Grilled Steak with Peach, Lime and Chili Marinade

Days spent on the water are magical! When we found out that old family friends were coming to visit for a few days, we knew that a tour of the Thousand Islands would be the perfect entertainment for all ages. We quickly organized an afternoon cruise on an antique wooden boat, “The Zipper”. Our host was  our good friend, Michael Corrigan, the Watercraft Conservator at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, NewYork.

 

 With this is the works, we knew that our meal planning had to be focussed on advance planning and quick grilling when we got back from the tour.

What to prepare?? What can be simpler than steak, peaches and corn on the cob  (20 minutes on MEDIUM)?  With a basket of peaches on the counter, calling out to be used, we came up with a peach-based marinade for the steak. If you have never tried grilled peaches, here is your chance. Grilling brings out their summery, sweet flavour, which is a terrific compliment to beef.

   The night before the cruise, we took out our blender and whirred together the ingredients for the marinade and poured it over the steaks in a resealable plastic bag.  We then placed them in the refrigerator and they were ready for grilling the next day.

Next, we decided to cook up some quinoa and assemble the dressing for a quinoa salad. Again, we placed the ingredients for the dressing in the blender, but did not process them- we would do that the next day just before assembling the salad, so that everything would be fresh. I knew that we could pick some blueberries on the way home from the cruise- they would be fantastic in the quinoa salad!

All we had to do when we returned was, assemble the salad, soak the corn and peel the rest of the peaches for grilling- no seasoning required-grilled peaches  are perfect on their own- just be sure that the barbeque grids are well oiled!

 

Grilled Steak with Peach, Lime and Chili Marinade

1 ½ lb sirloin steak

Marinade:

2 peaches, peeled

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tbsp fresh coriander

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

8 peaches, peeled and halved

Combine the marinade ingredients in a blender and process until finely chopped, about 20 seconds. Transfer to a large resealable plastic bag, add steak and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.

Preheat the barbecue on HIGH, and brush the grids with oil to prevent sticking. Place the steak and peaches on the hot grids, and reduce heat to MEDIUM.  Grill as directed by our Perfect Steak Grill Guide . Allow steak to rest 3-5 minutes before serving. The peaches will grill up nicely in about 4-5 minutes along side the steaks. Turn once during grilling.

Quinoa Salad with Blueberries and Sun-dried Tomato Dressing

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

¼ tsp salt

1 cup wild blueberries

1/2 cup almonds, chopped and toasted

2 green onions, chopped

Dressing:

2/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil

2 tbsp each fresh basil and oregano

½ tsp salt

¼  tsp freshly ground black pepper

To prepare quinoa, place water, salt and quinoa in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork. Meanwhile, to prepare dressing, process lime juice, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and oregano, salt & pepper in a blender until finely chopped, about 15 seconds. With blender running, slowly add olive oil and continue to process until dressing is smooth, around 15 seconds.

Combine cooked quinoa and dressing in a large salad bowl. Add blueberries and nuts and toss carefully. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Cruising with the Watercraft Conservator

Visitors from Norway!

3 generations enjoying the water!