Can you handle just one more
Asian-fusion taco? You’re rolling
your eyes. I know. But what
if it’s one that’s easy enough
and delicious enough to truly
be worth making at home?
Truth is, most of the popular
Tex-Mex-Asian blends have been
produced in food trucks and
brick-and-mortar joints that are
far flung from most Americans
(because though Los Angeles and
New York City hate to admit it,
the vast majority of our country
doesn’t live in either city). The
result is that most folks only get
to read about the deliciousness
that is Asian flavors packaged in a
Tex-Mex-friendly delivery system.
So my goal was to break down
those flavors into something
easily reproduced at home. And
so I give you the beefy seaweed
taco with jalapeno-jicama slaw.
Let’s start with the beefy.
For a bold steaky flavor, I went
with flank. But I wanted as
much Asian savory goodness as
possible, so rather than cook it
whole, we thinly slice it across
the grain, then give it a bath in
a blend of fish sauce, soy sauce
and toasted sesame oil. It takes
just a couple minutes in the pan
to give us the sear we want.
The steak gets piled on top of
that ubiquitous green of lower
rung sushi joints — seaweed
salad. You know you love it,
even if it is dyed fluorescent
green. You’ll find it at most Asian
markets (and many natural
foods grocers sell non-colored
versions). On top of that goes a
quick slaw made from crunchy
jicama tossed with citrus juice
and jalapenos. The whole thing
comes together with a bit of
cheese and you’re done. You’ll
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FLAVORS
2C
Packaged seaweed salad makes a
perfect base for beefy tacos
BY J.M. HIRSCH
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beefy seaweed tacos with
jalapeno-jicama slaw
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pound flank steak
1 cup jicama, cut into matchsticks
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Eight 6-inch corn tortillas
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
8 ounces (about 1 cup) seaweed salad
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or blanco cheese
Heat the oven to 200 F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the fish sauce,
soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and the
sugar. Slice the steak across the grain into very
thin strips, then add to the fish sauce mixture.
Toss to coat evenly, then set aside for 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, toss together the jica-
ma and jalapenos, then add the orange and
lime juices. Toss again to coat. Taste, then
season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Stack the tortillas and wrap them in foil.
Set the packet in the oven to warm.
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the
remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Use tongs
to remove the meat from the marinade, letting
as much liquid as possible drip off back into the
bowl and reserving the marinade. Transfer the
steak strips to paper towels and lightly pat dry.
Add the dried steak strips to the skillet and cook
only until just barely seared, about 1 minute.
Whisk the cornstarch into the reserved
marinade in the bowl, then add the mix-
ture to the skillet and cook for another min-
ute, or just until bubbling and thickened.
To assemble the tacos, remove the warmed
tortillas from the oven. Down the center of each,
spread a spoonful of the seaweed salad, then
top with strips of steak (with some of the pan
sauce). Top with jicama-jalapeno slaw, then finish
with sprinkle of the cheese. Serve immediately.
Nutrition information per serving: 510 calo-
ries; 210 calories from fat (41 percent of total
calories); 24 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats);
85 mg cholesterol; 2390 mg sodium; 44 g car-
bohydrate; 7 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 34 g protein.
Beefy seaweed tacos with jalapeno jicama slaw.
MATTHEW MEAD/
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Easy veg skewers for back-to-school
nights that aren’t easy
Grilled rainbow vegetable skewers
If you are using wooden skewers, it’s a good idea
to soak them in warm water for 30 minutes or so
before threading the vegetables onto them. This
helps prevent them from burning during cooking.
Start to finish: 30 minutes, plus marinating
Servings: 4
16 cherry tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, cored and cut
into 1 1/2-inch squares
1 yellow (summer) squash, cut
into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 orange bell pepper, cored and
cut into 1 1/2-inch squares
1 cup bottled Italian dressing (any
kind without Parmesan cheese in it)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Thread the vegetables onto 8 skewers,
starting each with a tomato, then red pepper,
squash, zucchini and orange pepper, then finish
with a second tomato. Thread the peppers,
squash and zucchini lengthwise to make
them more stable. Arrange the assembled
skewers in a baking dish. Drizzle the dressing
over the skewers, then cover and refrigerate
for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
When ready to serve, heat the grill to
medium. Alternatively, heat the oven to broil.
Grill or broil the skewers (if broiling, set them
on a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking
sheet) for 6 minutes, then flip and cook for
another 4 to 6 minutes, or until nicely seared.
Arrange 2 skewers on each serving plate, then
sprinkle them with the chopped herbs. If desired,
serve with additional dressing for dipping.
Nutrition information per serving: 200
calories; 120 calories from fat (60 percent of
total calories); 13 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans
fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 600 mg sodium; 18 g
carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 14 g sugar; 3 g protein.
Grilled rainbow vegetable skewers.
MATTHEW MEAD/
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Back-to-school is
kind of like New Year’s
Day for my kids. It’s the
perfect time to revisit
personal goals, which
range from mastering
fractions to eating
more vegetables.
But it’s also an
incredibly busy time of
year with sports and
activities kicking in,
not to mention parent
nights at school, fall
festivals, fundraising
auctions and all the
other must-do events
that mark the start of
another school year. So
all my healthy eating
plans focus on quick
and easy meals that
can be prepped not
just on a regularly busy
weeknight, but also on a
weeknight jammed with
more than the usual
dance classes, soccer
practices and meet-
the-teacher events.
These rainbow
vegetable skewers are
inspired by the “eat a
rainbow” mantra so
many of us introduced
to our children as
toddlers. They are
fun to make together
as a family ahead of
time. I just cut up
the veggies and my
kiddos and I thread
them onto the skewers
together. Then I cover
them in the easiest of
marinades: bottled
Italian dressing! After
that, they hang out for
up to a day until I’m
ready to grill or broil
them in just minutes.
Before I leave you to
your skewering bliss, I
have a small confession:
I don’t love that skewers
are deceptively tricky
to cook. It’s actually
quite difficult to get
all the veggies to cook
properly, and I’ll tell
you flat out that I have
never actually eaten
a skewered chunk of
onion that wasn’t either
too raw or too burnt.
That’s why this
skewer recipe is a bit
different. I tell you
exactly how to thread
BY MELISSA D’ARABIAN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
the skewers to optimize
them for perfect
cooking. And I leave
off the onion. Instead,
I give a hint of oniony
flavor from some mild
chopped chives at the
end. Because who
needs to worry about
undercooked onion
when there is spelling
homework to be done?
