Steak, Spinach, and Onion Crostini with Lemon-herb Aioli

 

I must say this dish is not only delicious, but is perfect for a "cocktails and hors d'oeuvres" party. It's substantial enough to serve a a super bowl party just the same with an ice cold beer. How ever you serve them, I am sure they will be a hit. The recipe for the flank steak was meant to be as a stand alone item, but morphed into the crostini at the last minute. You can serve the flank steak with some roasted potatoes and a nice crisp salad and that would be a great meal too. My only complaint is that I had to take these pictures at night, and did not get very clear images- they looked a lot better in person.

Ingredients for the steak:

2 lbs flank steak
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp. herbs de Provence
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pepper

In a food processor, blend the garlic and onion until a paste is formed. Take a gallon size zip block bag and add the paste. To this add the lemon juice, canola oil, herbs, salt and pepper and combine well. lastly, add the flank steak to the bag and coat well. Make sure to press out the excess air from the bag, and allow the meat to marinade for at least 4 hours. If you can leave it overnight, that's even better. Turn on the grill to high and place the flank steak on it. Allow the pieces to brown a bit before turning. Save the marinating liquid. Transfer the meat to a roasting pan and pour the marinating liquid into it. Cover tightly with foil and cook the meat for 3 hours on 300 degrees. At the end of the three hours, the meat should be super tender and falling apart. While the meat is still intact, transfer to a cutting board and slice against the grain to form strips. Transfer back into the pan with the juices.


Ingredients for the Aioli:
1 cup low-fat mayo
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh parsley
2 tsp fresh tarragon
2 leaves fresh basil
1 tsp salt

Roughly chop the garlic and herbs and run in the food processor until the bits are small. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice and salt until all of the herbs are blended well.

Ingredients for the Crostini:
2 lbs flank steak (cooked according to above method)
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 large red onion
1 loaf French bread
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup lemon-herb aioli

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the bread into rounds and place on a cookie sheet. Spray each piece with a little Pam. Bake until the bread is a little bit toasty, but don't toast all the way, because we will assemble the crostini and put them back in the oven for a few minutes. Next take the bread and spread with the aioli. Place a few spinach leaves on the crostini, and add a strip or two of the flank steak. Sprinkle a little bit of mozzarella cheese on top. Repeat this until all the crostini are assembled, and put in the oven for about 5-7 minutes. While that is crisping, begin to slice your red onion in very very thin rounds then cut them into quarter strips. Remove the crostini tray from the oven, and top each piece with some sliced raw red onion.