Good Grilling

Spring has finally sprung in the Washington, D.C. area.  And while we are year-round grillers (you should have seen my husband in a thick coat grilling outside when we were without power during the snow storms), some of you are just now venturing to do so.

Here's an excellent low cost recipe to try.  If you're inclined, it's South Beach friendly.

Grilled Thai Beef w/String Beans

1.5 lbs flank steak
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbs Asian fish sauce
1/4 - 1 tsp chili paste OR 1 tsp seeded, minced serrano chile (wear gloves)
1 tsp granular sugar substitute
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 lb green beans, trimmed

Heat a saucepan of salted water until boiling.  Add beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.  Drain.

Trim the really gross excess fat off the flank steak.  Leave some, as it adds flavor.  Rub steak on both sides with 1 tsp of the olive oil, then season thoroughly with salt & pepper.  Grill until desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium rare.  Remove from heat and set on a cutting board for 5 minutes.

Whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, chili paste, sugar substitute, cilantro and scallions in a large bowl.

Thinly slice meat across the grain.  Toss with lime juice mixture, adding any meat juices that have accumulated on the cutting board.  Add beans, toss and serve.
*****************************************************************

This is the fish sauce and chili paste I use.  As you can see, the jar is empty and the bottle is near empty.  (A trip to the Asian grocery store tomorrow, yippee!)  The fish sauce is foul stuff, but absolutely essential to the taste.  Don't ask me how it works, just trust me.  I mean, if you taste vanilla, it is nasty.  But baked goods that use it just wouldn't be the same without it, right?

The numbers on this recipe:

Serves 4
340 Calories, 17g fat; 5 g sat fat; 38g protein; 10g carbs; 3g dietary fiber; 530 mg sodium

Great Summer Salad

From the Cooks' & Hash-Slingers' Guide to Great Grub,  I fixed this recipe the other night and I'll enjoy the last bit of it today. It is SO yummy and the flavors just improve with age! (Since the Farmer's Markets are open now, feel free to use FRESH corn kernels!)

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
2 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c. frozen corn kernels
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
6 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Place the first 5 ingredients in a jar and shake until the ingredients are well mixed.

In a large salad bowl, mix all the other ingredients.  Shake the dressing once more and pour over salad ingredients.  Stir to thoroughly coat the salad and serve.  Store leftovers in fridge.

YUM!

If you want more great recipes and to support the library, you can get a copy of the book here.