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Asian Beef and Mushroom Bolognese
with rice / pickled cucumbers

Active: 40 Total: 55

You may be surprised by this Asian twist on classic bolognese. Piled on top of warm rice with crisp pickled cucumbers, it will make a fresh addition to your weekly dinner rotation.
Smarts: We love the rich flavor of mushrooms in this dish, but feel free to swap them with other veggies such as zucchini or baby spinach.

Tags
Proteins
Cuisines

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
4
White or Brown Rice (for 2 nights):
  • Rice, uncooked white or brown - 2 cups
Pickled Cucumbers:
  • Cucumbers - 8 oz , sliced
  • Vinegar, rice - 1/2 cup
  • Sugar - 2 tsp
  • Sesame seeds, white (opt) - 1 tsp
Asian Beef and Mushroom Bolognese:
  • Garlic - 2 cloves , chopped
  • Shallots - 2 cloves , chopped
  • Ginger, fresh - 1 tsp , minced
  • Mushrooms, any button - 1 lb , chopped
  • Cilantro, fresh - 1/4 cup , chopped
  • Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
  • Beef, ground and lean - 1 lb
  • Brown sugar - 1 Tbsp
  • Soy sauce, low-sodium - 2 Tbsp
  • Hoisin sauce - 1 Tbsp
  • Tomatoes, crushed (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can
  • Oil, toasted sesame - 1 tsp
  • Sriracha - for serving

Prep

  1. Rice (This makes enough for 2 nights) - For white rice, rinse until clear. Fill a saucepan or Dutch oven (or rice cooker) with rice, water (use 2:1 ratio for water to rice), and some salt. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Once water boils, stir, lower heat to a low-medium, and cover. Check white rice after ~20 min; brown at ~45 min. Rice is done when it's absorbed all the water. If it's not done, leave the cover on until all water has been absorbed. Take cover off to release steam and fluff with a wooden spoon after 5 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

  2. Garlic / Shallots / Ginger - Prep as directed and combine. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

  3. Mushrooms / Cucumbers - Prep as directed and store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

  4. Make pickles - (Note: The longer ahead you make the pickles, the more tart and “pickle-y” they’ll be. You can also wait and toss this together 30 minutes before serving if you’d like them to retain their crunch and just be lightly dressed.) Whisk together vinegar and sugar. Combine cucumbers and sesame seeds in a small bowl or jar. Pour liquid over top. (It’s okay if the cucumbers aren’t completely submerged in liquid, but you want them mostly covered. Add some more rice vinegar if needed.) (Can be done up to 3 days ahead.)

  5. Cilantro - Prep as directed.

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Make

  1. Heat a deep saute pan or Dutch oven with cooking oil over medium heat. Add garlic, shallots, and ginger to heated oil and saute until they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.

  2. Add ground beef and saute until browned but not fully cooked through, breaking it apart as it cooks, ~ 3 to 4 minutes.

  3. Fold in mushrooms with a pinch of salt and continue cooking until beef is cooked through and mushrooms are tender, 4 to 5 minutes more.

  4. Stir in brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer until the flavors have come together and sauce has thickened, 12 to 15 minutes.

  5. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil. Taste and season with some salt and pepper or more soy sauce, if needed.

  6. Drain the liquid from the cucumbers.

  7. If rice was made ahead of time, warm it in the microwave (remember to reserve half for Thursday’s meal).

  8. Divide rice among serving bowls. Spoon bolognese over rice and top with cilantro and sriracha. Top bowls with pickled cucumbers if you like or enjoy them on the side.


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