Hot Peppers...yow!!

I like recipes that require little prep and no more than 30 minutes to cook. Most of my weekly dishes only take about 15 minutes to prep and 15 to cook. I like the challenge of getting the timing right and having everything hot and ready at the same time. A recipe might not be under 30 minutes the first time I prepare it but eventually I'm able to do it.


One dish my husband, Andrew, and I like making is Thai Basil Beef. The first time we made it was a learning experience...with handling hot peppers. I made him cut the hot peppers and he didn't use gloves. When he was done he washed his hands but that didn't get the hot pepper out of his skin. For the next two days his hands burned and anything he touched right after handling them burned...you know what guys scratch most often. Well, let's just say he was in a little pain down yonder for a bit.

Remember to wear gloves to handle the hot peppers!

The Thai recipe was delicious and didn't have too much fat or calories. It was a little high in sodium due to the fish sauce and soy sauce. But the veggies and flavor made it a delicious dish.

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 jalapeno peppers (we reduced this the 2nd time, using only 2)
• 1 green pepper
• 1 lb. flank steak, tenderized and cut into strips - ask your butcher to slice it for free
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce - I found it at Schnucks
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp pepper, calls for white pepper but we just used black
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
• Rice noodles (found at Schnucks) or rice

Prep (You have to have the prep done before cooking because it moves along pretty quickly):

1. If serving with rice start cooking it first.
2. Purchase flank steak already sliced or you slice thinly across the grain.
3. Peel and chop garlic.           Seed and slice jalapeno peppers.
4. Cut green peppers in thin slices.

Cooking directions:

1. Heat pan and add oil & garlic.  Chow for a very brief moment. I'm not sure what 'chow' means but I just stirred it over heat for a bit.
2. Add peppers to pan, chow for a few minutes.
3. Add beef and chow for a couple of minutes so meat sears to medium rare.
4. Toss rice noodles in boiling water (takes about 5-7 minutes to cook)
5. Quickly add remaining ingredients and toss for a moment.
6. Serve hot over rice noodles or rice.

Let me know if you make this dish and what you think of it. Thanks.