Steak-tastic

I'm proud to tell you that my meal plan has actually been working. Hubby and I have tried some great recipes and I can't wait to get into all of our fabulous fall Crock pot recipes we have on file. A few recipes we've made so far Pioneer Woman's Spaghetti and Meatballs, Sweet herb salmon and asparagus, Calzones, Caribbean Kielbasa stir fry, Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken from the Tasty Kitchen Blog...BBQ Chicken pizza...Mmmm. The other night I tried out one of my sister in laws recipes: Steak with Peanut sauce and broccoli. This meal was full of firsts for me. First time I used a meat thermometer, first time I marinated steak, first time I broiled steak...I am happy to report that everything turned out better than expected minus the fact that I ended up breaking the smoke detector out of pure frustration. I promise nothing was burnt, but the smoke detector for some reason enjoyed seeing me get upset and run from the oven to it and back fifty billion times (until I got smart and broke it OOPS).

On to the ingredients you will need...
-1 1/2 lbs. Flank Steak
-1/2 C. Smooth Peanut butter
-1/4 C. plus 1 Tbsp. Soy sauce
-1/4 C. plus 1 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
-2 Garlic cloves
-1 Tbs. Ginger paste
- 1/4 Tbsp. Red pepper flakes
-2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
-4 Scallions
-1 Tbsp. Brown sugar
-1-2 heads of Broccoli
-Salt/Pepper

For this recipe to have all the amazing flavor you marinate the flank steak from breakfast until dinner time. Here are the ingredients for the Peanut sauce, which has an amazing oriental flavor (Thank you ginger!)
Combine the...
-Garlic, ginger, peanut butter 1/4 c. rice vinegar, b1/4 c. soy sauce, brown sugar, red pepper flakes and 2 Tbsp. water.

-Blend until smooth and then take out 1/2 cup of sauce to save for later

-Put the thawed out steak into a large Ziploc and add all the sauce except for the 1/2 cup to use for later. Make sure that steak is covered and bag is sealed. Refrigerate for several hours.

When you are ready to cook the meat use a broiling pan and let it cook for 8-12 minutes or until it reaches 145 degrees (medium rare).  I don't know why, but I felt really cool using my meat thermometer. Make sure to flip the meat once before it is finished.

While the meat is cooking you can prepare the broccoli, which is the best broccoli I've ever had!
-Cut florets of broccoli
-Thinly slice the scallions keeping the white sections and green sections separate

-In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat then add the broccoli, scallion WHITES and 1/4 C. water.
-Season with salt and pepper
-Cover and cook until broccoli is tender (8-10 minutes)

-Uncover add remaining Tbsp. of rice vinegar and soy sauce. Cook, tossing until liquid is evaporated (1-2 minutes)
-Mix in scallion GREENS
-Thinly slice steak across grain and serve with broccoli and remaining peanut sauce.

**Alternatively you can grill the steak over medium-high heat 8-12 minutes**
Please, please let me know if you try out this recipe. You will thank me if you do!
Oh my gosh so yummy.