For my first post, here’s a dish that I made for Ben and myself on Valentine’s Day. Nothing fancy, but it turned out to be quite tasty as well as nice to look at, and made some great leftovers.

Flank Steak with Mexican Hash

1 lb flank steak, trimmed
2 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
1 t. black pepper
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt

5-6 small purple potatoes
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 lb. asparagus, trimmed
1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 t. cumin
1 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to season
Cilantro to garnish

Flank Steak:
Preheat the oven to broil. Combine the 2 t. cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, 1 t. black pepper and 1/2 t. salt in a small bowl. Rub generously into the flank steak. Place the steak on your broiling pan and place in the top third of the oven and cook until desired doneness. Slice against the grain.

Hash:
In a sauce pan, boil the potatoes until just soft enough to stick a fork into them, but not soft. Remove from heat and drain.

In a large pan, place the olive oil, garlic and shallots and cook until garlic is golden and shallots are translucent. Add potatoes and cumin, and cook until golden brown. Add asparagus and garbanzo beans, cook for 2-3 min. Add tomatoes and cook til they are warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro.

For both a portfolio building exercise and to challenge myself in the kitchen, I’ve started this blog. My hope is that I’ll be able to post recipes with pictures, thanks to Ben (boyfriend/photographer), at least a couple of times a week. I plan to post a good mixture of both apps, dinners and desserts and hopefully you’ll find something to try!