Loss of a Friend, The Inner Light.

We had some bad news from North Carolina today, a very good friend of ours died Sunday morning about 2:00 am in her sleep apparently. She was quite a bit younger than us, but had been somewhat sickly with one thing and another for years and recently having been treated for cancer she got a lung disease plus other illnesses returned. The coroner said congestive heart failure but I think that’s medical speak for ‘we don’t really know’. I am sorry we can’t be there for the funeral. So very sad, we are gradually losing our friends down there. I have a couple of pix from years ago which one friend had inserted in fridge magnet holders and there are 8 men in one pic and 8 women in the other. These days, not too many of us in the pictures are left.

This video from Youtube was recommended to me by a friend in NC – I don’t know if this was an actual episode of Star Trek – Next Generation or not, I didn’t see them all by any means. It’s the music which appealed to my friend apparently as well as the obvious story. In view of the above it is somewhat appropriate.

I must say I thought Picard’s makeup artist did an excellent job.

I love to use flank steak and so I was delighted to find this recipe at at WebMD. Not only that we both enjoy lettuce wraps.

Korean-Style Steak and Lettuce Wraps

WebMD Recipe from EatingWell.com

These wraps should be served with lots of condiments: kimchee, for sure, but also nonfat yogurt and shredded carrots dressed with rice vinegar. Serve the various components of the dish separately and let your family or guests build their own wraps to taste.

Ingredients
1 pound flank steak
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup diced peeled cucumber
6  cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 head Bibb lettuce, leaves separated

Instructions

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the steak for 6 to 8 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices.
3. Combine the sliced steak, cucumber, tomatoes, shallot, mint, basil and cilantro in a large bowl. Mix sugar, soy sauce, lime juice and crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle over the steak mixture; toss well to coat. To serve, spoon a portion of the steak mixture into a lettuce leaf and roll into a "wrap."

Tip
To oil a grill rack: Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.
Have a great day