Leafy greens are full of important nutrients like folate, iron, and vitamin K, and their consumption has been demonstrated to be beneficial to human health in a number of ways. Consumption of leafy green and cruciferous vegetables has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
This week’s recipe highlights watercress in a delicious salad with grilled beef and ponzu sauce. It was sent to CCSA as part of a series of emails from our resident chef, Dr. Linda Doody. She has been sharing her extensive collection of favorite recipes with friends, family, and the CCSA team as a means of maintaining connections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Cooking is the ultimate giving.” – Jamie Oliver
Spotlight on Leafy Greens: Grilled Beef Watercress Salad with Ponzu Sauce
Bon Appétit (September 2005)
Notes
Mein refers to noodles made from wheat flour; fun refers to noodles made from non-wheat starches such as rice flour or mung bean starch. (Mai fun is also known as rice vermicelli).
To fry dry maifun, separate small sections of noodles by pulling apart or cutting with scissors. Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 2 inches in a high-sided pot, and heat over medium-high heat to 400°F. Add a section of maifun so it is submerged in the oil and blooms within seconds into puffy, crispy noodles. Remove maifun with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. The noodles can be fried several hours ahead. The oil can be strained and saved in a jar for the next time.
Ingredients
- Beef
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup sake (Japanese rice wine)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger (peeled and finely grated)
- 1 Tbsp hot chile sesame oil
- 6 beef tenderloin steaks, each 4 ounces (other options are flank, fluff, or skirt steak)
- Salad
- 6 Tbsp ponzu sauce
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1½ tsp fresh ginger (peeled and finely grated)
- 1 tsp hot chile sesame oil
- 6 Tbsp vegetable oil (canola oil is a good option)
- Pepper
- 4 cups small watercress sprigs
- 3 cups mixed baby greens (spring mix is a good option)
- 2 cups very thinly sliced red cabbage
- ½ cup matchstick-size carrot strips (for a nice presentation, use a mandolin slicer with the julienne blade attachment. Julienne, or French cut, refers to long thin strips, similar to matchsticks)
- 2 large radishes, trimmed and halved then sliced paper thin
- ½ cup dry roasted salted peanuts
- 1 ounce rice stick noodles (maifun), deep fried 10 seconds until puffed and crunchy
Instructions
- Beef
- To make the marinade, whisk the first 6 ingredients in a glass dish. Reserve 1 Tbsp for salad dressing. Add steaks to dish and marinate ½ to 2 hours, turning occasionally.
- Salad
- For the salad dressing, combine the first 5 ingredients and 1 Tbsp reserved marinade; whisk to blend. Season to taste with pepper. Combine greens and vegetables in a salad bowl. Grill steaks until medium rare; let rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice meat across the grain and toss with enough dressing to coat. Toss salad with dressing and mound on 6 plates; arrange steak slices alongside. Sprinkle with peanuts; top with fried rice stick noodles. (Note: Mix the fried noodles into the salad, then sprinkle peanuts over.)