Getting out of a funk

What do you get when you put moving half way across the world and going back to school together? One HUGE, nervous headache. The reality of my move to San Francisco is setting in. After three glorious years spent in Barcelona, I have just one month left until I board a plane to London, then I'm off to the Golden Gate. I am excited, don't get me wrong, but the final countdown has turned into an emotional roller coaster.

I began the week feeling a little down in the dumps, realizing that I would have to leave behind a group of people who have stolen a place in my heart. Feeling above and beyond anxious, I did what I always do when I hit a rough patch....bury my feelings in pasta. The past few days I have been on a pasta binge, using everything from clams to eggplant to create dishes of comfort. I even attempted homemade ricotta and asparagus ravioli, a recipe from Babbo's Mario Batali, which would have been fantastic if I had a pasta machine (if a recipe calls for one it usually means it's necessary). Normally long hours spent in the kitchen clear my head, but this problem was not going to be cured by a little chopping and frying, not even large bowls of carbohydrates could solve this one.

Apparently the only combination that could get me out of my slump was Led Zeppelin and an iPhoto slideshow. After listening to Fool in the Rain on repeat, I began to browse through photos of the past few years and my mood suddenly lifted. I have had the best experiences of my life in these past three years and that alone is enough to keep a smile on my face. It also is enough to snap me out of my pasta funk, although I enjoyed it, and keep the adventure alive. In celebration of my return to the unknown I found an asian beef salad recipe that uses fish sauce, lemon grass and serrano chili to give it a real kick...just the kind i've been needing.

Asian Inspired Beef Salad

Adapted from a recipe on Food52 by Amanda and Merrill

Serves 2

Dressing:

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons unrefined sugar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons lemongrass, microplaned

1 tablespoon lime zest2 teaspoons serrano chili, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons canola oil

Salad:

1 pound beef sirloin, grass fed preferred

1 tablespoon sesame oil

kosher salt

fresh cracked black pepper

2 cups red leafed baby romaine

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup basil, roughly chopped

1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1/3 cup mint, roughly chopped

1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced

2 vine ripe tomatoes, cut in quarters

1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake until combined. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.

2. Rub the beef with sesame oil and season with salt and pepper.

3. Combine lettuce, herbs, red onion and red pepper in a salad bowl, toss to combine.

4. Heat a stove top grill pan and sear beef until cooked to your liking. About 2 - 3 minutes each side depending on thickness of the cut of meat, will result in medium rare. Slice meat into thin strips.

5. Toss the greens with 1/3 of the dressing.

6. Divide salad greens onto serving plates. Top with the sliced beef and tomatoes. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the top of each salad.

7. Serve.