So, it is no surprise that with two babies under 2 years old; a 16 month old and a 6 week old, my hubby and I are not getting out as much as we would like. The other day I had such a taste for Mexican food, so I made us a yummy Mexican dinner at home and it was super easy and super yummy. I even turned the left overs into “bowls” two nights later and those were amazing too! So, I thought I would share these simple recipes I made with all of you out there that may not only be busy with little ones, but kids of all ages and/or just a hectic work schedule this time of year.
I made flank steak tacos with Mexican rice and homemade guacamole. I made a super quick marinade for the flank steak with olive oil and taco seasoning. Yep, a packet of taco seasoning… how simple is that! I love using these little tricks because it tasted so flavorful and it was so tender and juicy and I didn’t have to go out and buy 20 spices that I may use once in a while. I opened my cabinet and I had a packet in there already. So, I just took the dry spice packet and put it into a bowl and I drizzled in olive oil until it made a paste. I then rubbed that on the flank steak and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours, but even 30 min to an hour would have been fine. However long you have, is fine!
I made the Mexican rice in a pot in about 30 min and made the guac while that cooked. My secret to making that true Mexican rice is using caldo de tomate. This is basically a tomato bouillon that is used in authentic Mexican rice and it really makes a difference. Just buy a small box and it will last in your cabinet for quite a while. I also used chicken stock, but if you don’t have it at home, you can use water and it will still come out amazing! So, I hope you enjoy this Mexican meal at home as much as we did.
Flank Steak Tacos
Ingredients
- 1-2 lb Flank Steak cleaned
- 1 package taco seasoning mix
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the taco seasoning with the oil until a loose paste forms. Pour that paste over the flank steak and rub into the meat on both sides.Let that marinate for at least 30 min and up to overnight. The longer it sits, the more flavorful and tender it will be.
- When you are ready to make the steak, preheat the broiler as high as it will go. Cover a sheet pan with aluminum foil and place the flank steak on a rack and place it on the sheet pan. Tip-If you pull the meat out of the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to cooking it and bring it to room temp it will cook more evenly.
- Season the steak with salt and pepper to taste, be slightly easy with the salt as the taco seasoning can be slightly salty.
- Place under the broiler and cook it to the desired temperature. Let it get nice and charred a bit on the outside.Once it has reached the temperature you are looking for; Tip- 8 min on each side for medium rare. Pull out of the broiler and let the meat rest for at least 10-15 minutes to let the juices redistribute.
- Slice the steak against the grain and serve it warm.
- Optional accompaniments-Corn and flour tortillas, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, guacamole, sour cream and fresh cilantro
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