You’ll need to plan ahead for this Mediterranean-Middle Eastern combo; the flank steak marinates for 6 to 8 hours. Since meat, vegetables, and grain are included in this dish, all you need to add is some sliced tomatoes or a light dessert.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4; 3 ounces beef, 1/2 cup vegetables, and 1/2 cup couscous per serving

　　1 1-pound flank steak, all visible fat discarded

　　2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, divided use

　　1 medium garlic clove, minced, and 2 medium garlic cloves, minced, divided use

　　1/4 teaspoon pepper

　　Cooking spray

　　2 teaspoons olive oil

　　1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled

　　1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

　　12 ounces thin asparagus spears (about 40; uniform size preferred), trimmed

　　1 medium red bell pepper, quartered

　　1 1/4 cups water

　　3/4 cup uncooked whole-wheat couscous

　　

Step 1

Put the beef in a large shallow dish.

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, and the pepper. Drizzle over the beef. Turn the beef to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, turning once halfway through.

　　

Step 3

Lightly spray the grill rack with cooking spray. Preheat the grill on medium high.

　　

Step 4

In a small bowl, stir together the oil, basil, thyme, remaining 1/3 cup lemon juice, and remaining 2 minced garlic cloves.

　　

Step 5

Place the asparagus spears and bell pepper in a separate large shallow dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil mixture. Turn to coat.

　　

Step 6

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil mixture into a cup. Set aside the oil mixture in the cup and the oil mixture still in the small bowl.

　　

Step 7

Drain the beef, discarding the marinade.

　　

Step 8

Grill the beef, covered, for about 20 minutes, or until the desired doneness, turning once halfway through and brushing frequently with the oil mixture from the bowl, using a clean brush each time. When the beef has grilled for about 10 minutes, put the bell pepper on the grill. About 5 minutes later, add the asparagus. Grill the bell pepper and asparagus until tender-crisp, turning and brushing frequently with the oil mixture.

　　

Step 9

Transfer the beef and bell pepper to separate cutting boards; transfer the asparagus to a medium plate. Cover the beef and let stand for 5 minutes. Slice the beef across the grain into thin strips. Slice the bell pepper into lengthwise strips.

　　

Step 10

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the water just to a boil. Stir in the couscous. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Lightly fluff with a fork.

　　

Step 11

Drizzle with the reserved 1 tablespoon oil mixture from the cup. Spoon the couscous onto a serving platter. Arrange the beef, bell pepper, and asparagus on the couscous.

　　

Cook’s Tip

Step 12

If you buy thicker asparagus spears, it may take up to 6 minutes of grilling time for them to become tender-crisp. Whether you buy thin or thick asparagus, try to get spears of uniform size so they will cook evenly.

　　

Nutrition information

Step 13

(Per serving)

　　

Step 14

Calories: 376

　　

Step 15

Total fat: 9.5g

　　

Step 16

Saturated: 3.0g

　　

Step 17

Trans: 0.0g

　　

Step 18

Polyunsaturated: 1.0g

　　

Step 19

Monounsaturated: 4.0g

　　

Step 20

Cholesterol: 37mg

　　

Step 21

Sodium: 69mg

　　

Step 22

Carbohydrates: 43g

　　

Step 23

Fiber: 8g

　　

Step 24

Sugars: 4g

　　

Step 25

Protein: 33g

　　

Step 26

Calcium: 84mg

　　

Step 27

Potassium: 681mg

　　

Dietary Exchanges

Step 28

2 1/2 starch

　　

Step 29

1 vegetable

　　

Step 30

3 lean meat

　　American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook, 4th Edition