January20
Who said that healthy eating means boring same-old-same-old eating? No!
Here’s a great way to eat healthy without piling on extra fat or calories: steam your fish in banana leaves!
Wait… you’ve never heard of cooking with banana leaves? In many parts of Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, food is wrapped in banana leaves and then barbecued, baked or steamed. The leaves add a subtle, exotic flavor, unlike parchment paper or foil. Banana leaves are also known as plantain leaves.
Banana leaves are particularly handy when it comes to steaming fish because fillets often fall apart in a steamer. Using the banana leaves not only helps the fillets keep their shape, but if you add vegetables, you’ve got a meal in a packet. Handy-dandy, wouldn’t you say? Click here for the recipe.
You can find banana leaves in ethnic markets or large supermarkets and they are usually frozen. You can also order online here.
Ginger Garlic Fish in Banana Leaves is a great “first recipe” if you’ve never cooked with banana leaves. Get creative! Substitute chopped chicken, beef or pork for the fish and add whatever veggies you have on hand. The cooking time will change, so adjust the recipe as needed.
August20
Whenever I make steak, I always make extra so that with the leftovers I can prepare my favorite summer dish: Thai Beef Salad.
The beauty of this salad is that you don’t have to include all of the ingredients. If you don’t have fish sauce, use soy sauce. Don’t like jalapeños… leave them out. You can add what you do have… like red or green peppers, cooked zucchini, broccoli or green beans. This is pretty much a “clean the fridge” type of salad with a whole lot of flavor.
Thai Beef Salad
prep: 20 minutes
serves 6
for the dressing you’ll need…
½ cup lime or lemon juice
¼ cup fish sauce
¼ cup chopped basil
3 gloves garlic
1 Tbsp. fresh finely minced ginger (optional)
for the salad you’ll need…
1 lb. cooked top sirloin steak or flank steak, sliced against the grain into thin slices
2 cups cucumber, peeled and sliced lengthwise, then seeded and cut into ½-inch half-moons
1 cups grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
1 cup thinly sliced red onions
4 green onions, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, chopped (seed and devein if you don’t want the heat!)
6 cups shredded romaine, red romaine, red leaf or Bibb lettuce
¼ cup chopped basil leaves
let’s get to it…
Pulse the juice, fish sauce, basil, garlic and ginger (if using) in a blender until mixed; set aside.
Place the steak, cucumber, tomatoes, onions and pepper in a large bowl or in a gallon-size resealable Ziploc bag. Add dressing to the meat and vegetables and toss gently. Let marinate for at least 30-minutes if possible.
Place lettuce in a large bowl. Pour beef, vegetables and dressing onto lettuce and toss gently. Top with chopped basil leaves.
great substitution…
Try cooked shrimp or shredded chicken instead of the beef.
cooking know how…
Fish sauce can be found in the ethnic section of your grocery store with the Asian or Thai foods. If you can’t find it, substitute soy sauce.
Who said that healthy eating means boring same-old-same-old eating? No! 
