Dinner for Two: 20-Minute Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps w/ Rainbow Veggie Slaw

This right here? It’s the epitome of a fast & fit meal.

As soon as the weather warms up I know it’s time to get tight with my bikini bod, so healthy meals that are quick, easy, and delicious are a basic summer requirement.

Typically when I’m eating lean red meat isn’t part of the program – Summertime tends to turn me into a seafood eating machine, so aside from the odd skirt steak or charred grilled chicken, meat just isn’t my summer thang. But a few weeks ago I ran into Trader Joe’s without my all-important LIST, and in my panic-induced state of “just buy everything”, a 1/2 lb of chuck beef came home with me.

Prior to cooking/writing/being amazing full-time, I relied on a haphazard of mess of bodegas, specialty purveyors, and Fresh Direct to gather my groceries. But now that my world is 100% WRY, food shopping is my version of the Monday morning meeting – It’s a necessary start to my week, and acute organization is key. So on the very rare occasions when I decided to just “wing it”, chaos is guaranteed.

Purchasing $30 worth of cheeses for absolutely no reason? Check.

Stocking up on six different frozen pizzas because the Trump-pocalyse could happen any minute? Uh-huh.

Circling the samples 3 times to try to regain “focus”? I’m pathetic.

But even in these dire shopping conditions a solid purchase can happen. So I decided to turn my random beef purchase into a randomly amazing Korean-style recipe, and let’s just say my little mistake is a mistake no more.

This recipe is low-carb, quick, and flavorful, so I’m confident it’s going to be one of your new favorites. It starts with sautéing the veggies in sesame oil over a medium flame – cover them, stir occasionally, and that’s it! While the veggies cook themselves you can prep the marinade, which is a delightful concoction of soy sauce, brown sugar, and chili paste, plus a few other add-ins. What I love about the sauce is that it superbly balances tang, acidity, sweetness, and spice, it’s honestly worth sipping from a spoon. And once the sauce is prepped, the recipe is basically over – add a few tablespoons to the cubed beef, then broil for 4 minutes to medium-rare.

SO simple, right?!

The crisp butter lettuce combined with the chewy, juicy meat, caramelized veggies, and pungent sauce is crazy refreshing and savory all it once, it’s truly so delicious. And honestly, this is one of those meals where the sloppier, the better! I had sauce dripping out of my cups and down my arm the entire meal, and that kid-like vibe just made it all the more better.

Like the recipe dictates this is written for two, but the process is so simple it can easily be scaled for large crowds, so do you! And if you’d like to add a little quinoa or brown rice to soak up the amaaazing sauce, I won’t be mad attcha 😉 xo

20-Minute Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps w/ Rainbow Veggie Slaw

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 20 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• SAUCE:
• 3 tbsps Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 2 tsps Chili Paste
• 2 tsps Crushed or Minced Garlic
• 2 Limes, juiced
• a few liberal drizzles of Honey
• pinch of Ground Ginger
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce (optional)

• BEEF + VEGGIES:
• 3 Bell Peppers, sliced (red, orange, yellow)
• 1 Red Onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 1/2 lb Chuck Beef
• a few dashes Salt & Pepper
• 1 head Butter Lettuce, washed
• Cooking spray to grease
• diced scallions and/or sesame seeds to garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. In small mixing bowl combine all sauce ingredients, whisking well until thoroughly combined.
2. In large skillet toss peppers and onions in sesame oil, then cover and allow vegetables to simmer/sauté over medium flame until needed – Periodically stir to avoid burning/uneven cooking.
3. Pre-heat oven to broil. Lightly grease baking sheet with cooking spray.
4. On cutting board cut beef into chunks, then amply salt & pepper before dressing with 2 tbsps of the soy sauce mixture. Transfer beef to baking sheet, then broil on second oven rack* for ~4 minutes, turning the pieces mid-way. Because every oven is different, watch your meat closely!! Beef should be slightly pink in the middle when done.
5. When ready, compose lettuce cups with sautéed veggies and cooked beef. Drizzle each cup with additional sauce, top with scallions and sesame seeds, and serve!

* first oven rack will be too close to the flame!! second and/or middle rack is necessary for proper cooking.

you could turn these into tacos, too!!!

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