THAI BEEF LETTUCE WRAPS

Preparation  time: 10 mins      Cooking time: 10 mins

INGREDIENTS:        Serves 6

450g  lean ground beef
1  small yellow onion, finely chopped
1  garlic clove, minced
6  green onions, trimmed, sliced on a diagonal
1/2  cup  each, chopped basil, mint leaves
200g  canned, water chestnuts, drained, chopped,(optional)
3  tbsp fish sauce
1  tsp  red pepper flakes, crushed
Juice of a lime
1/4  cup each, chopped coriander leaves and peanuts
18  large iceberg or butter lettuce leaves, washed, patted dry

Method:

• Brown ground beef in a large frying pan, breaking up meat as it cooks for about 2 minutes. Towards end of browning, add yellow onion and cook for 5 minutes. Then add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
• Remove meat mixture from pan and drain off fat. put cooked meat in a serving bowl. Add green onions, basil, mint, water chestnuts, fish sauce, red pepper flakes and lime juice. Stir to blend. Garnish with coriander leaves and peanuts.
• Serve with lettuce leaves. To eat, spoon meat onto leaves, wrapping burrito-style.