Stir-Fried Beef with Rice Noodles

Chinese food – the culinary cuisine I will never be able to resist and by far my most favourite! I tend to opt for Chinese as my preferred comfort food. I am not a chocolate lover, neither a sugar-addict therefore when I’m in the mood for something yummy and want to eat my feelings, I usually suggest Chinese take-away! So easy to just pick up the phone and order.

However, once diagnosed as a Coeliac, it was not so easy any more. As you may know, most sauces are thickened using flour, noodles contain gluten, batter contains gluten, etc.. therefore the comfort of my sizzling Chinese dishes was sadly snatched away from me quite abruptly. But, my passion for cooking was not going to let gluten get in the way of me and my favourite food. So, unless I know for sure that a Chinese restaurant is strict with their gluten free options, I often choose to cook Chinese at home.

My favourite Chinese food is definitely Sweet & Sour Pork (recipe to follow soon). However, since my partner and my father are both huge meat lovers, I sometimes surprise them with a beef stir fry, even though I’m not much of a meat-eater. I find the below recipe quite simple to follow and rather tasty – try it out, let me know what you think!

                                         * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Ingredients: 


- 1 bunch of spring onions
- 2 tbsp sesame oil 
- 1 garlic clove, crushed 
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger 
- 500 g lean beef fillet, cut into strips 
- 1 large red pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 small fresh red chilli, deseeded and chopped
- 225 g beansprouts
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 4 tbsp coconut milk 
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce 
- 1 tsp light brown sugar
- 250 g rice noodles 
- salt & pepper 

Method: 

Slice the spring onions length-ways into thin strips, reserving some for garnish. Heat a wok over a medium-high, then add the oil. Add the spring onions, garlic and ginger and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the beef and continue stir-frying for a further 4 - 5 minutes, or until evenly browned. 

Add the red pepper and stir-fry for another 3 - 4 minutes. Add the carrots, chilli and beansprouts and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Mix together the peanut butter, coconut milk, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in a bowl, then stir into the wok. 

Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a saucepan of boiling water according to the packet directions, or until soft. Drain and stir into the pan, tossing to mix evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Sprinkle with reserved spring onions and serve hot.