15 Minute Meal Challenge: Thai Beef Salad

Is there anything more annoying than a recipe that promises to take 15 minutes, but you get halfway through the prepping and realise it’s already taken 20 minutes – and it still has to cook! There is never enough time in the day when you have to work, take kids to sports after school, and watch reality TV shows do the never-ending housework. I don’t want to spend any more time than is absolutely necessary cooking every night, especially on evenings when we get home late after cricket or football training. I just want to feed my family something that tastes good and fulfils their nutritional needs. (So I can get them into the shower and into bed ASAP!) Because a healthy diet is so important to growing bodies and I’m exhausted.

So when I was invited by the team at You’re Better On Beef to choose one of their 15 minute beef recipes, I eagerly accepted the challenge. (One recipe? If they only take 15 minutes, I’ll be using all 14 of them, don’t you worry about that!) I chose the Thai Beef Salad because hello, it’s boiling outside and I didn’t want to stand in front of the oven for too long I always order it if it’s on the menu when we eat out, but I’ve never made it myself.

As a family we probably eat beef about 3 times a week on average. The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend eating red meat such as beef 3-4 times a week, as it is packed full of 13 essential nutrients including protein, iron and zinc so it’s good to know I’m getting something right.on this parenting gig so we are bang on target. Whilst my husband would quite happily get stuck into a big juicy steak or roast beef every night of the week if he could, my kids tend to prefer meals made with beef mince (lasagne, meatballs, bolognese, chow mien etc). Personally, especially during the colder months, I cannot go past a beef casserole because I can bung it all in the slow cooker and forget about it because it comes out so lovely and tender. So it was nice to buy beef strips for a change – still kid friendly due to their size, but something different.

Here is the recipe I used, although I’m never one to follow a recipe exactly, as I usually leave the shopping list at home and forget what I need like to pack as many veggies as I can into my kids at every opportunity. So I added tomatoes, beansprouts and some spring onions to mine. I also added a bed of noodles because I’m sick of my kids saying they are starving as soon as I say it is bedtime to keep little tummies full for longer. But you can tweak it to include your own family favourites.

Thai beef salad

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 5 min

Cooking Time: 10 min

INGREDIENTS

600g beef rump strips

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp. lemongrass paste

Juice of 2 limes

100ml sweet chilli sauce

60ml (1/4 cup) fish sauce

2 tsp caster sugar

150g mixed leaf salad

1 carrot, peeled, grated

Coriander sprigs, to serve 

METHOD

• Season beef with salt and pepper. Bring half the oil to high heat in a wok, adding half the garlic and lemongrass, then half the beef and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until browned and tender. Set aside on a plate. Repeat process with remaining oil, garlic, lemongrass, and beef.
• To make dressing, whisk lime juice, sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce and sugar in a bowl.
• In another large bowl toss mixed lettuce, carrot and coriander. Mix half of the dressing with the beef in the wok and drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad, tossing to coat.
• To serve, divide the salad between plates and top with beef.

So, did I manage it in under 15 minutes?

I did it with 2 minutes still left on the clock AND the kids scoffed it down and asked if we can have it again soon.  Winning!

I even had enough leftovers to put aside one for my lunch the next day because I’m totally trying to look cool with my mason jar salad beef tastes great cold!

You can whip up your own tasty family meal in just 15 minutes yourself – head over to beefandlamb.com.au and search “Beef 15”to check out more delicious recipes for yourself.