At some points in my life I've lived alone, been on a tight budget and required some creativity when coming up with meals. To this day if I'm not sure what to make from the ingredients I have on hand, I'll go online to search recipes based on what I have and what needs to get eaten.
I stumbled across this webpage with a simple recipe with only TWO main ingredients (not counting anything in my spice section because I don't count these as food on their own). Alyssa Rivers provides a great dish and since the ingredients are cheap to replace if I didn't like the end result, I'd figured I'd give it a try. I loved it so much I had to adapt it a little to my own tastes however stand behind this super simple recipe that is budget friendly, quick to make and can be used over and over as a staple meal - be you single, couple or family!
NOTE: You can use the protein of choice as an alternative to beef. Ground chicken, pork, turkey or even some tofu would work well with the combination - the sauce is the ultimate hero of the dish !
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce OR 1/8 cup regular soy
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups hot cooked white or brown rice
sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
1. In a large skillet or wok cook the ground beef and garlic breaking it into crumbles over medium heat until no longer pink.
2. In a small bowl whisk brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, paprika and pepper. Pour over the ground beef and let simmer for a minute or two.
3. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions and/or sesame seeds.
The extra sauce works well with the rice and makes the dish a good meal - quick and simple! Pair with some veggies - steamed and salted or a light salad to bring some green to your plate!
If you liked this method, have questions or comments on how it turned out, let me know in the comments below. Also subscribe to receive more posts like this!
Cheers and Bon Appetit!
Linda Kamaev