Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds beef, flank or sirloin steak
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 small onion
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1-1/2 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1-1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3 cups cooked brown or white rice

Preparation

1. Slice beef into bite-size pieces.
2. Wash and dry the basil leaves and chop coarsely. Dice onion into 1/2-inch pieces and dice bell pepper into 1/4-inch pieces. Mince the garlic.
3. If time permits, mix the beef, basil and 1/2 tablespoon peanut oil in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer. Otherwise, mix together beef and basil.
4. Preheat a wok or large skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the remaining peanut oil and swirl it around the pan.
5. Add the garlic and onion, stirring a few times. Cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
6. Turn the heat up to high and add the beef-basil mixture. Stir quickly and add the red pepper flakes. Cook just until meat loses its redness, about 3 to 5 minutes depending on the size of the beef pieces.
7. Stir in the red bell pepper.
8. Stir soy sauce into cornstarch, beef broth and lime juice. Add to beef and cook until bubbling. Turn off heat and serve immediately, over rice.

Helpful hints

• Try adding orange zest for extra flavor.
• Change portion to 1/2 cup for a lower protein diet and increase the amount of rice for extra calories if needed.
• If brown rice is preferred this will add 44mg phosphorus and 53mg of potassium per serving.