What is GOING ON???

I know you’re probably been wondering what in the $@&% has been going on around here haven’t you? Let me tell you, it’s not pretty.

Sometime at the end of April this site was hacked into and a malicious bit of code was installed on some of my files. At first it affected the RSS feed and the backend of the site where I do all the writing and editing. Then it started to affect the actual site and when it loaded, some users would get a malware warning that looked like their own Windows program, but was in fact not.

Seems the problems stem from my hosting site, GoDaddy (read more here.)

So now after many hours of figuring this all out and moving files and copying and backing up (all done by my wonderful, unpaid husband), we are moving on to better hosting providers.

There should be no downtime involved, so no worries about getting your next recipe fix! Hopefully all of this will be put to rest so I can think about other things, namely this writhing alien in my belly (4 weeks to go!).

Today’s recipe is what I call “thrown together”. It’s not that this meal won’t have you swooning over every bite, but it is something I put together because I happened to have most of the ingredients just laying around.

My Mother-in-Law gave us a whole month’s supply of ribeye steaks that were deemed “unworthy” by my Father-in-Law because they had been frozen. And I have to agree. Wonderful, pricey steaks should never be frozen, but instead enjoyed on the day of purchase or within a day or two. Why? Freezing meats can change the taste and texture of a quality cut. The longer it is frozen, the more you will notice the difference.

So what to do if there is an amazing deal on good cuts of steak? Buy as much as you want and freeze it of course, but try to use it as quickly as possible. If it has been frozen for more than a couple of weeks, this recipe is a perfect way to use it up. Marinating steaks that have been frozen allows them to be tenderized and saturated with added flavours.

And as we are just in the heat of pineapple season, I had to buy just one. I don’t usually indulge as any pineapple has surely been jetted in from either Hawaii or Mexico and is therefore highly unsustainable, but once a year is fine by me. Punctuated with fresh basil and grilled over flames makes pineapple even more sweet and adds a complexity that you wouldn’t get with simply fresh cut. In fact, many fruits are enhanced by cooking. See some great examples here and here.

So if you feel that the days are getting longer and you are looking for that perfect summery meal, here it is.

Steak and Pineapple Skewers

Servings: 8 skewers
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time:10-15 minutes

2 ribeye steaks (approximately 10-12 oz each and 1″ thick)
1 pineapple
1 bunch fresh basil, torn into small pieces
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 Tbsp
1 clove garlic, grated
Fresh ground pepper
Wooden or metal skewers (if using wood, soak in warm water for 30 minutes prior to grilling)

1. In a large container (preferably with a lid), mix together the soy sauce , 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic and a substantial amount of pepper. This is your marinade.
2. Cube ribeyes into 1″ cubes and toss into marinade. Leave to marinate for 1 hour or as long as 24 hours.

3. Cut pineapple by doing the following:

1. Remove top and bottom.

2. Cut in half and slice away skin.

3. Cut into quarters and remove core.

4. Cut into bite sized pieces, roughly 1″ square.

4. Toss pineapple with basil, 1 Tbsp of oil and loads of fresh pepper. Let that sit for 30 minutes or so.
5. Thread steak and pineapple, alternating between the two, onto skewers.
6. Grill on a BBQ for 10-15 minutes (for medium rare), flipping often to sear all sides.
7. Serve immediately with jicama, cucumbers and lime (instructions follow)

For a nice refreshing, and none too filling side, try this Mexican accompaniment:

Jicama, Cucumber and Lime

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

1 large jicama, peeled
1/2 large English Cucumber
6 key limes, quartered
kosher or sea salt (should be a course salt)

1. Slice cucumbers into coins. Set onto plate.
2. Peel jicama and cut into long batons. Set onto plate next to cucumbers.

3. Lay quartered limes next to cucumbers and jicama and serve with a salt grinder or salt pig filled with salt.
4. Instruct diners to take a portion of the vegetables. Then squeeze lime juice over, sprinkle with salt and you have yourself a fine meal.