Quick Garlic/Pepper Beef

Summer heat means that you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  It is really easy to just make a salad and call it good, but one can only eat so much.  Tonight I decided to spend a bit of time at the stove and whip up a quick stir fry.  One of my favorite dishes at a local Thai restaurant is their Garlic Pepper Shrimp, so I decided to make my own creation with garlic and pepper.  Add in some sweet basil and mint, and the flavor combination was perfectly light.  You could even do this on the grill (using pans) so you can stay outdoors and enjoy the sun!

1/2 c. garlic, pressed

2 tbsp. Chinese peppercorn, ground

2 tbsp. coconut oil

6 c. mixed vegetables (I used cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, sugar snap peas, celery and onion)

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. minced basil

1/2 c. minced mint

Sea salt to taste

Over medium heat in large saute pan melt coconut oil.  Add onion and cauliflower and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add remaining vegetables, keeping heat on medium, cover with lid and cook for about 10 minutes until they are crisp tender.

Meanwhile, cook ground beef over medium high heat until done, remove from pan and set aside.  Add an additional 1 tbsp. coconut oil into ground beef pan.  Then add garlic and pepper, cooking and stirring constantly until it gets fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add basil and mint, cooking an additional minutes.  Add beef to vegetables, mixing well, and cook a few more minutes if needed.  Salt to taste. 

Enjoy!