Once again my husband nails a tasty dinner that’s just right for warm weather. He said it should be called “Six Shades of Green” because of all the green ingredients. So, here is my tribute to the book that has taken the country by storm…
My heart is pounding. No meal has ever affected me the way that this one has and I can’t fathom why. Is it the mint? The cucumbers? Cilantro? Scallions? Yes, it must be…the six shades of green.
“Are you hungry?” he asks me knowingly.
“Yes,” I breathe. I subconsciously bite my lip.
“You’re biting that lip again,” he says with an edge to his voice. “This is your punishment, so close and so far. I’m eating in front of you and you can’t have any.”
“Please,” I beg.
He finally takes pity on on me and places a plate in front of me. My inner goddess is thrilled. The combination of beef with so many tasty flavors is perfection — the spice of the peppers, the cool cucumbers and the fresh mint. Oh my.
Wanna spice up your night. Here’s what we did:
Thai Beef Salad Recipe (Recipe from Cooks Illustrated.)
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 (1 1/2 pound) flank steak , trimmed
Salt and white pepper, coarsely ground
4 shallots, sliced thin (we used scallions)
1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves , torn
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
1 Thai chile, stemmed and sliced thin into rounds (or any kind of spicy, fresh chili pepper)
1 English cucumber (we used a regular one), sliced 1/4 inch thick on bias
1/2 cup chopped peanuts (we added this to the recipe)
Grill the beef outside (or inside) and then chop up your six shades of green: cucumber, cilantro, mint, lime, green chili, scallion. Let the beef rest and cool before cutting to keep the juices inside. While the beef rests, mix up the sauce.
Heat paprika and cayenne in skillet over medium heat; cook, shaking pan, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk lime juice, fish sauce, water, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon toasted paprika mixture in large bowl and set aside.
Slice meat, against grain, on bias into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer sliced steak to bowl with fish sauce mixture. Add shallots (or scallions), mint, cilantro, and chile. Transfer to platter lined with cucumber slices. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Serve with noodles or white rice.
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Looks delicioius. Great presentation. Wish we were there to share this fabulous meal with you both.