Easy Basil Beef

Dear Dinner Therapist: My biggest struggle is being too tired to cook for myself. I need something easy and healthy (I don’t get enough veggies) that isn’t just a salad. I’m also celiac so that gets added to the mix because everything is so expensive if I’m looking for GF bread products (GF breadcrumbs are $10?!). I love recipes that make a lot so I can have leftovers throughout the week, but I’m struggling with finding recipes that are relatively easy and don’t need a ton of ingredients. —LJ

LJ: Without a doubt, the dinner that’s going to check all the boxes for you is a veggie-packed stir-fry. This basil beef stir-fry leans hard on summer vegetables, and you can still pull it off on the nights that you’re beat. It’s heavily inspired by classic Thai basil beef (though it takes some liberties to make it faster, less effort, and even more weeknight friendly) and uses a simple four-ingredient sauce that’s just the right balance of savory, salty, and sweet.

While it’s great all year round, I happen to particularly love it in the summer when bell peppers and basil are in their prime and they’re easy to find, extra flavorful, and often less expensive. This dish has easy prep, is quick cooking, and the leftovers are totally delicious for days. You can even get a head start by cutting the pepper and onion a day in advance. And if you’re looking for a lot of leftovers, this stir-fry is easy to scale up.

• So fresh and flavorful. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it leans on just a couple of pantry ingredients to deliver big savory flavor. The combo of lime juice, fresh veggies, and herbs keeps it fresh and bright. 
• Quick and easy. This is my kind of weeknight meal. You’re looking at no more than 30 minutes all in (that’s prep and cooking) before dinner hits the table. 
• The leftovers reheat so well. The leftovers make a great lunch or next-day dinner. The basil does wilt down and lose its vibrant color, so if you want an extra pop of green, consider adding an extra sprinkle of basil leaves when serving the leftovers. 

• Ground beef: Not only is it convenient and quick-cooking, but lean ground beef has just the right fat content to balance the richness of the sauce.
• Peppers: Sweet and mellow red, orange, or yellow bell peppers are your best choice here. I love a combo for extra color. The recipe calls for a single bell pepper, but if you want to up your veggie intake and lean into the peppers a little more, the dish can easily be made with two peppers (no need to change any other ingredient amounts).
• Basil: You’ll want a full bunch of basil for this recipe. If you can find Thai basil, go for it. Otherwise Italian basil works just fine and is really delicious.   

1. Mix the sauce. Whisk together the sauce ahead of time so it’s ready when it’s time to add it to the pan.
2. Brown the beef. Cook the ground beef, breaking it up into medium pieces until browned. 
3. Cook the vegetables. Transferring the beef to a plate first allows the onion and peppers to cook more evenly.
4. Add the sauce and basil. Return the beef to the pan and stir in the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil — it will wilt quite quickly. 

• Even though ground beef is a main component of the dish, you can easily swap in another type of ground meat. Ground pork is an especially good alternative.
• An equal amount of granulated sugar or honey can be used in place of the brown sugar.
• Rice vinegar can be used as a substitute for lime juice.
• Try swapping in one or two shallots as an alternative for the yellow onion.