Father's Day Dinner Recipes

You can only buy your dad the traditional pack of golf balls or new tie so many years in a row before he starts to get suspicious. Cook dinner for him and he'll be bragging about it for weeks to all his friends at the office! Just think back to all those times your dad used to stand outside and grill up something tasty for you. I remember when my dad grilled he would always cut me little "taste testers" to check to see if the meat was done or not, and sometimes we'd keep "checking" untill we'd eaten the entire filet off a T-Bone. Your dad will really appreciate a home-cooked meal whether you go to your parents house to cook or have your parents over to your house so they don't have to clean up. The best part about these recipes is, you don't have to be a master chef to make this meal turn out good!

The menu: Marinated steak, grilled to perfection, served with homemade, cheesy mashed potatoes and fresh grilled asparagus, seasoned with lime and ginger.

Steak
The most important thing is to pick out fresh cuts (not frozen) of steak from a quality butcher or high-end grocery store like Hy-Vee. Ribeye steaks are usually very tender and juicy, but if you can spend a little more go for T-Bones or Filet Mignon. Sirloins can be good but are sometimes a bit tough. Purchase the steak a day ahead of time and put in a shallow dish or large ziplock bag to marinate overnight with the following ingredients (these amounts would cover about 3 steaks; adjust accordingly if you are making more): Ask your dad how he likes it cooked. Here's how to tell how well done it is: Hold your thumb to your pointer finger and poke the skin at the base of your thumb. That's what medium rare feels like when you poke your steak. Thumb to middle finger is medium. Thumb to ring finger is medium well, and thumb to pinkie is... you guess it: well done. It's easy to overcook steak, and most steak connoisseurs prefer it medium rare. Just remember, you can always cut into it and see if you need to throw it back on the grill, but you can't uncook it if it's overdone.

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Several dashes of meat tenderizer
Several dashes of Cavendar's All Purpose Greek Seasoning
1 cup Greek or Italian Dressing

Mashed Potatoes
6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
dash of salt
dash of fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter

Peel and quarter the potatoes and boil them in a medium pot with the olive oil until they are tender enough that a fork can be inserted easily (Usually about 20 minutes). Drain completely and put back in pot over low heat. Immediately, add milk, butter, sour cream, and cheese. Mix with hand mixer for creamy potatoes or mash with a fork or potato masher if you don't have one. If they don't mash easily, they didn't boil long enough!! Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Grilled Asparagus
1 package fresh asparagus
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Juice from one lime

Wash asparagus in water and cut off the bottom inch of each stalk. Let the asparagus marinate with all ingredients in a large ziplock bag or shallow container for about a half-hour to hour before cooking. Using a large frying pan or wok at medium high heat, cover marinated asparagus until tender, uncovering to stir every 2-3 minutes.