Description
Scroll to the bottom for more details!
Ingredients
1 Cedar Plank Flat Iron Steak
For The Steak Marinade (Optional):
1 Tbsp garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup Lime Juice
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded & minced fine
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce (or Naked Coconut soy alternative)
2 Tbsp Apple Cider vinegar
2 Tbsp White sugar
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin seed
For The Creamy Avocado & Jalapeno Sauce
1 jalapeno
1 ripe avocado
1 clove garlic
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 large lime, juiced
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (a quick saute in a fry pan until they’re fragrant, but watch out as they can go from perfect to burnt quickly)
1 anchovy (optional but delicious)
1 Tbsp. white or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
3/4 tsp. sea salt
For the Chipotle Cream Sauce
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Tbsp Honey or agave syrup, optional (if you like a little bit of sweet with your spicy)
For the Lime-Cilantro Quinoa or Rice
1 Handful cilantro, chopped
1/2 Lime, zested
1/2 Lime, juiced
2 Cups quinoa, rinsed, or Rice
4 Cups Lepp’s Chicken Broth
1 Can (4oz) diced green chiles
2 Tbsp butter
Toppings
Shredded Cheese
Grilled Corn, or use 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
Extra Lime Wedges
Chopped peppers of your choice
Black Beans, drained and rinsed
Fresh Pico de Gallo or Salsa of your choice. I love Fresh is Best Salsa, and if you like a little bit of sweet, you can add a chopped mango to the salsa.
Instructions
Marinade for the Steak
Prepare the marinade by whisking together all of the ingredients and placing in a ziploc bag with the meat. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours, flipping halfway through.
When you’re ready to prepare your bowl, remove the meat from the fridge to sit on the counter while you prepare the other ingredients to allow it to come to room temperature before grilling.
(Approximately 30 minutes)
Chopping Vegetables
Take a skim through your list of ingredients, and chop all of your fresh ingredients, plus your toppings such as shredded cheese for the bowl. You’ll find that getting all of this out of the way first makes all of the assembly go so much quicker!
Lime-Cilantro Quinoa or Rice Base
Pour everything in a rice cooker and follow product instructions, or in a pot, heat to a boil and then add the lid and turn down to low for 15 minutes, let stand off the burner for an additional 5 minutes or until tender. Remove the lid, fluff with a fork to combine everything and serve immediately.
Chipotle Cream Sauce
To make the chipotle cream sauce, whisk together Greek yogurt, chipotle pepper, garlic and lime juice; set aside in the fridge. Or, place all ingredients in a blender and mix until creamy. If you like it really hot, add a second pepper.
Hint: Place all the rest of the chipotle peppers in a small freezer ziplock bag, flatten to get the air out, seal and freeze. Remember to label it! Next time you need a pepper, you can just break off a chunk, right from frozen.
Grilling the Steak
Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the meat on and turn down to medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes per side
Grill the corn, allow to cool slightly and cut the kernels off the cob using a sharp knife. Set this aside once it’s finished.
Do a quick roast of 1 jalapeno either on the BBQ or over the stovetop, this will be for your Creamy Avocado & Jalapeno Sauce. Literally, you can place it right on the gas burner grate, using tongs to turn as it blackens. Watch it carefully though so it doesn’t light on fire!
Once the jalapeno is darkened, chop it up, removing seeds in the center.
Creamy Avocado & Jalapeno Sauce
Put the jalapeno in your blender, along with the garlic, pumpkin seeds, anchovy (if using), sea salt, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, water and avocado. Blitz until smooth. Use citrus or hot water to thin it if you think it’s too thick
If you want to keep it for leftovers, it can keep in the fridge for up to 5 days but keep in mind that it will get darker and thicker because of the avocado.
Assembling Your Bowl
And now, it’s time! Grab a bowl and scoop some cilantro-lime quinoa into the bottom. Add your fresh chopped toppings and beans, drizzling some of the creamy sauce on top. Add your sliced grilled steak, grilled corn, pico de gallo and some more sauce!
Perfect for feeding a crowd, as everyone can add a little of what they like and leave out whatever they don’t.
Happy Cinco De Mayo!
