Ska Mom's
Easy Main Courses

Totally Fabulous Flank Steak Marinade

Grilling this summer? Add this one to your repertory. It is wonderful! Play around with the quantities if you want.

• 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped (or more if you like)
• Ginger root, peeled and finely chopped (about 2-3 tablespoons, or more if you like)
• 1 teaspoon hot chili paste
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white wine (you could probably substitute 1/4 cup white vinegar or something acidic, or maybe one of those non-alcohol wines you can get at the grocery store)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (reduced-sodium is fine)
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil (or olive oil)

Combine everything.

Get a 1 1/2 to 2 pound flank steak. Put it in a glass baking dish large enough to hold it (laying flat), or use one of those zip-to-close freezer bags. (Basically you want the marinade to get to all the parts of the meat.) Pour in the marinade. Put the marinated meat in the refrigerator overnight. (The longer the better for this.)

Grill for about 8 minutes, or until it is lightly charred on the outside but still rare inside.

Carve into thin slices (cut across the grain.)

Titanic Chili

Leonardo, Kate, and I were sitting around the other night, and you know how you just start craving something warm and filling (especially after being so chilly), and so we just dove right in and whipped up this recipe. What can I say? It was a lifesaver!

(No! it's not that "Titanic" -- I simply meant that the taste was so rich and fabulous, that it towered above all other chilis.)

You can adjust all the proportions, seasonings, etc to your liking. This makes a lot,but you can just use less of everything/anything.

• 1/2 cup cooking oil (or less)
• 4 pounds beef -- cube it, chop it, render it into small pieces
• 6 tablespoons ground red chile
• 3 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 small cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 3 dried whole red chilies, crushed
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican) brewed like tea in 1/2 cup warm beer
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 cups beef broth or water
• 1 small can diced green chiles, drained
• 1 small can stewed tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon (or more) Tabasco sauce

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the meat and cook until evenly browned.

Stir in the ground chile, cumin, garlic, and onions. Add some water to barely cover.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 - 45 minutes, adding water as necessary. HINT: Hold back on some of the seasonings. You can add them at the end after the meat has cooked and you can taste it for flavor.

Stir in the crushed red chiles. Strain the oregano/beer mixture and stir the liquid into the pot. Stir in paprika, vinegar, beef broth (or more water), canned chilies, and tomatoes.

Simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes longer. Stir often.

Just before serving, taste the chili and correct the seasonings. Add the Tabasco sauce if you want that extra heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve it in nice big bowls. Maybe a dollop of sour cream and guacamole. Yum!

Fish Food

Uh, uh! Don't make that face! Fish is good for you, and this recipe is nice because it has a lot of strong, hot flavors, so it's not really strong "fish". (Or should I have called this recipe, "Reel Big Fish"?)

• Mild white fish (like sole or scrod) (allow about 4 ounces per person)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups chopped plum tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or to taste)
• 2 teaspoons seeded, minced serrano (or jalepeno) chili pepper (or to taste)
• 1/3 cup sliced ripe olives

1. Place fish in a baking dish coated with cooking spray (or put parchment in the bottom of the pan).
2. Brush with lime juice, set aside.
3. Put a little olive oil in a pan and saute the onion and garlic.
4. Stir in tomato, cilantro, and chili pepper. Cook for five minutes.
5. Stir in olives.
6. Spoon tomato and cilantro mixture over fish.
7. Cover and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Very nice with rice, especially wild rice mix.

Chicken With An Attitude

Ever notice how all the Ska Mom's recipes use one bowl that you mix everything together in? Well, this one is no exception. And it comes under the "easy" category too (i think),especially for a main dish.

You can make this chicken as spicy (or mild) as you want.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (for low-fat, or use whatever chicken parts you want (if you use larger pieces or pieces with the bone-in, it will take longer to cook.))
• 1/2 cup salsa (whatever heat level you want (this is where the "attitude" comes in!))
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1. Mix up the salsa, mustard and lime juice (this is the marinade).
2. Marinate the chicken in the mixture for at least an hour. (It looks yucky, but trust me!)
3. Scrape the marinade off the chicken. Brown the chicken in a pan with a little oil.
4. Add the marinade back into the pan.
5. Cook the chicken and marinade thoroughly.

Serve over rice or pasta. Yum!