Pie Weekend is still haunting me, and this coming weekend I'm having Palm Sunday dinner with Nancy and her family. There should be all kinds of high calorie foods there. In fact, I'm supposed to bring cupcakes. So, I'm trying to be careful with my meals right now. Often, when I've had delicious fatty foods, my body clamors for MORE whipped cream, MORE chocolate or MORE cheese. It doesn't want the party to end. So that part of me was sent off to a little room in my brain, where the word "Rehab" is written on the door. Like Britney Spears, there is always the possibility that it will bolt from Rehab, sans panties, seeking out cream pies. But for now, it's going with the program.
One of my favorite low calorie meals is Asian salad. I enjoy the tangy, sweet and sour flavors of the oil free dressings on these types of salads. My favorite version of this type of meal is the terrific Vietnamese Chicken Salad from Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. But, I rarely cook beef, so I decided to try this Thai Beef Salad from Sunset magazine for a change of pace. It's low in calories, and the dressing is very good. But, my favorite is still the Alford recipe. You can use leftover steak, but I also think shrimp or grilled mushrooms would be good too.
Thai Beef Salad
(Sunset Magazine)
4 servings
2 steaks (about 10 oz. & 1 inch thick
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp. Asian chili sauce with garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tsp. each light brown sugar and fish sauce
1 cucumber, halved, seeded and sliced thin
4 cups salad greens
1/2 cup each fresh mint, cilantro, and basil, chopped roughly
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Preheat broiler with oven rack about 4 inches from heat. Pat the steaks dry and sprinkle the salt on both sides. Rub each with about 1/2 tsp. chili garlic sauce.
Place the steaks on a baking sheet and broil on each side for about 4 minutes. Set aside to rest.
Whisk together the lime juice, sugar, fish sauce and remaining 1/2 tsp. chili garlic sauce.
Toss the cucumbers, greens, and mint tother in a large bowl with 1/2 of the dressing. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Cut the steaks into 1/4 inch slices and arrange them on the salads. Drizzle the remainder of the dressing over the salads. Sprinkle the peanuts and serve.
Per serving: 373 calories
This sounds perfect -- I love the combination of beef, lime, mint and chili.
Posted by: Lydia | March 28, 2007 at 03:51 AM
When it gets hot outside, I love big salad dinners! I'm also pretty fond of the Vietnamese chicken incarnation as well.
Posted by: s'kat | March 28, 2007 at 05:47 AM
Snort! You made my morning with your description of a panty-less appetite run amok - I'm picturing it capering about with a handful of whipped cream in one hand and a great wheel of cheese under the other arm with a wild grin on its chocolate-smeared face! Hilarious. Thank you. I SO needed that - I continue to be the very picture of malcontent this week, with no end in sight.
Also, this salad looks terrific, though I don't eat meat; I think I'll try it with grilled portobellos. Mmmm.
Hello to the kitties and the squirrelies!
Posted by: anne | March 28, 2007 at 05:54 AM
"rehab" *lol*
Me too, once in "party mode", won't hold back on fat and sugar. So now I join you for the rehab, esp it's so pretty!
Posted by: gattina | March 28, 2007 at 06:19 AM
phenomenal presentation. love it! i need to detox a bit too. carb fest lately.
Posted by: Linda, The Village Vegetable | March 28, 2007 at 06:35 AM
It does sound perfect. I'd sub splenda for the brown sugar and I'm there!
Posted by: kalyn | March 28, 2007 at 07:29 AM
I just read an interview with Hugh Grant the other day where he asked all women to mail him their panties. THAT's where your panties went, isn't it? You can tell us. Mine are packaged to mail to him today. You beat me to it.
You know, I've been looking at the substituting Splenda/Splenda brown sugar thing on my diet to try to save some calories where I can. I have, at times subbed Splenda for half the sugar in dessert recipes and I can live with that. but Splenda is expensive. I think I'm too cheap to worry about subbing 2 tsps of expensive Splenda for cheap regular old brown sugar when, in recipes like this, where we're talking about 7.5 calories once you divide it by four servings. That's the calories in half a single lifesaver.
But that's just me. I can be monstrously frivolous or fabulously cheap. There doesn't seem to be an in between.
Posted by: Glenna | March 28, 2007 at 08:54 AM
agh, toying with my emotions!! I'm so close, so close! to the end of Meat-Free March! I can't wait... I just want to bury my head in a pot of chili, or choucroute or something delicious and meaty, and here you go, making meat not only look, and sound delicious, but healthy to boot!
Curse you Sher ;-)
Posted by: ann | March 28, 2007 at 11:31 AM
I think you might want to consider subtitling your blog: What did you eat? And where are your panties?
;-)
Karina [just being silly today] xoxo
Posted by: Karina - Gluten Free Goddess | March 28, 2007 at 04:02 PM
I say a big Yes to this salad. Sounds totally delicious!
Posted by: Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | March 28, 2007 at 06:31 PM
Lydia,
Yes. that's become one of my favorites too!
s'kat,
Yes--a salad dinner is really nice. It makes me feel pretty good about myself afterwards.
Anne,
You're so funny Anne! Now I have that image in my brain! I know all about being malcontent!
Gattina,
Sooner or later it happens to all of us!! We party too much--and have to go to calorie rehab!
Glenna,
Hugh! He has my panties? Cheeky devil! :):)
Kalyn,
Thank you, it is very good!
Ann,
You've done such a good job. April is so close! Then you can plunge into the meat dishes!
Karina!
Now I have to make that logo! It's perfect! :):)Hee!
Bea,
Thank you!!! It was darn good. Still prefer the chicken version. :)
Posted by: sher | March 29, 2007 at 12:22 AM
Sher, the Vietnamese Chicken Salad is always on our menu at home! I have been eating it since childhood and it is truly my comfort food. The beef version sounds nice, too. :)
Posted by: Anh | March 29, 2007 at 12:43 AM
oooooooh. I'm officially missing warm salads. And it was rainy today. Looks yummmyy.=)
Posted by: Victoria | March 29, 2007 at 03:08 AM
You are too funny! I think I need to spend some serious time in the rehab room! What a fun idea!
Salad looks very helpful!
Posted by: Tanna | March 29, 2007 at 09:33 AM
It wets my appetite!
Posted by: Thai News | April 01, 2007 at 01:06 PM
OMG I tried this the other night and nearly licked the bowl afterwards. Already making it again tonight... Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
good!
Posted by: Emily | April 18, 2008 at 01:55 PM