Homemade Spicy Giardiniera

I don't know about you, but my summertime recipes are all about keeping it simple and light.  This usually involves grilling in one way or the other - and trust me, I take full advantage of the 5 months of the year that it's actually enjoyable to grill outside in Cleveland.  The only problem with grilling a few nights of the week is that your burgers, chicken and brats can be a little on the mundane side if you're preparing them the same way every time.  BUT, I can save you with a little topping called Giardiniera, a bold, spicy, olive-oil-and-vinegar based mixture of bell peppers, hot peppers, onions, cauliflower, carrots, garlic and herbs.  It will knock any hot dog, brat or burger that you make out of the park!

Sweet and Smoky Dry-Rubbed Steak

There's nothing I love more than a big piece of steak.  I'm assuming the feeling is mutual on this one?  Sure I drink smoothies for breakfast and eat girly salads for lunch, but I'm a total carnivore at heart!  So when Howie said that he wanted to stay in and cook strip steaks with homemade sweet potato fries and salad for his 25th birthday instead of going out to eat, I was a happy camper.  While I was whipping up the sweet potato fries, he made an awesome sweet and smoky dry rub that infused a ton of flavor into the steak!  It only took a few minutes to prep, but the flavor combination was so complex that each bite was a little sweet, a little salty and a little spicy - all at the same time!  Not to mention it was extra extra juicy from the caramelization of the brown sugar on the outer edges.  Seriously though, do you see the "final product" picture?  We didn't even use a grill and it came out this good!  Heaven on earth.