Thai Salad

Spicy and cool all at once!

I know, I've posted before that we love Thai food. I love the flavors of spicy and sweet and sour all at once. This salad is my take on a recipe sent to me by my friend, Melissa. This Thai thing is all her fault!

So, to make the salad, shred romaine lettuce or cabbage or both and put that on your platter. Now, slice up some cucumber. I prefer those lovely English cucumbers. Add some very thinly sliced red onion and some chopped cilantro and mint if you've got it. (I don't always have mint and/or cilantro and though it's better with, I still like it without) Okay, that's all arranged nicely on the platter.

Now make your dressing. It couldn't be easier, though it does require a few specialty ingredients. I got everything at either Publix or Kroger, nothing too wild. Just put 1 tablespoon of sugar in a mixing cup. Now add 5 tbsp. of fish sauce and 5 tbsp. of lime juice. Sure, fresh lime juice is better, but bottled works great for me! Now, I like mine a little spicy, so I add about 1 tbsp. of Thai chili and garlic sauce. If you want less heat, add much less....like 1/2 tsp. Whisk that all together until the sugar dissolves. Pour it over the salad, toss and serve.

I love to grill or broil a sirloin steak (especially if I got a whole bunch on sale from buying a whole 12 pound sirloin tip and having the butcher cut off 6 gorgeous sirloin steaks before cubing the rest for kabobs...all at $1.87 per pound!) But I digress, this a a great lunch salad with sirloin sliced on top or serve it alongside any grilled meat or vegetables. Enjoy!