Cooking and Celebrating

Back to life, back to a life as an engaged couple.  Not much has changed with our weekly routines, I still cook on Monday nights and this week, I was determined to actually follow a recipe rather than cook with whatever is available.  Our Saturday morning watching the Food Network inspired me to search for a main dish created by Giada, from the television show, "Giada at Home."  I re-created her Spicy Mint Beef, because this really identifies with our tastes.  We both love spicy, I love mint, and he loves his red meat.  I wanted to share this on my blog even though this is a fashion blog; however, I will share that I loved cooking in tights and a long sweater.  I could not imagine a more perfect January, snowy night to start new recipes, new lives, and a new year.

Spicy Mint Beef

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:

8 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

8 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Thai chiles, such as prik kee noo, or 3 serrano chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced*
• 1 pound flank steak, very thinly sliced
• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup fish sauce*
• 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce*
• 2 tablespoons black soy sauce*
• 1 tablespoon chili paste in soy bean oil*
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh Thai basil leaves*
• 1 cup whole fresh mint leaves
• *Can be found at specialty Asian markets
• Serving suggestion: sticky or steamed white rice

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chiles and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the steak and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the shallots and bell pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the fish sauce, sweet soy sauce, black soy sauce and chili paste. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cook, stirring frequently until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil and mint until wilted. Transfer to a serving dish and serve over steamed white rice.