Flank Steak Never Gets Old. But Tennis Does.

Yesterday, I participated in what can only be described as an epic doubles tennis match. It was totally intense. Why was it intense? Because 3 out of the 4 players are really terrible at tennis, while simultaneously being really good at thinking they are awesome at tennis. I tried and tried to teach the other 3 some of my professional-grade skills and to encourage confidence that there is hope for them to improve, but they were a lost cause. I'm going to have to find some new friends who can keep up with me on the court and can match my mad skills.

Just kidding, we all know I was one of the 3 terrible players. And we all know that I was the worst. By far. I fear that tennis is going to be much like golf (see the post from February about my experience with THAT sport), wherein my lack of skill and coordination is crippling and that even with a lot of practice, I'll probably still be hopeless. So when my husband suggested we play tennis with his brother and his girlfriend Lauren, I gently reminded him of my shortcomings and he was like, "its totally fine, I'm sure we're all going to suck". I wonder if he realized that by marrying me, he's stuck with me as a partner for pretty much everything. For life.

So off to the courts we went, full of hope for a productive and competitive workout. Not surprisingly, it didn't go well. In an hour, I think our record for a volley (is that what you call it? Or maybe its a "rally". Whatever) was about 6. Most of us had debilitating backhands and absolutely no self control in regards to how HARD we hit the ball, resulting in 90% of the balls sailing out of bounds, over the fence, onto the other courts, and once dangerously close to a jogger 50 yards away. It was like a bunch of blind, drunk clowns out there with tennis rackets. Big Bird and a bunch of other Muppets could have done better. They WOULD have done better, given the chance.

After showing off our tennis skills to a park full of people, we headed home for dinner. Grilled chicken and veggie kebabs, grilled asparagus, and buffalo mac and cheese were served (along with some much-needed booze), but I forgot to take pictures (because my DSLR camera wouldn't fit in my tennis racket bag!!). So I'm going to blog about something completely unrelated, which is flank steak and lemon/salt/vinegar roasted potatoes. If you don't like the random nature of this post, you can file a complaint with either Mother Nature or Big Bird. I hear they are both open to feedback.

Roasted Lemon, Salt and Vinegar Potatoes
Source: Adapted from Eating Well

1 pound baby red potatoes, halved
3 tablespoons thyme leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon rind, grated
3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
few splashes white wine vinegar
juice of 2 lemons

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

On a baking sheet, toss potatoes with thyme, lemon rind, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 40 minutes or until brown and fork tender.

Remove from oven and toss with lemon and vinegar. Serve immediately.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Marinated Flank Steak
Source: Adapted from Rachael Ray

1-2 pound flank steak
1 bottle balsamic vinaigrette
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons grill seasoning
3 sprigs rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients in a large freezer bag. Seal and refrigerate overnight.

Heat grill to medium high, and grill steak, about 4 minutes each side.

Slice thinly against the grain.