Dinner therapist's 20-minute family meal is so good 'I made it four weeks straight'
Kelli Foster solves dinner dilemmas and says this recipe is packed with protein and got a double thumbs up from her five-year-old son
When it comes to midweek family dinners it can be a struggle. Whether it is lack of time or picky kids getting it right for everyone isn't always easy.
That's why Kelli Foster of thekitchn is on a mission to help people get food on the table that is good to eat but also convenient - and that goes down well with the whole family. Writing as the Dinner Therapist on the food website she answers people's recipe dilemmas. And she says there is one recipe which not only was simple to make but was "so good I've made it four weeks straight".
She said the Ground Beef Sesame Noodles were also packed with goodness saying: "These protein-packed sesame noodles with ground beef check all the boxes, and also happen to be graded “double thumbs up, A+” by my 5-year old.
"I find that there’s something very familiar and comforting about saucy noodles and ground meat for kids. Now for the part that’s especially exciting for you: The sauce has the most amazing depth of flavour, and a half-pound (!) of greens gets mixed into the noodles.
"Best of all, this recipe comes together largely with pantry ingredients, and you only need 20 minutes from start to finish." She said there were key reasons to love it. Firstly she said "the sauce is the star". She said: "There’s just enough so that everything in the skillet is well-sauced but not swimming in sauce."
Secondly "dinner is on the table in 20 minutes from start to finish". She explained: "This dinner is so quick and easy. The only upfront prep is mixing together the sauce — and once you get cooking, everything comes together fast."
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Recipe for Easy Ground Beef Sesame Noodles
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (220g) dried udon, ramen, soba, lo mein, or spaghetti noodles
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) soy sauce or tamari, preferably low-sodium
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour)
- 1 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce, such as sambal oelek (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound (450g) lean ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (coarse or rock salt), plus more for the noodles
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
- 8 ounces (220g) baby spinach
- Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)
Method
Boil large pan of salted water and add 220g dried noodles. Cook for 1 minute less than the package instructions. Meanwhile, whisk 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of the toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoons cornflour, 1 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce if using, and 2 minced garlic cloves together in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl
Drain the noodles and rinse under cool water
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the lean ground beef and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat into medium pieces, until browned and cooked through, for five to seven minutes. In the last minute of cooking, stir in 1 tablespoon sesame seeds.
Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the baby spinach a few handfuls at a time. Whisk the sauce again, then add the sauce and noodles to the skillet. Cook, tossing regularly, until the spinach is just wilted and combined well with the beef and noodles, about 1 minute. Garnish with more sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions if desired.
