After five non-stop, brutal months of Minnesota winter, nothing feels better than firing up the grill for the first time. It was my pleasure to be designated “grill mistress” while K hung out at the stove top in a team effort to make chef Mary Sue Milliken’s Skirt Steak Quesadillas and Quinoa Fritters with Red Pepper Mayo (click here for recipe).

Early in the day I made the marinade for the steak with toasted cumin, jalapenos, garlic, lime juice, cilantro and olive oil and let the skirt steaks bathe in it for awhile.

While I chopped green onions and parsley for the quinoa fritters, K shredded Manchego and Queso Fresco cheeses. I started assembling the quesadillas with cheese then blended some roasted red peppers mayo, garlic, sherry vinegar and a touch of olive oil for the red pepper mayo.

K toasted the quinoa then made the fritter mixture with some flour, water, Queso Fresco, green onions, parsley and egg. He heated up some canola oil and started frying the fritters while I seared the skirt steaks on the grill. When the steaks were nicely medium, I sliced them up, popped them into their tortilla and cheese blankets and put the quesadillas on the grill to get nice and melty.

The skirt steak was perfect — smoky charred, perfectly spiced, juicy and tender. It rested nicely in the oozing salty/sweet cheese, finished off by the buttery crisp of the grilled tortilla. We’ve never worked with quinoa before, but we will now! Those fritters were crunchy and nutty, fluffy inside and flavorful. Dipping them (and the quesadillas) into the red pepper mayo provided a tart complement. Best first meal on the grill of the season evAH.

Skirt Steak Quesadilla and Quinoa Fritters with Red Pepper Mayo

Alterations: We used bottled Frontera salsa instead of making “Diablo salsa,” we used Manchego, Queso Fresco and Monterey Jack cheeses.
Soundtrack: The Cars (in anticipation of seeing them live at First Ave.)
Would we make this again? Absolutely. Now added to the arsenal of easy summer staples.