Thai Steak (or Chicken) Salad

I'm always on the lookout for ways everyone get what they want out of a single meal. For the kids this means things they like, not too spicy, small colorful portions, followed by dessert. For Mufasa it entails big robust flavors, plenty of heat, and meat. I want something that tastes good and still allows me to button my pants in the morning. It can be tricky to manage, but this little ditty fits the bill.

Oddly enough, Looly adores cabbage, so the salad portion of this meal is right up her alley. Roo is all about meat and while we've just started venturing into beef territory with him due to his allergies, this recipe works just as well with chicken. Bean likes the meat, veggies, mint leaves, and most of all, using chopsticks.

The flavor is big, bright, bold and spicy which makes Mufasa very happy, and since the meat gets tossed in the sauce after cooking, it's easy to keep the heat turned down for the kids. To dial it up for the grown-ups add plenty of Sriracha after you've tossed some cabbage and meat for the spice averse.

Thai Steak (or Chicken) Salad
adapted from Cooking Light June 2012

1-1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed or 1-1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp Sriracha
1 cup red cabbage, sliced
1 cup green cabbage, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves

1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Cook about 6 minutes per side or until done. Remove meat from pan and let stand 5 minutes. Slice meat across grain into thin slices.
2. Combine lime juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, and Sriracha* in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
3. Combine both cabbages and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Dress the salad mixture with 6 tbsp of the juice mixture and toss to coat. Add meat to the remaining juice mixture and toss to coat. Distribute salad onto plates and top with meat.

*If you're serving kids, hold off on adding the Sriracha until after you've tossed some meat and salad in the dressing.

Serves 6