Flank steak with creamy two-cheese potatoes au gratin

I usually talk a lot about what my kids like and what their favorites are, but this meal is one of my personal favorites. When I can't think of anything new and exciting to make I go back to this delicious and simple meal. I have mentioned it before, that flank steak is one of my favorite meats. It is always juicy and tender and flavorful even with only a sprinkling of salt and pepper. I love to broil it which gives me perfect results every time. About 8 minutes on each side is all it takes to reach medium rare for a 1 1/2 pound steak.

Sometimes I serve it with  mashed potatoes, but even better yet is serving it with Potatoes au -gratin. It took me a long time to find a no-fail recipe for this dish. And the key is to boil the potatoes slightly before baking them. If you don't do this you may end up with uncooked potatoes even after a good hour of baking (yes this has happened to me!). As a vegetable side dish I wanted to try Broccolini which I have seen in a lot of recipes lately (see note). It is very similar to regular broccoli, so it was a very safe choice, and one that did not disappoint. I just love this vegetable! It is so cute and delicious and easy to prepare. It is more mellow in taste than broccoli. I can't believe I haven't used it before! So, there you have it! A wonderful meal together, but all versatile enough to serve in a variety of different ways. I will just give a brief how-to on the flank steak (it is so simple!)  but give you the full recipes and directions for making the  au-gratin potatoes and the roasted broccolini (recipe to come).

Broiled Flank steak
Position oven rack at the highest level, closest to the flame.
Put the flank steak out at room temperature a half an hour or so before cooking it. Season with salt and pepper, or any spice combination you prefer (I sprinkled some oregano on mine!)

Cover broiler pan with aluminum foil to catch drippings. This ensures no clean up! Place meat on broiler pan, coated with cooking spray and place this on top of the broiler pan. Turn broiler to high and place broiler pan with meat in the center of the rack. Broil 8 minutes. Turn steak over and broil for another 7-8 minutes for medium rare. Broil a few minutes more if you want a more well done steak. Remove flank steak from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice very thin strips across the grain.

Creamy Two-cheese Potatoes Gratin

Potatoes:

2 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1/4-thick slices.

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/4 cup cheese sauce (see below)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

cooking spray

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Dash of paprika

Cheese sauce: 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups low-fat milk

1 1/4 cups shredded cheese (choose your favorite!). I used Swiss.

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the potato slices and garlic cloves in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook 8 minutes or just until tender. Drain.

Combine the cheddar cheese sauce as follows:

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a medium saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Place over medium heat, cook until thick (about 8 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange half of the cooked potatoes and garlic in a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour half of the sauce mixture over potatoes. Repeat the procedure with remaining potatoes and garlic and remaining sauce mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, March 1999