RESOLUTION WEEK: THAI BEEF SALAD

This recipe didn't come with nutritional info. But with a combination of lean beef, plenty of vegetables and a light dressing, it's far more healthy than much of what we eat. It's the second in our week of recipes geared toward New Years dieters and comes from "Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating" by Mark Bittman (Simon and Schuster, $25).

Ingredients

8 oz. flank or skirt steak, leftover or raw

6 cups torn salad greens (mixed greens are nice)

1 cup torn fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, Thai basil or a combination)

¼ cup minced red onion

1 medium cucumber, peeled if necessary, seeded and diced

1 small fresh hot red chile, or to taste, minced

Juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon fish sauce (sold in Asian aisle of many supermarkets), or soy sauce

½ teaspoon sugar

Directions

If beginning with raw meat, heat grill or broiler. Grill or broil beef until medium rare, turning once or twice, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Toss lettuce with herbs, onion and cucumber. Combine remaining ingredients with 1 tablespoon water (the dressing will be thin) and use half the mixture to toss the greens. Remove the greens to a platter, reserving the dressing.

Slice the beef thinly, reserving its juice. Combine the juice with the remaining dressing. Lay slices of beef over salad, drizzle the dressing over all, and serve.

Makes 4 servings.