Thai Beef Salad - anyone recommendation?

Hubby and I (and helper) have been overdoing the rice and put on weight. Trying to find some nice salads to put together and love Thai Beef Salad. Has anyone got a receipe for making it? Do you marinate the beef and what ingredients go into the sauce?


Any other salad ideas that are low calorie would be good too.


Thanks.

There are some fairly healthy salad ideas that go beyond the limp lettuce leaf. See if you fancy any of them.


Couscous salad


Serves 6-8


Ingredients

250g couscous

300ml cold water

juice of 1or 1 1/2 lemons, or to taste

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)

3 firm, medium-sized tomatoes, diced

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

8 spring onions, sliced

4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley a few sprigs of fresh mint, chopped

12 black or green olives, pitted and chopped (optional)

salt and pepper


Method

1. Put the couscous in a bowl, add the water and stir well. Leave to stand for about 20 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed. Fluff the couscous up by rubbing it between your hands and break up any lumps.

2. To make the dressing: mix together the lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil with some salt and pepper and add the lemon zest if using.

3. Stir into the couscous and leave to stand for at least 30 minutes, until it has absorbed the dressing.

4. Just before serving, add the tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions, parsley, mint and olives, and mix well.





Crab salad with ginger dressing

Serves 4


Ingredients:

225g white crabmeat, fresh or defrosted (but fresh is best)

half an iceberg lettuce, shredded

2 carrots, grated

half a cucumber, sliced

75g button mushrooms, quartered

2 spring onions, sliced


Dressing:

3 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tbsp sesame oil; 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1.25cm piece of root ginger, peeled and chopped


Method:

1. Arrange the lettuce on a plate. In a large bowl, mix the together the crabmeat, carrots, cucumber, mushrooms and spring onions.

2. To make the dressing: place all the ingredients into a screw-topped jar. Shake well. Pour the dressing over the crab salad and mix well. Spoon onto the bed of lettuce. Serve with hot bread.





Smoked chicken, mango and avocado salad


Serves two as a light lunch or four as a snack


Ingredients

2 smoked chicken breasts

1 red or green chilli

1 mango

1 avocado

3 spring onions

1 tbsp chopped coriander

1 tsp chopped mint

Juice of 2 limes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method

1. Shred the chicken into smallish pieces.

2. De-seed and finely chop the chilli.

3. Peel, stone and dice the mango and avocado.

4. Finely slice the spring onions.

5. Mix with the coriander and mint, then stir in enough lime juice to suit your taste.

6. Season with salt and pepper and serve.




Spring greens salad with duck and hoisin sauce

Serves 2-4


450g spring greens

2 duck legs, roasted until the skin is crisp

4 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds


Method

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.

2. Strip the green leaves off the stiff white central ribs and throw away the ribs. Cook the leaves in the boiling water for 60 seconds, then drain and run them under a cold tap until completely cold. Drain and squeeze them dry in a tea towel.

3. Strip the skin and meat from the duck bones and cut into chunks. Heat the oil and sauce gently in a large pan and toss in the greens and duck, loosening and opening out the leaves. When it is just warmed through, pile it in a bowl and scatter with sesame seeds.





Smoked salmon with puy lentil salad

Serves 4


Ingredients

120g puy lentils

100g sun-dried tomatoes in oil (ones with garlic and oregano, if you can find them)

400g cold smoked salmon

1 red pepper, diced

80ml olive oil

1 medium courgette, diced

zest and juice of 1 lime

1 avocado

1 small bunch dill, sliced

salt and cayenne pepper


Method

1. In a large saucepan cover the lentils with cold water and bring them to the boil. Strain into a colander and rinse them under cold water.

2. Put them back into the saucepan with fresh water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 25 minutes or until tender.

3. While the lentils are cooking, gently sweat the diced peppers in the olive oil for 2 minutes, add the sun-dried tomatoes and sweat for a further minute, add the courgettes and remove from the heat.

4. Strain the lentils and add them to the red pepper mixture, stir in well, add the lime zest and juice and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Set aside.

5. Add the diced avocado and dill to the red pepper mixture, season to taste and serve on top of the smoked salmon.




Chicken & watermelon salad with macadamia nut oil dressing

Serves 4


Ingredients

4 chicken breast fillets

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

paprika pepper

500g watermelon, sliced

170g mixed salad leaves

2 tbsp shelled almonds, sliced


Dressing:

5 tbsp macadamia nut oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped

1 tbsp lime juice


Method

1. Cut each chicken breast through horizontally to make two slices. Brush each side with the olive oil and season with black pepper and a little dusting of paprika.

2. Cook on a medium hot griddle pan for 3-4 minutes each side until golden. Set aside

3. Arrange the salad leaves and watermelon on serving plates. Scatter over the almonds.

4. Cut the chicken into thick slices and arrange in the salad.

5. Mix the ingredients for the dressing together and drizzle over the salad.




Oriental Duck & Noodle Salad

Serves 4


Ingredients:

200g soba noodles

6 tbsp spiced black rice vinegar

7 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and cut into strips

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and shredded

2 birds eye chillies, very thinly sliced

Large handful fresh coriander leaves

1 star anise, ground in a pestle and mortar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp Demerara sugar

4 large duck breasts

2 small heads pak choi


Method

1. Cook the noodles according to packet instructions and drain and refresh in a colander. Place the cooled and drained noodles into a large bowl.

2. In a jug mix together the ginger, 4 tbsp of the black spiced rice vinegar, lemon juice and 4 tbsp of sesame oil and mix together well with a fork. Pour over the noodles and toss well to flavour and coat in the dressing.

3. Add the spring onions, chillies and coriander leaves and toss again.

4. Place the remaining vinegar and oil into a bowl with the ground star anise, salt and sugar. Mix well and then add the whole duck breasts and toss well to coat.

5. Place the duck breasts into a frying pan and gently cook over a moderate heat for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally and gently spooning over a little of the marinade occasionally to flavour.

6. Remove the duck breasts from the heat and thinly slice and toss into the salad.

7. In the rinsed-out pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of the sesame oil and cook the pak choi leaves for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Toss into the salad and serve in bowls.




Puy lentil, tomato & feta salad

Serves 4


Ingredients

250g Puy Lentils

1 jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained

7 tbsp basil infused oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

300g feta cheese, crumbled

handful fresh basil leaves, chopped

70g Serrano ham, torn into bite sized pieces

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard


Method

1. Cook the puy lentils according to packet instructions. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.

2. Place the drained and cooled lentils into a large bowl with the sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled feta and basil leaves and toss to mix.

3. Place 5 tbsp of the basil oil into a jug with the red wine vinegar and wholegrain mustard and mix together well. Season generously with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

4. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of the basil oil in a large heavy based frying pan and cook the torn Serrano ham for 1-2 minutes, turning until crisp. Add to the salad and toss to mix.


This is nice served with warm crusty bread and a leafy salad.

And found this recipe from Delia Smith who got it from chef Norbert Kostner at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok.




Thai grilled-beef salad with grapes

Serves 4


Ingredients

450 g rump steak in 1 piece, 2.5 cm thick

175 g red or black seedless grapes, halved

2-3 medium red chillies, halved and deseeded, or 3-4 bird eye chillies, whole

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2.5 cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled

6 sprigs fresh coriander, plus 3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

1 sprig fresh mint, plus 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

grated zest 1 lime, plus 3 tablespoons lime juice (juice of about 2 limes)

2 level teaspoons palm sugar or light brown soft sugar

3-4 stems lemon grass, very finely sliced

6 kaffir lime leaves, rolled into a cigar shape and very finely shredded (optional)

110 g rocket, stalks removed


To garnish:

1 level teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives


Method

1. Pre-heat the grill to its highest setting.

2. Grill the beef in advance; for medium-rare give it 2-3 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcook the steak: it needs to be quite pink, as the lime juice in the dressing 'cooks' the beef a bit further. If you'd prefer to use a ridged grill pan, pre-heat it for 10 minutes, then cook the steak for 1.5-2 minutes on each side. Once the beef is grilled, allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing it into thin strips.

3. To make the dressing, blend the chillies, garlic, ginger and sprigs of coriander and mint in a processor until finely chopped, then add the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar and whiz again to blend everything. Pour the dressing over the beef strips, then sprinkle the lemon grass, lime leaves (if using), lime zest and remaining herbs over. Add the rocket and grapes and toss everything together, then scatter the garnish over.

claire, wow!! they all sounds fabulous!

just to add on to your cous cous salad recipe...i like the garlic and coriander ones by waitrose. i add some lemon juice, black pepper and garnish with lots of coriander....i usually serve it with some grilled/steamed salmon and some greens. i usually do this when i think we need to detox and healthy!

It's also nice topped with prawns. (Will make a note about the salmon...nice idea.)

I make a simple beef salad:


dressing

1/2 lime

1/2 Orange

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 small red chilli (leave a few seeds in if you like it hot)

1cm grated ginger


Make a salad of baby spinach, add - tomato, carrot, spring onion, snow peas etc.


Grill steak and cut in to thin strips - add to salad and pour over dressing.

Nigela does a lovely one, but I can not find the recipe anywhere. I jotted it down one night while watching her on Discovery. Does anyone know the one I am talking about?

Actually the above recipe is a version of Nigela

I just saw this but I hope it's not too late to reply. This is my own version of the beef salad. Me and my husband seldom eat rice now too due to a special diet requirement. We both love Thai food and we have beef salad twice a week, and we want it hot and spicy, as our sundowner snacks. I hope you like it.


Thai Beef Salad Recipe:


Very lean steak


Seasonings /Dressings:


1 Tbsp Fish sauce

juice of one lime

tsp. Palm Sugar ( optional)

1-2 Thai chilli chopped (to taste)

( you can also use the dried thai chilli

flakes).

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced

spring onions, chopped into 1"

a handful of fresh coriander/cilantro leaves

few lettuce leaves



Procedure:

Grill the steak medium rare. Slice the grilled beef and mix with the seasoning starting with the fish sauce, lime juice and the palm sugar if using. Add enough chilli/ flakes and stir in the cucumber slices. Lastly add the coriander leaves for more flavour and garnish.


Serve the beef salad on the bed of lettuce leaves.