Saturday, November 27, 2010

Low Carb Salads: Asian Fusion Ginger Steak (or Chicken) Salad



This salad makes me feel like I'm living in South Beach and 'lunching' with my supermodel girl friends. It's light with flavor layered on flavor until your palate quivers with pleasure.

Plus it is SO far away from Thanksgiving food it's like a refreshing beach vacation for your taste buds without the bathing suit stress.

Beach vacations are good for us.

Try this. You're gonna like it.

It IS a little busy, but it is not a difficult recipe. Just take it step by step. I've broken it down into meat, salad dressing, and salad sections.

Time saving tip: Make the salad dressing and chop your veggies the same time you prepare the marinade. Then all you'll have left to do is cook the meat and assemble the salad.

Ingredients

For the Meat Marinade:

-1 1/2 to 2 lbs Beef or chicken cut into strips
-2 tbsps. Sweetener (either brown sugar, Splenda brown sugar blend or honey, whichever your diet allows or you feel like using.)
-1/2 cup Soy sauce
-2 tsp powdered Ginger
-1/4 cup Olive oil
-4 garlic cloves pulverized by a garlic press

Instructions


1.Mix all marinade ingredients in the container the meat will sit in. Add the meat and let marinate for 3-4 hours, two if you're short on time.

2.Either grill the meat (if the weather will let you) or quickly sear and fry in a pan on the stove (I like to use grapeseed oil because of its higher flash point).

Note: Be sure to make your salad dressing before you start cooking the meat.


Ingredients


For the Salad Dressing

-1/2 jalapeno, seeded and very finely diced
-1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
-1/3 cup Olive oil
-3 tbsps Soy Sauce
-2 garlic cloves pulverized by the garlic press
-1 tbsp fresh grated ginger (not powdered, don't do that, blech, for the marinade it's okay, but not for the dressing)
-2 tbsp sweetener (white sugar, splenda brown sugar blend, or honey, whichever works for you)
-Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

1. Throw everything into a bottle or bowl and mix. Taste and adjust flavors as need. Usually it either needs more soy sauce or more sweetener so start there.


Ingredients


For the Salad

Salad greens
Green onions
Carrot ribbons
Honey roasted peanuts
1 to 2 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds
Cilantro

Other ideas: fresh peppers, cucumber, bean sprouts etc...


Instructions


1. How to toast sesame seeds: Dump in a small pot over medium high heat. Shake like popcorn and watch like a hawk, they toast fast, one to two minutes tops. You'll see them turn golden and the smell will be wonderful, that means they are done.

2.Peanuts are often not on the 'approved' list in low carb diets, but 8 peanuts are not going to mess anyone up and that's all I want you to use on each salad, just 8 peanuts. No more, no less.

Got it?

3.Carrots are also controversial, but this recipe doesn't have enough to really worry about. Promise.

Yes, I'm a bit of a low carb rebel. Not a traditionalist at all. Please don't run screaming!

4.To assemble your salad, put the greens onions and carrots on a plate. Top with meat, garnish with sesame seeds, cilantro and drizzle with salad dressing for the finish.

Phew! That was a long one! I hope you try it and love it as much as we do.

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