Recipes: Making Your Memorial Day Grilling Memorable

Memorial Day weekend is upon us and that means the kickoff to barbecuing season. Whether you are staying home, heading over to the neighbors for a cookout or going to the Cape, these recipes will create a meal that is simple, tasty and easily transported.

The couscous salad and grilled steak taste as good cold or at room temperature as they do hot, so don’t feel like you have to miss time with your friends and family to prepare them.

Lemon/Garlic/Mustard Dressing and Marinade

This recipe serves as both the marinade for the flank steak and a dressing for the couscous. Make sure to discard the liquid you use to marinate the steak in as it will have had raw meat in it.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3  cup fresh lemon juice (juice of 1-2 lemons)
• 6 large cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Directions:

1. Thoroughly mix all ingredients, either by hand or in blender.
2. Divide marinade, placing 2/3 cup in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish for marinating steak and reserving 1/3 cup for dressing the couscous.

Grilled Lemon/Garlic/Mustard Flank Steak

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup Lemon/Garlic/Mustard Marinade (see above)
• 1 2-pound flank steak, trimmed of fat
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Season steak on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Place steak and marinade in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish and seal or cover with plastic wrap.
3. Marinate at room temperature for two hours or in refrigerator for at least six hours, turning occasionally.
4. Prepare grill for medium-high heat (or preheat broiler), and grill or broil steak until cooked to desired doneness, about six minutes per side for medium rare.
5. Remove steak from grill or broiler and let rest for 15 minutes.
6. Slice steak against the grain/crosswise and serve hot or allow to cool completely and store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to three days.

Vegetable Couscous with Lemon/Garlic/Mustard Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pearl or Israeli couscous (I prefer whole wheat)
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth or water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½  teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 medium-sized zucchini, sliced lengthwise into half-inch thick slices (you will only use the inner “slabs;” save the rounded edges for another use)
• 1 medium-sized red bell pepper, cored, seeded and halved
• 1 large red onion, peeled and thickly sliced to produce about four slices (you will only use two slices; save the others for sandwiches, etc.)
• 1/3 cup Lemon/Garlic/Mustard Dressing

Directions:

1. Prepare grill for medium-high heat or preheat broiler.
2. On your stovetop, bring broth or water to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan.
3. Add couscous and simmer for 8 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure couscous isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pot. All the liquid should be absorbed in the couscous when it is done.
4. Mix olive oil, salt and pepper and brush on both sides of cut vegetables.
5. Grill or broil vegetables for 3-4 minutes, then flip them over and grill on other side for 3-4 minutes until they have grill or char marks on them.
6. Remove vegetables from heat and allow to cool slightly.
7. Remove couscous from heat. If serving cold, uncover and allow to cool completely before adding vegetables and dressing.
8. Dice vegetables into quarter-inch pieces. If serving cold, allow to cool completely before proceeding.
9. In a large bowl, mix couscous, vegetables and lemon-garlic dressing, adding additional salt and pepper to taste.

Serve to the side of or topped with grilled steak.