Southeast Asian flavors in a simple dressing brighten the fresh vegetables and rice noodles in this salad. It’s a dish that can be ready in minutes; all it takes a few minutes to slice and prepare all the ingredients.

Like many Vietnamese recipes, the intensity of flavor comes from fish sauce, or nuoc mam, made from anchovies, salt and water, left in wooden barrels to ferment.

VIETNAMESE BEEF SALAD

By Linda Gassenheimer

• 4 ounces dry rice noodles
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 cup peeled and thinly sliced cucumber
• 1 cup snow peas, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 4 cups finely sliced Chinese cabbage
• 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
• 3/4 pound beef tenderloin
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons unsalted peanuts
• >> Dressing:
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon nuoc mam (fish sauce) or reduced- sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

Place a large saucepan 3/4 filled with water over high heat; bring to boil. Lower heat to medium and add rice noodles. Boil 2 to 3 minutes, until noodles are tender. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Combine carrots and vinegar in a bowl. Set aside, stirring once in a while so carrots marinate evenly.

Combine cucumber, snow peas, cabbage and mint; set aside.

Cut tenderloin almost in half lengthwise and open like a book. Sprinkle with pepper on both sides. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add tenderloin and saute 3 minutes. Turn and saute 3 more minutes, to an internal temperature of 125 degrees for rare or 145 degrees for medium rare.

Combine dressing ingredients in large bowl. Add noodles, carrots with their liquid, cucumber, snow peas, cabbage and mint leaves. Toss well, separating noodles with a fork if needed. Taste and season with salt.

Divide salad between 2 dinner plates. Slice steak and place on salad. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serves 2.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 630 calories, 16 g total fat, 5.6 g saturated fat, 84 mg cholesterol, 46.2 g protein, 78.3 g carbohydrates, 7.3 g fiber, 528 mg sodium.