Totally Simple Thai Beef

Totally Simple Thai Beef

2 pounds beef chuck roast

1 (8-ounce) bottle peanut satay sauce (Thai Kitchen is gluten free, or you can make your own with this recipe ---and if you're gluten free, you will of course use a GF soy sauce...)

1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk (full fat is best)

1 (16-ounce) package baby carrots (no chopping, Dana!)

cooked basmati rice for serving

1/4 cup chopped peanuts for garnish (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the beef into the bottom of your cooker, and add the peanut sauce and the whole can of coconut milk.

Flip the meat over a few times to get it good and saucy. Add baby carrots (my dad says you have to rinse them off first). Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until meat is fork-tender and pretty much falls apart. Stir well to distribute sauce, and serve over hot rice.

Garnish with a sprinkle of peanuts, if you'd like.

The Verdict.

Super tasty. The kids LOVED the meat, and ate quite a few of the carrots. The carrots cooked, but didn't get super soggy since they were on top of the meat. The baby is 9-months now, and I needed to use a bit of force to cut the carrots into finger food chunks with the edge of a fork for her.

Dana, I think your father-in-law will be happy!

From here.

Thai-Inspired Turkey Mini-Meatball Lettuce Wraps

Thai-Inspired Turkey Mini-Meatball Lettuce Wraps
(Makes 8-12 lettuce wraps, depending on how many meatballs you put in each, recipe adapted slightly from The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook.)

Dressing:
4 T fish sauce (I like Three Crabs Fish Sauce, if you're not that used to fish sauce you might decrease it a little)
4 T rice vinegar (don't use seasoned vinegar, which contains sugar)
2 tsp. Asian sesame oil
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (more or less to taste, this was moderately spicy with this amount)

Meatballs:
1 lb. ground turkey (use turkey with not more than 10% fat for South Beach Diet)
1 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 T grated fresh ginger root
1 T Asian sesame oil
2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. soy sauce (regular or low sodium)
2 tsp. + 1 tsp. peanut oil or grapeseed oil (for frying meatballs)

Lettuce and garnishes:
1 small cucumber, cut in thin slices, then sliced into matchstick pieces
3/4 cup mint leaves (or use chopped cilantro if you prefer or when fresh mint isn't available)
8-12 lettuce leaves (I used romaine lettuce, but you could use other types, especially butter lettuce)

Mix together the fish sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes and let the dressing flavors blend while you make and cook the meatballs.

Chop garlic and grate fresh ginger root, then add sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Put ground turkey in a bowl, then use a large spoon to mix in the seasoning mixture. (The meat mixture is very soft. If you're not rushed for time I would chill the turkey mixture for 20-30 minutes before making the meatballs, or just make small patties instead of meatballs.)

Heat 2 tsp. peanut or grapeseed oil in a large heavy frying pan, then use a tablespoon-sized measuring cup to scoop out turkey to make meatballs (or small patties), adding each one to the hot pan as you make them. Cook the meatballs in two batches so you don't crowd the pan, cooking each batch until the outside is lightly browned and they're cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. (I added the other tsp. of oil when I cooked the second batch.)

While meatballs cook, wash and dry mint leaves (or chop cilantro) and cut the cucumber into thin slices, then slice into matchstick pieces. (You can also just chop the cucumber if you don't want to be that fancy.) Wash and dry lettuce leaves. (I used just the tender sweet inside leaves and saved the rest for salad.)

When meatballs are done, make lettuce wraps by putting 2-3 meatballs inside a piece of lettuce, drizzling on sauce, and topping with cucumber and mint or cilantro. If you make this for a dinner party, it would be fun to let guests assemble their own, and I'm betting you won't have any leftovers!

 

From here.