Indonesian Beef with Thai Peanut Sauce

Since my memories at different tables in my lifetime have shaped my view of The Table and all I hope ours to be, I thought it appropriate to share a beloved recipe from one of the tables that shaped me the most. This recipe comes from a dear mentor-friend of mine who took me in when I was a stray college student and fed my soul and my belly multiple times a week. While the rest of my friends were eating fast food and pb&j, I was eating gourmet dishes on a patio surrounded by small Sunset Magazine inspired gardens. It was a patio abundant in love and laughter.

So much laughter.

From her I learned that a good mentor shares her heart, her home and her recipes. I am forever grateful.

The recipe below is truly delicious and even first time guests have been known to use their fingers to get every drop of the peanut sauce out of their ramekins. It is that good.

I'm posting her original recipe and in parenthesis, a few modifications to make this healthy recipe, even healthier.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb Top Sirloin Steak, sliced in strips, marinated

Marinade

1/2 cup coconut milk - I typically use Native Forest Simple Organic Unsweetened Coconut Milk, 13.5 Fluid Ounce Can - Save the rest for your rice!

3 TBS lime juice

1 TBS vegetable oil (I use coconut or avocado oil)

2 tsp Soy Sauce (I use Bragg's Liquid Aminos)

2 cloves garlic pressed (I always use a bit more)

1/8 tsp ground pepper

Peanut Sauce: (I always double the recipe below)

1/3 cup Chunky No-sugar added Peanut Butter

1/3 cup water

2 TBS Soy Sauce (once again, I use Bragg's Aminos)

1 TBS Cider Vinegar (I use raw apple cider)

1/8 tsp ground red pepper

2 cloves garlic (Once again, I always use more.)

Coconut  Rice:  

2  cups  dry  Jasmine  Rice  

1  can coconut  milk  (or  the  rest  of  the  coconut milk  used  for  the  marinade)  

and  enough  water  to  total  2  cans  of  liquid. 

Cucumber  Salad:

Dice  2  or  more  cucumbers  

Mince  red  onion  (a  few  TBS)  

Drizzle  with  apple  cider  vinegar  (I  use  raw)  

Directions

Place  all  marinade ingredients  in  a  marinating  bowl or gallon sized Ziplock bag.  Cover  and  refrigerate  4  hrs.  After  marinating,  put  meat  on  water-soaked  skewers.  Grill  2-3  minutes  per  side.  

Bring  rice,  coconut  milk,  and  water  to  a  boil.  Cover, reduce  to  low heat,  and  simmer  25  minutes.  

Mix  all  the  Thai Peanut Sauce ingredients  together and  microwave  covered  2  minutes until thickened  (longer  if  you  double  the  recipe.)  Stir  to  blend  and  serve  in  little  cups. 

Layer  the  bottom  of  a  large  bowl  with  rice.  Place  steak  on  top  of  the  rice  on  one  side  and  the  cucumber  salad  on  the  other.    Serve  with  small  bowls  of  peanut  sauce. 

If  you  are  really  being  fancy  you  can  sprinkle  the  dish  with  dianthus  petals.  They  are  tasty  and  beautiful.  I  have  never  actually  done  this  step  but  have  dreams  of  flower  petals  gracing  our  dinner  plates  when  I  am  taking  in  stray  college  students  and  don't  have  little  ones  under  toe.