Chinese Beef and Asparagus Salad with Brown Rice

​I love to start grilling at this time of year.  This dish mixes together grilled meat and asparagus with an amazing marinade. If you don't eat red meat, you can substitute chicken or other grilled vegetables.
 
This takes about 35 minutes to prepare and serves 4 people.  It tastes best if you let the dish sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour.  If you don't have time, it's fine to serve it right away.

Ingredients:
-2 lb London Broil
-1lb asparagus
-1c  uncooked brown rice
-olive oil to grease grill
-1/2 c cashews
 
Marinade
-4 scallions
-2 large garlic cloves
-2 TBS cilantro
-1 inch piece fresh ginger
-3 TBS toasted sesame oil
-1/3 c dry sherry or mirin
-3 TBS low-sodium soy sauce
-2 TBS bottled hot sauce

Steps:
1) Prep
-Preheat a gas grill by turning half the burners to high. Cover grill for 5-10 minutes
-Remove meat from package and season with salt and pepper on both sides
-Wash asparagus and trim ends
-Place asparagus in grill basket
-Brush asparagus with olive oil and lemon or lime juice
- Clean and oil the cooking grate of the grill
 
2) Prepare Marinade
-Thinly slice scallions
-Mince garlic
-Chop cilantro
-Mince ginger
-Mix all marinade ingredients together
 
3) Prepare Brown Rice and Cashews
-Make pre-boiled brown rice in microwave or in boiling water following instructions on package
-Toast cashews for about 4-5 minutes in toaster oven or stove (careful they don't burn)
 
4) Grill meat and asparagus
-Cook meat, uncovered on hot side of grill, until lightly charred on both sides and the center of the thickest part is pink when cut into, 5-10 minutes total, flipping once halfway through
-Let meat cool for 10 minutes
-Cook asparagus, uncovered on hot side of grill, until lightly charred on both sides -- about 5 minutes on each side
 
5) Mix everything together
-Cut meat into very thin slices
-Combine meat, asparagus, cashews and marinade
-Let this sit at room temperature to enhance the flavor for 1/2 hour