Quick Spicy Thai Beef

As seen in my article on YorkRegion.com - Renata’s Table: Easy-to-make Thai beef recipe is spicy and versatile

Summer meals need to be quick, easy and delicious and the BBQ is a great way to not heat up your kitchen and cook quickly. As a change of food from the grill, may I suggest an alternate - Quick Spicy Thai Beef. You’ll have dinner on the table in a half hour and have a wonderful meal to serve your family.

A wonderful blend of sweet and spicy sauces makes this quick-to-prepare savory dish delicious. The garlic and ginger and the picked jalapenos add powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and gut healthy nutrition. Serve with rice noodles, an avocado half, some peas or a simple side salad for a wonderful addition to your summer dinner recipe options! Of course, this unique dish is great year-round and always impresses both the eyes and taste buds.

As always, when you make this recipe, please post a photo of your Quick Spicy Thai Beef goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook time: 30 minutes / Makes: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 4 Cloves Garlic - sliced

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

• 1 Tablespoon Grated Ginger

• 1 Medium Onion - diced

• 1/4 Cup Jalapeno Peppers – fresh and seeded or pickled

• 1 teaspoon Chili Garlic Sauce

• 2 teaspoons Sweet Chili Sauce

• 1 Pound Lean Ground Beef – Alternate: ground chicken, turkey or pork

• 2 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce

• 1/2 Cup Water

• 1 Cup Passata (ground or crushed tomatoes)

• 1½ Tablespoons Lemon Juice (super useful tip to pre-juice and zest your lemons!)

• ½ teaspoon Lemon Zest

• 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

• 1/8 teaspoon Herbamare or sea salt and grinds of black pepper – to taste

• 1/3 Cup Fresh Parsley – chopped – optional for garnish

For serving:

• Rice noodles, rice or quinoa (these last two cooked ahead and in your fridge is always a good idea)

• Peas

• Ripe Avocado

• Side Salad

How It’s Made

• Peel and slice the garlic and set aside to work its nutritional magic!

• Heat the oil in a large shallow pan or a wok over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, onion, jalapeno peppers, garlic chili and sweet chili sauces and sauté, for about 2-3 minutes, to let the flavours blend together and the garlic, onions and peppers soften.

• Increase the heat to medium-high and add the ground meat. Cook the meat in the sauce mixture for 5 minutes or until browned. Add the hoisin sauce and stir to blend in.

• Add the water and passata (or ground or crushed tomatoes) and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer, covered, 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the meat is fully cooked.

• Cook your rice noodles while the dish is simmering, or if you have rice or quinoa cooked, reheat it.

• Add the lemon juice, zest, and maple syrup. Season with Herbamare or sea salt and some grinds of fresh pepper and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.

• With a clean spoon, taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the pan from the heat. Serve on top of rice noodles, rice or quinoa. Garnish with the parsley.

Enjoy!

Variations

• You can use very thin slices of beef steak or cut up chicken breast or thighs instead of ground beef. A vegan option would be tempeh, but you would need to cube the tempeh and pan fry the cubes in a splash of olive oil and then a couple of tablespoons of tamari to season and flavour the cubes, then add them at the very end to the mixture, just before serving.

• Add 1 cup frozen peas to the mixture when you add the lemon juice, zest and maple syrup or serve on the side.

• Add sliced mushrooms when you sauté the garlic, onions and peppers.