Meal No Dad Could Resist, and on a Shoestring!

(CBS)  Mikey Price's love of fresh ingredients started early - he was raised in a small town on the Chesapeake Bay, helping on his family's farm and cooking at a local crab house on weekends during high school.

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he worked at acclaimed restaurants up and down the East Coast, eventually teaming with a friend to open the Market Table restaurant in Manhattan's Greenwich Village - still one of the city's hottest. Mikey heads the kitchen there as executive chef.

He not only accepted "The Early Show on Saturday Morning"'s "Chef on a Shoestring" challenge of making a special three-course Father's Day meal for four on our paltry budget of $40 - he brought his two kids along.

Mikey was also automatically entered in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition, in which the "Shoestring" chef with the lowest ingredients cost gets invited back to whip up our year-end holiday feast!

MENU

Classic Gazpacho
Lime, Honey and Chili-Marinated Flank Steak with Corn Salad
Lemon Pound Cake with Fruit and Ice Cream

FOOD FACTS

Gazpacho: A refreshingly cold, summertime soup hailing from the Andalusia region in southern Spain. This uncooked soup is usually made from a pureed mixture of fresh tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, onions, celery, cucumber, bread crumbs, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and sometimes lemon juice. Gazpacho can be a meal in itself, particularly when extra fresh vegetables such as sliced celery, green onion, cucumber and green pepper are added. Popular garnishes include croutons and diced hard-cooked eggs. (Source: Epicurious.com)

Cilantro: The bright green leaves and stems of the CORIANDER plant. Cilantro (also called Chinese parsley and coriander ) has a lively, pungent fragrance that some describe as "soapy." It is widely used in Asian, Caribbean and Latin American cooking and its distinctive flavor lends itself to highly spiced foods. Cilantro can be found year-round in most supermarkets and is generally sold in bunches. Choose leaves with a bright, even color and no sign of wilting. Cilantro may be stored for up to 1 week in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Or place the bunch, stems down, in a glass of water and cover with a plastic bag, securing the bag to the glass with a rubber band. Refrigerate, changing water every 2 or 3 days. Just before using cilantro, wash and pat dry with paper towels. Both the leaves and relatively tender stems can be used in fresh or cooked dishes. (Source: Epicurious.com)

Flank Steak: Long, thin and fibrous, this boneless cut of beef comes from the animal's lower hindquarters. It's usually tenderized by marinating, then broiled or grilled whole. In the case of London broil , the flank steak is cut and cooked in large pieces, then thinly sliced across the grain. (Source: Epicurious.com)

Pound Cake: Originally this fine-textured loaf cake was made with one pound each of flour, butter, sugar and eggs, plus a flavoring like vanilla or lemon. A myriad of variations have evolved throughout the years, with additions such as leavening (baking powder or baking soda) and flavorings such as coconut, nuts, raisins and dried fruit. With reduced cholesterol and calories in mind, there are now pound cakes made with vegetable oil, as well as nonfat versions. (Source: Epicurious.com)

Julienne: Foods that have been cut into thin, matchstick strips. The food (such as a potato) is first cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices. The slices are stacked, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips. The strips may then be cut into whatever length is desired. If the object is round, cut a thin slice from the bottom so it will sit firmly and not roll on the work surface. Julienne is most often used as a garnish. (Source: Epicurious.com)

RECIPES

Classic Gazpacho with Crispy Tortillas

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (cored and chopped)
1 cup chopped cucumber (peeled and seeded)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 chopped bell pepper
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeño (seeded and chopped)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup V-8
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoon lime juice
Salt to taste
1 cup fried tortilla strips or tortilla chips crumbled

METHOD:

Combine all ingredients (except for lime juice and extra virgin olive oil) in a large mixing bowl. Ladle mixture into a kitchen blender until about 2/3 full. Purée until smooth about 2-3 minutes.

Pour the puréed soup into a medium sieve over another large mixing bowl. Repeat process until all vegetables are puréed.

Push the soup through the sieve using the back of a ladle. Discard the remnants in the sieve. Using a whisk, whip in olive oil and lime juice. Adjust seasoning and consistency with salt and V-8. Garnish with fried tortillas and chopped vegetables if desired.


Marinated Grilled Flank Steak

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 flank steak (trimmed)
1-1/2 tbsp honey
1-1/2 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

METHOD:

Combine honey, lime juice, chili flakes, soy sauce and cilantro in a small mixing bowl and mix well. Place flank steak in a gallon size zip-lock bag with marinade. Squish around a little bit to thoroughly coat the flank steak. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Remove from zip-lock bag and season with salt and pepper.

Grill over medium-high heat to desired doneness (medium-rare to medium). It should take about 6-7 minutes on each side.

Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. It is very important to slice this meat before serving. Slice against the grain (long strands in the meat) about a 1/4 inch thick.


For more recipes, go to Page 2.

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[thesevenveils]

Mikey Price hit a home run! A wonderful menu. Gazpacho and corn salad screams SUMMER! If we can find some decent ripe tomatoes, Gazpacho will be on my Sunday's menu.

[Sualfitz]

Chris - please remember that you should never use anything that has touched raw meat on anything else. You used the meat tongs on the salad. Hopefully, no one gets sick.