minutes, turn it, three more minutes, turn it, and a final two minutes.  This yields medium rare nearly every time.  I don’t have much experience with strip steaks, so grill them to your liking. 

No, I said. We’re not carrying in, OR going out.  And if you can’t all agree on anything, then I’LL make the call and you’ll really be sorry, because left to my own devises, I’ve been known to choose tuna noodle casserole, which everyone in my house (except me) despises, the hub’ included.

From the backseat, my youngest yelled out, “QUICHE!”

“DONE!” I said.  And would you believe it?  Those other two punks didn’t even complain.  Which means, in a sense, they AGREED!

So there it was. QUICHE.  Economical, easy, and most of all delicious, quiche is one of my favorite meals to make for either dinner or brunch.  The kids like it pretty straightforward, so I make one with diced ham, potatoes, and shredded cheese.  For the hub’ and myself, I make a simple bacon and leek filling.  Both preparations are terrific, and when you see how many of the ingredients are on sale this week, you’ll be sold too!

I paired the quiches with a fresh fruit platter of sliced watermelon, cantaloupe (AMAZING), and red grapes.  Sometimes I make homefries too, but I skipped them this time because of the potatoes in the quiche.

If you have the luxury of time, quiches are easily made earlier in the day.  It re-heats quite well and is perfect for those dinners when your family members are eating in shifts…and leftovers are great for breakfast!

ENJOY!

QUICHE TWO WAYS

Serves:  4-6 with leftovers

SOURCE:  loosely adapted from foodandwine.com

• 1 package pie crusts (I like the Pillsbury ones in the red box)
• Pie weights or dried beans (don’t skip these or you will be sorry.)
• 2 large red skinned potatoes (on sale), small dice
• ½ lb. bacon (I used the sale Boar’s Head), 1/2 “ dice
• 1 package of ham steaks (sale Sendiks brand)
• 2 small leeks, white and light green part only, thinly sliced
• ½  lb. white cheddar cheese (I used a block of the Sale White Cheddar and grated it myself)
• 8 eggs (Sparboe brand, on sale)
• 2 ½ c. half and half (or cream, if you really want to gild the lily)

Preheat the oven to 425.  Place the pie crusts in two 9” pie plates, crimping decoratively if desired.  Line each crust with a piece of tin foil; fill the foil with the pie weights or the dried beans, scootching the weights or beans up the sides of the crust to avoid the dreaded ‘shrinkage’.  Place the crusts in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove the foil and the weights and set aside.  Reduce oven temperature to 375.

Meanwhile, place the diced potatoes in a glass baking dish.  Season with salt and pepper, and cover dish with a damp paper towel.  Microwave on high for 4 – 5 minutes, or until cooked through but not falling apart.  I stopped to stir them around a bit, mine needed a full 5 minutes.  Set aside.

In a large sauté pan, cook the bacon over medium high heat until browned and crispy.  Remove the bacon and transfer to a bowl.  Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.  Sauté the leeks in the bacon fat; seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, until leeks are softened but not browned, about four minutes.  Transfer the leeks to the bowl with the bacon, and toss to combine.

In large Pyrex measuring cup, beat the eggs and the half and half together.  Season with salt and pepper.

Divide the potatoes equally between the two pie crusts.  For the Ham and Cheese Quiche, top the potatoes with the diced ham and then half of the shredded cheddar.  For the Bacon and Leek Quiche, top the potatoes with the bacon/leek mixture, and then the other half of the cheese.  Pour the egg mixture over each quiche, dividing equally.  Place quiches to the oven; bake for 30 minutes.  Transfer quiches to a rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing into wedges and serving.