Takin' it easy with a beef satay...

Even though we were in the middle of a snow storm today, we did get Jeff's mom safely to the airport and on the plane. We were even given special permission to "escort" her to the gate - that was nice of them and hopefully made her feel a little better. While he loved romping around in it for a few months, I think Max has finally had enough and would love some warm sun to bathe in!

We're a little tired after the busy weekend, so I kept dinner somewhat low-key and not too fussy tonight and decided to make this snazzy Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce and Citrus Broccoli. This dish was on the table in a little less than 30 minutes - just what I needed!

We tossed thinly sliced flank steak with a glug of canola oil and a bit of ground coriander. One note about that coriander though... I find the pre-ground version a little lacking - if you can, grab some coriander seeds and lightly toast them in a dry skillet. Throw the toasted seeds into a coffee or spice grinder and use that instead for a more intense flavor. The seasoned beef is then threaded onto skewers - I used wooden and if you do the same, be sure to either soak them or cover any exposed areas with some foil to prevent them from scorching. The assembled skewers are briefly placed under the broiler to cook - be sure to not step away while doing this as you don't want to let these go too far; about 3 to 5 minutes should be sufficient.

We used broccoli florets for the veggie part of this dish - if you have a whole head on hand instead, go ahead and use the stalks too. Just peel them down a bit and thinly slice them so they cook evenly. After the broccoli was steamed until bright green and crisp-tender, we sprinkled on some fresh lime juice and seasoned with salt and fresh ground black pepper. To add some oomph to the tender beef and broccoli, a dipping sauce is served that is a combination of chunky natural peanut butter, a bit of water to thin, brown sugar, soy sauce and fresh lime juice. The generous dipping sauce is slightly sweet and combined with the saltiness from the soy and bright note the fresh lime was an excellent compliment and was a useful interface to tie the other flavors together.

Recipes
Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce and Citrus Broccoli