Mango & Cucumber Salad

This is a salad inspired by a recipe in Bon Appetit featuring a restaurant in Oakland CA called Miss Ollie’s specializing in island food. The recipe required 1 scotch bonnet chile or a habanero chile thinly sliced and chopped cilantro, both of which I forgot to get so used parsley and watercress instead. The main ingredient being a firmly ripe mango not mushy and an English hothouse cucumber (one of those long seedless ones) and, surprisingly no oil. I think the chile would have been too overpowering for me, the salad is really refreshing. Our mint and chives are coming up in the garden, so I added those as well and a couple of grapes cut in half.


Ingredients

1 large shallot
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice ( I used lemon juice as no limes in fridge)
1 teasp. kosher salt
2 ripe but firm mangoes (I only had one but would use 2 next time)
1 long seedless cucumber
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or parsley)
Freshly ground pepper
Watercress (optional)
Mint Leaves
Chives

Directions

In a bowl put 1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings, 2 cloves garlic finely chopped, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (or lemon juice), 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, and mix together.
Peel 2 mangoes and cut into 1 inch chunks, peel the cucumber and slice crosswise, add to the bowl and toss. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes and just before serving add chopped cilantro, (or parsley) and some watercress.
Really you can add a few leaves of anything, I added a few baby spinach leaves I had in the fridge, some mint leaves and chopped chives. Threw in 6 grapes cup in half!
Season with pepper and toss well.

Steak Not on the Grill Cooked inside

I'm not very good with the barbecue and have tended to let David build the fire (he prefers charcoal grills) and watch over the grilling. So when it's raining, or freezing cold, this way to cook steak inside is delicious.

Ingredients

Steak (ribeye)
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Olive Oil
Cast Iron Pan

Directions

Remove Steak from fridge and rub with sea salt, black pepper and garlic salt. Allow steak to sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat the cast iron frying pan over high heat, when hot add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Place the steaks in very carefully, the pan is hot and it can spit back. Cook over high heat for 3 1/2 minutes then flip the steak and sear for another 2 minutes.
Place the pan and steak in the hot oven for 2 - 3 minutes..
Remove from oven and place steak on a platter.
Let it rest for 15 minutes.