Oh, how I love to play around on the grill in the summertime!

You just WANT to be outside and fill the air with the smell of something delicious grilling.

Here’s a wonderful recipe to perfect this summer. It’s so refreshing with lime juice and cilantro – Grilled KC Strip with Black Bean Sauce. Delicious!

Grilled Strip with Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients:
4 (8oz.) Kansas City Strips
1 cup black beans, canned or cooked
1 jalapeno, minced (optional)
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. onion, minced
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin, ground
1/4 cup water or stock
salt and pepper

Directions: In a small sauce pan, sweat the onion and jalapeno if using. Add the garlic and cook another twenty seconds. Add beans, cumin and half of the lime juice and stir. Add the water and blend with an immersion blender or in a blender until smooth. Season to taste and keep warm.Grill your Kansas City Strips steak until medium, about four minutes per side. Remove from heat and let rest for five minutes. Slice the steak on a diagonal and season the slices with the lime juice and salt and pepper. Plate on top of the sauce. This is a great sauce since it has absolutely no fat. You can add some butter in the blender to make it a little creamier but if not it is a great, healthy accompaniment.

Try it out this summer!

It’s almost fair time across the country. And fairs are fantastic places to sample some, er, interesting treats.

Like this donut cheeseburger (above). It’s a contest to come up with the most outrageous food combinations. Some are winners. Some are not.

Fried foods are a HUGE deal at the fair.

Fried Twinkies, fried pineapple, fried burgers, fried milkshakes. You name it.

It’s a gastronomical taste explosion! And so fun!

So tell me, will YOU be going to the fair this year? What’s your favorite fair fare?

This summer is blockbuster movie time! There are some great flicks coming out this summer. And here’s a few movie inspired menus to help you enjoy the experience even more!

HERCULES

The man. The myth. The legend. With all those muscles you just KNOW he feasted on lots of steak! I’m thinking the boneless ribeye above would do the trick.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

These hairy guys like to eat. So I’d make ’em some flat iron steaks with herbed butter with the grilled bananas recipe below for dessert. They like bananas, right? Delicious!

22 JUMP STREET

These fictional guys are in college now and, well, college guys love burgers! Try the Hawaiian Steak Burgers recipe below to get you in the mood!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.