Thai Basil Stir Fry (GF)
After spending my Saturday morning at a farmers market (what’s new), I found myself with a massive bunch of basil. It smelt so delicious that I couldn’t stop myself from buying it.. thereafter realizing I needed to use it! I decided on two things; one, I made basil salt (yum), two; I made this thai basil stir fry! Sweet and savory inspired flavors, using beef mince with stir fried red peppers and green beans. I served this over rice noodles and topped it with more fresh basil. This is really easy to make and a great dairy free, gluten free dish with high protein.
As you can see, I’m pretty chuffed with my purchase(s) – and if you have no concept of the word ‘chuffed’, it’s a british word that means very pleased, happy, or satisfied about something.. picked this up when I lived in London for a few years before moving to the USA. That’s the really cool thing about traveling/living abroad, you pick up all this cultural jargon that you wouldn’t normally come across in daily life! Anyway, I digress – back to food!
Notes
Veggies – You could pretty much use any vegetable here if you don’t like/don’t have access to beans/peppers. Courgette or broccoli is a great substitute here for the greens. As always, when possible I’d recommend organic vegetables to avoid all the pesticides. However, if you don’t have access to organic fruit and veg, soaking them in a baking soda solution helps break down and remove surface pesticide residues more effectively than rinsing with plain water. Soak produce in 1 tsp baking soda to every 2 cups of water for 10-15 mins then rinse thoroughly.
Rice Noodles – honestly, there are so many delicious asian noodle options out there that you’ll be spoilt for choice. I used the flat stir fry rice noodles, but you could use vermicelli too (both GF choices). Alternatively, you can use basmati/jasmine rice to serve alongside this dish (more of a traditional pairing). I like both, but it’s up to you.
Beef – if you’re a frequent visitor of my blog, you’ll notice I barely ever cook with red meat, specifically beef. It’s not something I crave, and find it quite heavy. However for some unknown reason, today I felt like beef mince, and as i’m a firm believer in listening to my body, I went for it (unless it’s asking for fast food, in which case I don’t listen).
Beef mince is perfect for this dish, but that’s not to say it’s the only thing that works. You could just as easily use chicken/turkey mince, or even pork, and you’ll still get a delicious meal. And for all the vegetarians/vegans out there, vegan mince will also do just fine.
In terms of the beef quality – this is where I get a bit pedantic. If I’m going to eat beef, it needs to be pasture raised (1st prize) or at least grass fed. If I don’t have either of these options, I’d rather not eat it. Industrial beef can contain traces of added growth hormones, pesticides, and heavy metals from heavily sprayed grain feed, not to mention feedlot cattle receive routine antibiotics (more so than pasture raised) which leads to antibiotics resistance in humans. This is a topic I’m quite passionate about, and if you’d like to read more about it, you can read my ‘Conscious Living’ post about the foods we eat, how to better choose produce, and live a more conscious life in general.
What You’ll Need
- 1 medium size onion, finely chopped or sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 2 cups green beans, cut into 2″ strips
- 16oz pasture raised beef mince (see notes)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2-3 tbsp brown sugar
- thumb size fresh ginger, skin off and finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 handfuls fresh basil, stems removed
- olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Thai rice noodles – 3-4 portions (see packet instructions)/ or jasmine rice, see notes
- fresh lime (optional)
- fresh chopped chilies (optional)
Thai Basil Stir Fry
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 3-4 1x
Description
Sweet and savory thai inspired beef mince with stir fried red peppers and green beans, over rice noodles topped with fresh basil
Ingredients
- 1 medium size onion, finely chopped or sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 2 cups green beans, cut into 2” strips
- 16oz pasture raised beef mince (see notes)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2–3 tbsp brown sugar
- thumb size fresh ginger, skin off and finely chopped
- 2–3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 handfuls fresh basil, stems removed
- olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Thai rice noodles – 3-4 portions (see packet instructions)/ or jasmine rice, see notes
- fresh lime (optional)
- fresh chopped chilies (optional)
Instructions
- Bring your water to the boil and cook the rice noodles according to packet instructions – set a timer while these cook in the background – nothing worse than soggy noodles.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the mince, salt, soy sauce and a tbsp of sugar. Mix well. Set a large frying pan over a high heat and add a dash of olive oil. Once the surface is hot, add the mince and stir regularly for 5-7 mins until golden brown. Remove the mince from the pan (leaving any juices/oil) and set the pan back down over the heat, turning it down a little.
- Add another dash of olive oil if needed and add the green beans. Fry for 3-4 mins tossing regularly, then remove from the heat and repeat with the red peppers.
- Once the red peppers are almost ready, add the fresh ginger, sesame oil, green beans and let this simmer for 30 seconds/1 min more (do not go over this time as the sesame oil burns really easily).
- Add your mince back into the pan, fish sauce, another 1 – 2 tbsp sugar (depends on your sweet/savory tooth) and turn down the heat to let this simmer for 2-3 mins. Add 3/4 of your basil and stir in, turning off the heat.
- Serve your mince over the rice noodles, garnishing the remaining basil on top, with a wedge of fresh lime if you like. I add my chopped chillies separately because my husband is a big baby, and can’t eat hot food!
Notes
See notes section
- Category: Lunch/Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Lanna