Grilled Skirt Steak and Shishito Pepper Tacos

Mexican food is my weakness. So I am always looking for healthy ways to fulfill my cravings when it comes to tacos, chips and salsa. On a beautiful summer night when shishito peppers were in season, my husband and I went searching for some ideas. This recipe is based loosely on this Eating Well Fajita recipe. I just loved the idea of grilling whole scallions, I had never tried it before, and it totally makes the dish. I also loved the method of keeping the peppers warm. Our key is using the grill to warm the tortillas. The flavor and texture is what makes this special. Also make sure to take note of using the griddle or foil is doing shishitos.  Side note, I know shishitos aren't always easy to find so I included the instructions for doing other peppers as well. We have used a combo of poblano and Anaheim peppers to fill in for the shishitos. We have also used flank steak, because finding skirt steak around here requires a special trip to the butcher instead of the regular grocery store. HOWEVER, skirt steak is the way to go if you can find it. This may look like a lot of steps. But it's really not complicated and it's healthy. 

Grilled Skirt Steak and Shishisto Pepper Tacos

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak trimmed
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ancho chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (plus more if using griddle on the grill) 
• 2 bunches scallions
• EITHER 1 pint Shishito peppers, OR if not in season 3 poblano peppers (I have also used Anahiem if I can't find Poblano) 
• 1 avocado
• 2 fresh limes
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
• 1 small tomato
• 1/4 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) 
• hot sauce for serving (I like Cholula)
•  1/4 cup crumbled Queso fresco
• 12 corn tortillas (taco sized) 

1. Heat charcoal or gas grill to high. (I always prefer charcoal). If doing shishito peppers, make sure to have either a cast iron insert on your grill or create a foil tray, so they don't fall through (this is our go to tool for our Weber, the griddle).
2. Dice avocado and tomatoes.  Combine avocado, tomato, the juice of one lime, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and pepitas in a bowl. Set aside. 
3. Combine ancho chile powder, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in a bowl. Rub both sides of the steak with the the spice mixture. 
4. Brush scallions and whatever peppers you use with the olive oil. 
5. If you are using the griddle insert on the grill, oil it with about a 2 teaspoons of olive oil right before throwing the peppers on. Grill the peppers for 8-10 minutes until the skin is charred and blistering. If doing shishitos you will have to turn often. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to trap the heat until everything else is finished. 
6. Put steak and scallions on the grill. Grill the scallions for 2-4 minutes until charred, you'll have to turn them frequently. Grill the steak for about 3 minutes per side for medium rare. 
7. When you remove the steak, tent it with foil while you prepare the onions and peppers. 
8. Before you cool the grill off, throw your corn tortillas on for about 30-45 seconds a side to warm and SLIGHTLY char them. This is critical to a good corn tortilla that won't fall apart. 
9. Cut the ends off the scallions, and then slice them into one inch pieces and transfer to a serving dish. Remove peppers from bowl. If using shishito peppers, remove the stems and you are done. If using anahiem or poblano, remove as much of the charred skin as you can with a quick brush of a paper towel. Remove stems, cut open and remove seeds. Then cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Transfer to the same dish as the onions.
10. Squeeze juice of second lime over the peppers and onions. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. 
11. Slice your steak against the grain very thinly into small pieces. 
12. To assemble tacos top a corn tortilla with some steak, the avocado mixture, some peppers and onions, hot sauce and a tiny bit of queso fresco. Three tacos make a serving. 

**Makes 4 servings

**3 on Bryce's dish scale. A few bowls, a few cutting boards and the hand wash only grill insert complicate this one. 

Southwest Grilled Romaine Salad with Chicken and Salsa Dressing

Be prepared for a lot of summer recipes coming your way. I have gotten way behind and want to get these up before all the good produce is gone! This one is a perfect way to use fresh corn. Such a unique spin on a typical salad and grilling the lettuce just packs in so much flavor. I went searching for a grilled romaine salad because one of my favorite restaurants in college had one. And this one from Skinny taste looked AMAZING and super easy. It's super healthy. I just adapted slightly to make it more for our taste but LOVED the original concept from Skinnytaste. That website is a great resource for healthy recipes. I loved the idea of using chicken thighs because they grill up so much faster than other cuts.We also included the red onion in the original recipe but I wouldn't do that again. It wasn't necessary.  

 

 

Southwest Grilled Romaine Salad with Chicken and Salsa Dressing

 

• 1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs (about a pound) Trim them of fat
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 ears corn on the cobb- husks removed
• 2 romaine hearts
• olive oil spray
• 1 small avocado sliced
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• another pinch of sea salt to finish the salad with

Dressing

• 1 cup fresh refrigerated salsa (I use PEAKFECTION or something like it) We like things spicy so we used the medium heat level.
• Juice of one fresh lime
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Combine dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. Combine oregano, cumin, and sea salt in a bowl. Season chicken evenly with the mixture.
3. Halve each romaine leave vertically, then spray cut side with olive oil spray. Also spray corn cobbs with olive oil.
4. Put chicken and corn on medium high heat grill. Cook for about 5 minutes each side. Until chicken is cooked through and corn is tender and just starting to char on the outside.
5. Remove that from heat and throw the romaine on the grill. Grill it for 1-2 minutes until it just starts to char.
6. Slice chicken into thin strips, and cut corn off the cobb.
7. Top one half of romaine with about one chicken thigh, maybe a little more. Then top with corn, cherry tomatoes, avocado and salsa dressing. Finish it all off with a sprinkle of sea salt.

**Makes 4 servings

**Super easy on the Bryce dish scale. A platter, a bowl a cutting board, a knife and a dressing container!