Grilled Flank Steak and Tomato-Bread Salad

Although the rain today is definitley regular spring weather, this past week in Toronto has felt more like summer. The other night I made this meal and it was perfect for a HOT spring/summer night

A perfect summer recipe is one that can be made quickly with as little time in the hot kitchen as possible. The marinade for the steak is super simple and I did it quickly before bed the night before so when I got home from work all I had to do was hand Jordan the steak to grill up on the BBQ and then whip up the salad.

I make this salad all the time but this time I decided to add some capers. I found these capers that were marinated in balsamic vinegar instead of regular white vinegar and I thought they would be a nice briny addition to the salad but you can use regular capers or leave them out all together if you wish. Also, I made my croutons from scratch but if you wanted to use store bought that would be great as well.

Marinated and Grilled Flank Steak
Serves 4 or 2 with leftovers for lunch

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 flank steak, about 1-2 lbs

1.  In a large casserole dish whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and garlic.
2. Place the flank steak in the marinade, spooning some of the marinade on the top of the steak. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
3. In the morning, flip the steak, recover with plastic wrap and place back in the fridge.
4. Right before grilling, remove the steak from the fridge to take the chill off before grilling.
5. Heat your BBQ to high and grill the steak until cooked to a medium-rare, about 4-6 minutes/side.
6. Remove the steak from the grill, place on a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing. 
7. Serve with the tomato-bread salad. 

 Tomato-Bread Salad
Serves 2-4

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 demi baguette (small baguette), cut into one inch cubes
• 2 pints of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 Tbsp. of capers in balsamic vinegar, with the brine
• a small handful of basil, torn into small pieces
• a couple of handfuls of arugula
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place the baguette cubes into a mixing bowl.
3. In a small saucepan add the olive oil and garlic and place over medium high heat. Heat the oil until the garlic is just starting turn golden and fragrant then remove from the heat.
4. Pour half of the garlic oil over the baguette cubes and toss to combine. Season with some salt and pepper then pour onto a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until golden and crispy, about 10 minutes.
5. Remove the croutons from the oven and allow to cool, about 5 minutes.
6. In a large mixing bowl combine the cherry tomatoes, capers, basil and bread cubes with the remaining garlic oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
7. Place the arugula on a platter and pour the tomato mixture on top.
8. Serve with the sliced steak on the side and enjoy!