Thai-Style Steak Salad
July 2, 2012
At least once a week we opt for a dinner salad. Tired from a long day of work or summertime adventures as it may be, dinner can be on the table in minutes with just a bit of forethought. Our secret… grill enough meat on the weekend to have hearty leftovers. Perhaps it is a breast of chicken spared from our ravenous tots or a generous morsel of salmon craftily hidden from my husband’s lunch, or as the case was last weekend, a nice piece of hanger steak. Steak salad takes on endless incarnations, but this is one of our favorites from Sunset magazine years ago.
Thai-Style Steak Salad bursts with flavor from a mixture of fresh herbs, crunchy vegetables, salty peanuts, and a tangy dressing. Using leftover grilled meat makes it a cinch to pull together, but you could certainly grill up a steak for the occasion. The dressing is super light and oil free helping this dinner balance out the indulgences of the weekend. The chili garlic sauce is spicy so adjust the amount to your own taste.
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Thai Lettuce Wraps
May 26, 2011
The end of the school year is near, which always means my life, as a teacher, becomes temporarily overwhelmingly busy. The good news is that in two weeks I will be off for the summer with nothing to do but play with the kiddos, work in the garden, and of course cook. The canning jars are all nearly empty, taunting me with possibilities. But right now, in between writing finals and grading the last of the lab notebooks, there is little time for much else. Thank goodness for quick and easy meals that still make dinner seem like a special time of day.
In between all of the bread and the cake that we have been eating lately, I thought we needed to have at least one meal that lacks a substantial carb load. Thai Lettuce Wraps always satisfy on many levels. The combo of sweet, salty, and spicy is so completely delectable that it distracts from the fact that there is no bed of rice or noodles (of course you can add those if you choose). They are super quick and budget friendly. Let us not forget that they are also fun to eat!