Tasty Tuesday: Spicy Thai Beef Rice Bowl

I hate to admit this because it makes me sound so shallow (and maybe also a little crazy since I'm using the word "obsessing" and I'm not even exaggerating), but lately I've been obsessing over losing weight.  I know this isn't exactly the best time of year to decide I need to drop considerable weight (hello, holiday meals!), but I'm still trying.

That being said, I've been trying to find some healthier options for dinner that actually still taste good.  Healthy food isn't all bad, of course, but sometimes cutting calories can mean cutting taste (and that's just not an option in this house!).  Thankfully, there are great blogs out there like Skinnytaste that make finding flavorful healthy recipes much easier.

Today's recipe is a slightly adapted version of something I found on Skinnytaste, and I'm happy to say that it did not disappoint!

This is so nerdy, but I love the way colorful meals like this photograph!

Spicy Thai Beef Rice Bowl

Adapted ever so slightly from a recipe on Skinnytaste.


Ingredient List:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 cups Jasmine rice
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup white onion, diced
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 1 lime
• 1 package frozen broccoli florets (They don't have to be completely thawed, but I wouldn't toss them straight into the skillet from the freezer)
• 3 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic (or, if you're lazy like me, the equivalent of jarred, pre-minced garlic)
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp chili garlic paste
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, divided
• 1 tbsp Sriracha
• 1 tsp fish sauce

A bowl of healthy deliciousness (and that's actually a word, I promise!).

Instructions:

1.  Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, breaking it up as it cooks.

2.  Add the white onion to the meat and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until the onion has softened.

3.  Add the garlic, green onions, red bell pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, ginger, chili garlic paste, curry powder, Sriracha, and 1 tbsp of the soy sauce to the meat and onions.  Stir the mixture and cook for approximately 5 minutes.

4.  Add the broccoli, Jasmine rice, water, fish sauce, and remaining 1 tbsp of the soy sauce.  Stir to combine, then squeeze in the juice from the lime and stir again.

5.  Bring the mixture to a boil, allowing some of the liquid to cook off.

6.  Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes (or until the rice is fully cooked and the liquid has completely evaporated).  Make sure you stir the mixture occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the skillet!

Not only was this dish delicious, it was also simple to put together.  In addition, it's a complete meal in one bowl so you don't even have to make any sides (unless you want to, of course).  And, if you're looking for a great new way to utilize ground beef in your cooking, this is perfect.  (Eric and I recently bought around 100 lbs of beef from his cousins who own a farm in western Nebraska, and about half of that is ground beef ... So trust me when I say that I need to find some new and interesting ways to use ground beef in my cooking!)