I love taking my kids to the library. We live only a few blocks away, so it's easy to walk over for a morning browse of books.  My three year old heads straight for the early literacy computer to play games while my two year old runs around ripping books off the shelf.  It's great fun I tell you.  I head to the cookbook shelves and thumb through something that catches my eye while keeping an ear out for my two year old tornado.

One day I grabbed Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast, took it back to the children's section and sat on some comfy bean bag chairs while my girls leafed through some picture books beside me.  I loved Everyday Food: Great Food Fast so this cookbook got me very excited.  I really didn't NEED another cookbook at home, so I was planning on just flipping through it for fun, when I came across the Coconut and Beef Curry with Noodles.  I literally started drooling.  I tried to keep flipping through the book to see the other recipes, but I kept being drawn back to this recipe.  I guess one more cookbook at home wouldn't hurt.  


This dish is incredibly delicious.  I added the fish sauce and sugar because Thai food is all about the balance between sweet, hot, salty and sour and I have those things on hand.  If you don't have any fish sauce don't worry about making a special trip to the store for some.  

Recipe from Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast 
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Serves 4

8 oz vermicelli rice noodles or angel-hair pasta
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb beef sirloin cut into 2 inch long strips
1 red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 red bell peppers, sliced
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp red Thai curry paste
1 14 oz can coconut milk
Optional: 2 tsp fish sauce and 2 tsp sugar

1 cup packed basil leaves
1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Cook noodles until tender.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat the 1 tbsp oil over medium high season beef with salt and pepper; add half the beef to the skillet. Cook without stirring until browned on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate and continue with the other half of beef.

Add onion, peppers and water to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender crisp, 3-4 minutes. Add curry paste; cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet, until fragrant and combined about 1 minute.

Return beef and accumulated juices to skillet; add coconut milk. Stir in fish sauce and sugar if using. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Add the noodles to the sauce and toss to combine.


Click here for printable version of Coconut and Beef Curry with Noodles
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RESULTS?
Perfect.  I've made this dish a couple times and it is oh so good.  Do you love Thai flavors?  Try this.  Rich sweet coconut in a spicy Thai broth...mmmmmm.  To really flavor the noodles, you have to toss them in the sauce; not just serve it up over the top.

To serve this to my kids, I keep some noodles separate and then spoon a small amount of sauce with beef and veggies over the top. Less sauce means less spicy.

Meal Ideas:

• Coconut and Beef Curry with Noodles + Edamame

• Coconut and Beef Curry with Noodles + Steamed Broccoli