Thai Steak Salad & IPA

Thai Steak Salad
Servings - 2

Marinade
• ½ T garlic
• 2 t onion powder
• 1 dried lemon grass chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup of fresh mint
• 1/3 cup of lime juice (about 4 limes for me)
• 2 T fish sauce
• 1 t sweet chili sauce
• 3 T sugar/splenda
• 6-8 oz steak (I used sirloin)

Dressing
• 1 T rice vinegar
• 1 T sweet chili sauce
• Dash sugar/Splenda
• Dash garlic powder
• Dash onion powder
• Dash salt
• Dash pepper

Salad
• 4 large handfuls of lettuce
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 T mint
• 1 T cilantro

1. In bowl, mix together garlic, onion powder, lemon grass, cilantro, mint, lime juice, fish sauce, sweet chili sauce and sugar. Add to ziplock bag with steak. Marinade at least 3 hours.
2. In small sauce pan combine dressing ingredients, and heat until combined
3. Grill steak, about 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare, let steak rest several minutes
4. Split lettuce between two plates
5. Top with cucumber, mint, cilantro, and dressing
6. Finally, slice and top with steak

This is a very flavorful salad and hearty enough for a main dish. Since this is so flavorful, you want a flavorful beer to stand up to it. I chose an IPA, Frye’s Leap IPA, made by Sebago Brewing Company out of Maine, where they have four locations. This has a big aroma and a big flavor. As with IPAs, there are a lot of hops, but balanced with caramel malts and grapefruit. The citrus here plays off well with the citrus of the steak marinade.

Thai Peanut Chicken & IPA

Thai Peanut Chicken
Servings - 4

• 3 T soy sauce
• 3 T fish sauce
• 2 t hot pepper sauce
• 2 t red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T minced fresh ginger root
• 2 T onion powder or one large onion diced
• 2 T brown sugar
• 2 T peanut oil
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks

• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups broccoli
• 1/2 cup cashews

1. In a bag, mix together first 9 ingredients. Add chicken and marinade for at least one hour.
2. Pour chicken and sauce into pan and sauté until chicken is cooked through about 5-10 minutes.
3. Add peanut butter and broccoli
4. Cook until broccoli is cooked through and peanut butter is thoroughly blended
5. Top with cashews
6. Serve with rice.

The spiciness of this rich calls for a beer with a strong flavor for compliment and in order to not get lost in the strength of the dish. Choosing one my favorite beers here, another IPA. For this dish I chose Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale. Sierra Nevada is a well known brewery out of California. This is a seasonal ale, usually out around Christmas time. It has a lot of hops, but a strong caramel maltiness as well. This does indeed taste like Christmas with a pine, floral finish.

Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps – Strong Ale

Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Weight watchers – 1/wrap

Serving size  - 8 wraps, 4 people, 2/person

Spray vegetable oil

2 T minced garlic

1 pound ground chicken breast

4 Serrano chilies finely minced

2 T soy sauce

2 T fish sauce

1 cup fresh basil leaves or 1 T dried basil

About 8 Lettuce Leaves

1.       Heat wok or large skillet.  Spray pan with oil, add garlic and heat for about 20 seconds.  Add ground chicken and cook through, about 2 mins.

2.       Stir in chilies, soy sauce and fish sauce.  Cook about 20 more seconds.

3.       Add basil, cook another 20 seconds.

This was delivious and so easy.  It does have a good kick, so adjust the amount of chilies to your spice level.  You can also add some rice or rice noodles to the lettuce wraps.  Adding a little bit will about about 1 point per wrap, but it will make it more substantial and well round.  I served with brown rice, but I do think it would be delicious with rice noodles.

To pair with this I would pick a strong ale.  I chose the Ubu Ale from Lake Placid Craft B.C. in New York.  Mike loved this beer.  He loves strong ales though but this one exceptional.  It has fruitiness on the front end and a chocolate nuttiness on the finish.  This pairs really well with the chicken due to the big intense flavor of both.  They can stand up to each other.

Summer Rolls with Thai Peanut Sauce - Hefeweizen

Summer Rolls w. Thai peanut sauce
Weight watcher points – 1/roll, 2/roll w. sauce
Servings – 8 rolls

Summer Roll
1 ounce rice noodles, cooked based on instructions on box
4 circle or square rice papers
1 c chopped romaine lettuce
3 T chopped mint
3 T chopped basil
3 T chopped cilantro
½ c shredded carrots

1. Mix together lettuce, herbs and carrots
2. Soak one rice paper in warm water for 30 second until soft and pliable
3. Place flat on clean working surface
4. Place ¼ of the rice noodles near bottom of paper, keeping 2 inch border at bottom and 1 inch of each side
5. Place ¼ of lettuce, herb and carrot mixture on top of noodles
6. Fold sides in and then starting at bottom roll up rice paper into roll
7. On angle cut summer roll in half

Thai Peanut Sauce
1 t garlic
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1 T onion powder
4 T Water
1 T light natural creamy peanut butter
½ T hoisin sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in sauce pan and heat for 2-3 minutes until combined.



These summer rolls are great as a patio snack. There is a little heat in the peanut sauce, but generally these are a nice light summer appetizer, snack or side dish. Lighter foods go great with Hefewiezen which are great summer beers. I recommend Pyramid Ales Hefeweizen, their brewery is out of Washington. Its refreshing, smooth and light. A great beer for a hot day on the patio with light foods such as salads, light seafood and vegtables. It has a wheat and subtle fruity taste.