Stir up a taste of Asia with this delicious Thai beef with Carrot Basil Salad. Saute ground beef & top with fresh vegetables for an easy & healthy meal.
I don’t know what it is about spring and summer that makes me want to make lots of Asian stir-fry dishes. Maybe it’s the idea that I don’t have to turn on the oven and make my air conditioner work harder to keep the house cool or maybe it’s just because I happen to love Asian food!
After traveling to Hong Kong, China and Taiwan for over 13 years, I found out what really authentic Asian food is all about. It is about fresh fish (like pick your food swimming around in front of you in a tank), fresh vegetables and quick healthy cooking. They know how to spice it up just perfectly and the correct portion sizes to serve.
It is often hard to find a really good Asian restaurant here in the states that serves food the traditional way. Most doctor it up for the western palate which I think does a great disservice to the delicious cooking of that region.
Hence my search for recipes to tweak that taste more like I remember them. I’ve tweaked my Crockpot Thai Coconut Chicken and my Shrimp Panang Curry with Pumpkin to meet those expectations now it’s on to a beef recipe. I found this delicious sounding recipe in our neighborhood market circular and it seemed to have the perfect combination of fresh vegetables and spices. It uses ground beef to give you an inexpensive protein but sticks to fresh fruit and vegetables for a more authentic taste. It is a little on the spicy side but you can tone it down by adjusting the amount of red pepper flakes added.
Cooking in the Asian style is not only easy & delicious but healthy as well. You can have it on the table in under 30 minutes making it the perfect dinner for any night of the week. Enjoy!
- 2 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 3 Tablespoons extra light virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 4 Tablespoons lime juice (juice of 2 limes)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 teaspoons minced garlic)
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup clam juice
- 2 Tablespoons Tamari gluten-free soy sauce
- 1 cup fresh organic basil, chopped (about 1-oz package)
- 1/4 cup organic cilantro, chopped
- 2 cups organic carrots, cut into small matchsticks
- 1/2 cup organic green onions, sliced
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Cook rice as per package directions. Keep warm.
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In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add ground beef and cook thoroughly. Drain off fat.
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Combine 2 tablespoons lime juice with next 6 ingredients. Add to beef mixture and cook until liquid has been reduced by half. About 5 minutes.
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Remove pan from heat and stir in 1/2 cup chopped basil.
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In a medium bowl, combine remaining basil, cilantro, carrots and green onions. Pour remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice and 2 tablespoons oil over carrot micture. Stir to coat.
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To serve: Divide rice between 4 bowls. Spoon ground beef mixture over rice then top with cilantro-carrot salad.
What’s your favorite Asian dish?
