Cooking for a crowd: a quick recipe for beef satay with Asian dipping sauce

Tempting Asian-style steak bites, all dressed up for a party! Let these snacks-on-a-skewer kick off your next gathering. Prepare them ahead, so they're ready for grilling in an instant. They're lean enough to be heart-healthy!

• Preparation: time 25 minutes.
• Cooking time: 15 minutes.
• Serves 12.

Ingredients:

Satay

• 350 g (12 oz) boneless beef sirloin steak, 2.5-cm (1-in) thick, trimmed
• 3 large yellow or red peppers, cut into 8 triangles each
• 4 scallions, sliced into 7.5-cm (3-inch) pieces
• Salt to taste

Dipping Sauce

• 125 ml (1/2 c) rice vinegar
• 125 g (1/2 c) finely chopped red pepper
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) sugar
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) finely chopped shallot
• 7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) grated peeled fresh ginger
• 5 to 7 ml (1–1 1/2 tsp) chili garlic sauce
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) grated lemon zest

Instructions:

1. Soak 24 wooden or bamboo skwewers 15 centimetres (6 inches) long in water 30 minutes. Freeze steak 20 minutes.
2. To make dipping sauce, combine vinegar, red pepper, sugar, shallot, ginger, chili garlic sauce and lemon zest in small serving bowl.
3. Blanch yellow peppers in boiling water 1 minute. Drain, rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Toss in medium bowl with 30 millilitres (2 tablespoons) dipping sauce.
4. Preheat broiler or grill. Slice steak into 24 very thin strips and sprinkle with salt. Thread 1 beef strip, 1 yellow pepper triangle and 1 scallion piece onto each skewer, twisting meat as you go.
5. Broil until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes on each side.

• Lean meat can still be part of a healthy food program as long as you consume it in healthy portion sizes and skip the salt.
• Lean beef is an important source of B vitamins and iron, and provides outstanding protein that your body needs. Make sure, though, that your meals contain far more vegetables and whole grains than beef.

Each serving (2 skewers) provides:

• Key nutrients: 70 calories, 15 calories from fat, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 7 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fibre, 25 mg sodium.
• Blood pressure nutrients: 91 mg vitamin C, 12 mg magnesium, 201 mg potassium, 10 mg calcium.

• Satay is versatile! Make these with chicken, pork and even turkey.
• You can also vary the vegetables to be grilled. Anything goes: mushrooms, zucchini, Chinese pea pods — whatever you enjoy!
• Lower the spice in this dish by omitting the chili garlic sauce.

For a quick appetizer, nothing beats this simple recipe. Whether you're cooking for an intimate gathering or a large party, this crowd-pleasing dish is sure to impress!