Beef with Bean Sauce and Mixed Vegetables

With Teen at various Academies and Camps most of the summer, I don't have to rush home to prepare dinner for a kid with hollow legs. I come home much later than usual and make a lot of single serve, less than 20-minutes, stir-fry meals. This Beef with Bean Sauce and Mixed Veggies was created at the spur of the moment when I had a hankering for the salty, umami flavor of bean sauce. I had some frozen tomatoes from Mary and Allen V.'s garden and a bag of frozen peas and carrots, seranno and red bell peppers. Luckily, I had left-over steamed rice in the fridge so I had a meal in less than 10 minutes. The frozen tomatoes made the dish very moist and balanced the saltiness of the bean sauce. I did not have salted black bean paste on hand so used Thai yellow bean sauce for this recipe. Cilantro from my garden was not just for garnish but added for the wonderful aroma and freshness it gave to the dish. Here's the recipe:

Beef with Bean Sauce and Mixed Veggies

1/2 lb ground beef
1 T canola oil
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots
1/4 cup diced red bell peppers
1 serrano pepper, diced (jalapeno or habanero if you want if hotter!)
2 frozen tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp yellow bean sauce
steamed rice

Brown ground beef in canola oil and stir-fry yellow bean sauce . Add tomatoes and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add frozen peas and carrots, cilantro, red bell peppers and serrano pepper (you might like to use jalapeno or habanero if you want if hotter!). Cook till veggies and peppers are done. Garnish with more cilantro and serve over microwaved left-over steamed rice. Quick, easy and delicious!