Greek Steak and Rice

Y-U-M-M-Y!!!!  I would have cooked my steak a lot more...to be like medium well, BUT I comprised with my grill master and tried to eat it like this.  This was soooo good!!!!  Yum -- all 3 of us ate this right up!

Serves 4: Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients
Marinade & Dressing
zest from 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup olive oil

Steak and Rice
1 1/2 – 2 lb flank steak
non-stick spray or drizzle of olive oil
10-12 ounce pack grape tomatoes
6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
2 cups cooked  brown rice (or quinoa, cous cous, or white rice)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup reduced fat or fat free feta cheese

Rinse steak in cool water and pat dry with paper towels.  With a sharp knife, very lightly score the top in a diamond pattern.  Place steak in a zip-lock bag or a shallow pan.

Place all marinade ingredients, except oil, in a blender.  Blend for a few seconds and then with the blender on low, slowly drizzle in olive oil.  Set aside 1/4 cup of marinade and store in fridge.  Place remaining marinade in bag with steak and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 6 hours (longer is fine).  Rotate bag occasionally to evenly distribute marinade.

When ready to cook, remove steak and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.  You may cook steak in one of 3 ways:
1.  Broil:  Preheat broiler and place steak on a broiler pan.  Cook for about 5-8 minutes on each side, or until top is slightly browned and internal temperature reaches about 135 degrees.
2.  Outdoor grill:  Heat grill to high heat.  Lightly oil grill grates and place steak on grill.  Decrease heat to medium-high.  Sear 5-8 minutes per side or until internal temp reaches 135 degrees.
3.  Indoor grill pan:  Heat indoor grill pan to medium high heat.  Once pan is hot (water droplets should sizzle when dropped on pan) brush pan with canola/vegetable oil.  Place steak on pan and cook for 5-8 minutes.  Flip steak and cook until internal temp reaches about 135 degrees.

When steak is done cooking, place on cutting board and tent with foil.  Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

While steak is cooking, heat a small sauté pan to medium heat.  When hot, add a small drizzle of olive oil and add tomatoes.  Stir/toss often, cooking for 4-5 minutes or so, until skins are slightly blackened in spots and tomatoes start to burst.  Remove from heat and add rice, artichokes, parsley, and feta.  Add 2 tablespoons reserved marinade/dressing and toss to combine.  Slice steak thinly across the grain and serve over rice mixture.