Greek Meatball Sandwich

People always ask me where I get my inspiration for cooking.  A big one for me is a disappointing meal out.  When I see something on the menu that looks like it should be good but winds up being a letdown, I immediately feel compelled to make it at home.  After an underwhelming Greek-inspired meatball sandwich at lunch the other day, I had to set the record straight by making my own version.  The meatballs were made with ground lamb, dried oregano, ground cumin, cinnamon, chopped fresh mint, chopped garlic, crumbled feta cheese, an egg, breadcrumbs soaked in milk and S&P.  I broiled them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes and paired them with a homemade tzatziki sauce made with Greek yogurt, grated cucumber and lemon zest.  For the bread, I went with a whole wheat flatbread from Trader Joe's, toasted on a grill pan.  I topped it with some sliced onion (tip: soak them in ice water and lemon juice to take the edge off) and yellow grape tomatoes.  The meatballs had classic Mediterranean flavors, and the tzatziki was a cool and zesty counterpart.  If my lunch the other day was a 6, this dish was about a 9.   

Skirt Steak with Corn and Anaheim Chili Salsa

The hot weather has kept me out of the kitchen of late, but I decided to fire up the stove for this Mexican-inspired dish.  I rubbed the skirt steak with canola oil, paprika and cumin and seared it in a cast-iron pan, then let it rest and sliced it against the grain to ensure tenderness.  For the salsa, I roasted two Anaheim chiles under the broiler and then peeled and chopped them.  I also broiled some fresh corn on the cob and gave it a little extra color by turning it directly over the burner for a few seconds, then sliced off the kernels into a bowl. I assembled the salsa by combining the chiles and corn with diced onion, lime juice and S&P.  The Anaheim chiles were a bit hotter than I expected, but the heat was offset by the lime juice.  The steak was a tad overdone for my taste; it was probably fine when I took it off the heat to rest, but the carryover took it past medium rare.  Overall though, I was pleased with the flavors and the presentation.