Fiery Beef and Rice Noodle Salad

So I really want to like this salad. But it is missing something. I think a vinegar of some sort. I want that "tang" in the back of my throat. Instead, I get zilch, nothing, nada.

D made it. I guess it was easy. Even with the habenero it wasn't that spicy (deseeded and deribbed). We ate around 6. By 8, I was gnawing on my arm, I was so hungry, so think againg about "salads are filling."

For lunch (leftovers), this was mushy. Overall, I feel a good piece of meat was ruined with salad. Will not have again.

Fiery Beef and Rice Noodle Salad

Think salads aren't filling? Then you haven't tried this one packed with rice noodles, fresh vegetables, and tender steak.

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups salad and about 1 tablespoon basil)
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients
2 ounces uncooked rice stick noodles
12 ounces flank steak, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1/2 habanero pepper, minced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
12 basil leaves, torn

Preparation

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Coarsely chop noodles.

2. While noodles cook, freeze steak 5 minutes. Remove from freezer; cut across grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add beef; sauté 4 minutes.

4. Combine steak, noodles, lettuce, onion, cucumber, and habanero. Combine juice, sugar, and fish sauce; pour over noodle mixture, tossing gently. Sprinkle with basil.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 197; Fat: 4.3g; Saturated fat: 1.7g; Monounsaturated fat: 1.6g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.2g; Protein: 20g; Carbohydrate: 20.2g; Fiber: 1.3g; Cholesterol: 27mg; Iron: 1.8mg; Sodium: 545mg; Calcium: 35mg

Cooking Light MARCH 2010