Steak on Green Rice unites Korean dishes

Steak plays an important role in Korean cooking, unlike other Asian cuisines. Invading Mongols brought beef to Korea in the Middle Ages.

Rice cooked with spinach and bean sprouts is another Korean staple. I have adapted these recipes to showcase the intriguing flavors of Korean cooking while reducing preparation time.

Brown rice takes about 45 minutes to cook. There are several brands of quick cooking-brown rice available. Their cooking time ranges from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. I find the 30-minute rice has more flavor, but any quick-cooking rice will work for this dinner.

Korean Grilled Beef

¾ pound skirt steak

2 tablespoons “lite” soy sauce

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons

Dijon mustard

Salt and ground black pepper

Heat grill or broiler.

Score the meat deeply crosswise at ½ -inch intervals.

This allows the meat to absorb more of the marinade and cook more evenly. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and mustard together. Add the meat and turn in the marinade to make sure all sides are coated with the sauce.

Marinate for 10 minutes.

Remove meat and discard marinade. Place meat on grill about 3 or 4 inches from the heat source. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a carving board and add salt and pepper to taste to the cooked steak.

Slice steak across the grain, making sure to capture the juices. Serve over Green Rice and pour the juices on top.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 220 calories, 7 g fat, 34 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 97 mg cholesterol, 557 mg sodium and no fiber.

Dietary exchanges: 4 lean meat

Green Rice

5 ounces washed, ready-to-eat fresh spinach

½ cup quick-cooking brown rice

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

1 cup water

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 green onions, sliced

Salt and ground black pepper

Place the spinach, rice, bean sprouts and water in a large saucepan. Bring the water to a boil and cover with a lid. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 30 minutes or according to rice package instructions. The water should be absorbed and the rice cooked through. If the rice is cooked and there is liquid in the pan, remove the lid and boil to evaporate liquid. Stir in the sesame oil and green onion.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place on dinner plate. Serve sliced steak on top.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 171 calories, 6 g fat, 6 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 72 mg sodium and 4 g fiber.

Dietary exchanges: 1 ½ starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat Recipes from Mix ’n’ Match Meals in Minutes for People with Diabetes by Linda Gassenheimer, published by the American Diabetes Association.