Where's the Beef?

I don't normally eat a lot of beef when I'm trying to eat healthily. (Me + a week in Philadelphia = sweet baby Jesus, I need to go on a diet.) Also, beef is not the most environmentally friendly food. Sometimes, though, I make an exception, like yesterday, when I went to my local butcher and saw a gorgeous little piece of sirloin that I absolutely couldn't live without. To balance out the fact that I was eating a hunk of red meat (although, to be fair, one of the least fatty varieties), I decided to grill it - rare, of course - and put it on a salad with a light Asian-inspired dressing. Fresh, yummy, relatively healthy. Not bad for a Monday night.


Beef Salad with Mint
serves one

• one 4-5 ounce sirloin or filet mignon
• 2 c. salad greens, your choice (I prefer romaine)
  
• 1/4 c. minced fresh mint
• 1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 a small cucumber, thinly sliced
• juice of one lime
• 2 tsp. fish sauce (or soy sauce)
• pinch cayenne, to taste
• 1/4 tsp. sugar (or Splenda)

Preheat the grill or your broiler. (I used a grill pan on top of the stove.) Grill or broil the steak until rare or medium-rare about 8 to 12 minutes. Set it aside to cool. Toss the lettuce with the mint, onion, and cucumber. Combine all remaining ingredients, and toss the greens with this mixture, reserving about 1 tablespoon of the dressing. Slice the beef thinly, reserving its juice. Lay the slices over the salad. Mix the juice and reserved dressing, drizzle over the beef, and serve.

Lima Bean and Mint Risotto

A few weeks ago, my friend Jackie asked for a recommendation of something yummy she could make for her boyfriend while he was visiting. I suggested risotto, and ever since she told me how great it turned out, I've been craving it myself. Tonight I finally made some for dinner - I borrowed a recipe from the January issue of Food & Wine. The recipe was for pea and mint risotto, but since I had lima beans on hand, I substituted them instead of the peas and was very pleased with the result.

Food & Wine recommended as a wine pairing a 2005 Luna Pinot Grigio from Napa County. My local wine shop doesn't carry that particular wine, so I picked an Italian pinot grigio that happened to be on sale. It's a 2005 St. Michael-Eppan Pinot Grigio from Appiano, Italy ($11), and it has a really crisp finish and an aroma of pears. Great acidity, too, which cut nicely against the risotto's cheesiness. Any pinot grigio, or even sauvignon blanc, would go great with this dish.


Lima Bean and Mint Risotto
(serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish)

• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, halved
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 1/2 c. arborio rice (10 oz.)
• 3 c. chicken stock, warmed*
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• One 10-oz package frozen lima beans, thawed
• 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup finely shredded mint leaves
  

*Note: the recipe calls for 4 1/2 cups, but my risotto was definitely done after 3.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and shallot, cover and cook over moderately low heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir over moderately low heat until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and cook, stirring, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock, about 1 cup at a time, stirring until the stock is absorbed before adding more. Cook, stirring, until the rice is al dente and suspended in thick, creamy liquid. Season with salt and pepper; discard the garlic. Add the lima beans and cook just until heated through. Stir in the cheese and mint and serve.