Father's Day is a day to spoil dad and let him know how special he is. Hand him the Sunday newspaper, a cold drink and inform him that you will be grilling today. This menu is SO easy. Plan some yard games and family fun for afterwards and the day will be complete! There is no need to spend a fortune at a restaurant. Even a first time griller can make this menu with ease. Add corn on the cob or a fresh salad if you wish. Bake the cake the night before and frost before serving.

Appetizer-Snack:

Black Bean Salsa

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup cooked black beans (canned is fine-drained and rinsed)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed, finely minced
Dash hot pepper sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium size bowl, combine the tomato, black beans, cilantro, vinegar, jalapeno, hot pepper sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Note: leave in the seeds and stem of the pepper if you want to make it hotter or add more pepper sauce!

Mexican Grilled Steak

20 ounce top sirloin steak
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. dried leaf oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tsp. cider vinegar
2 orange slices, 1/2 inch thick

Place steak in a shallow glass baking dish. Rub with oil on each side. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper. Sprinkle orange juice, lime juice, and vinegar over the steak. Cover and refrigerate overnight or several hours, turning occasionally. To cook meat, preheat charcoal or gas grill. Drain meat, reserving marinade. Place steak on grill. Top with orange slices. Occasionally spoon the marinade over steaks as they cook. Grill 3-4 minutes on each side, or until as done as you desire. Remove orange slices to turn steak. Replace orange slices on top of steak. Slice thinly and serve. Note: You can also serve this with fresh flour tortillas to wrap around pieces. You can also use this same marinade and method for your favorite individual cuts of steak, doubling the recipe if need be for more marinade.

Grilled Potatoes

1 potato per person, red or white
onion and/or garlic powder
bacon
butter
foil

Wash potatoes and tear off enough foil to wrap each potato individually. Slit each potato with a cross and wrap bacon around each potato.Sprinkle onion powder on the foil with a little butter. Roll each potato up in foil place on grill. Turn over after first 30 minutes. Then add your meat to the grill. Potatoes should be done when the meat is. Note: I also microwave the potatoes for 2-3 minutes in the microwave after making the cross, then proceed as directed. This works when you don't have as much time or are cooking a meat that doesn't take long.

Cherry Swirl Cake

1 box French vanilla or white cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
Frozen whipped topping, thawed

Mix the cake as directed on the box, pour into a 9x13 pan that has been buttered or sprayed well. Open the cherry pie filling and dot on tablespoons full of the glaze/liquid part of the filling in 6 or so spots on top of the batter. Using a butter knife run it through the batter and the filling to swirl it together. Bake according to the box directions. When cake is done and cooled add the cherry pie filling over the top of the cake evenly. Cut and spoon out pieces of the cake onto plates and top with a spoonful of whipped topping.