I have many friends who eat a gluten-free and/or grain-free diet, either for weight-loss, medical reasons, or as part of an overall healthy lifestyle.  But I also have many friends that don’t, and within that subset are friends that seem dubious over the possibility of eating gluten-free meals that actually taste good.

Just so you know, when I cook for a non-paleo palate, my priority is serving meals that taste good.  I don’t ever plan on springing  organ meats and fermented foods to my dinner guests the first time they come over.  Let’s be real, even I don’t eat that kind of stuff (I have beef liver sitting in my freezer, and still don’t have the courage to actually make a meal out of it).  My goal is to make foods that are so delicious, no one questions whether or not it is “weird diet food.”

One of my go to recipes that never disappoints in flavor is Mongolian Beef from The Iron You.  This recipe is full of flavorful ingredients like fresh ginger and minced garlic, and the dish can be paired with white rice or cauliflower rice (if you want to keep it lower in carbs).

My friend Krystal and her boyfriend Josh were in town for the weekend, and came over Sunday afternoon for lunch.  Since I knew it had never failed me before, I figured Mongolian Beef would be the perfect meal to share with them.

Krystal was in town this weekend for a wedding reception.  I always love hanging out with her and sharing about some of our favorite things (which include cupcakes and working out).  With a sweet personality and infectious smile, it’s hard to be in a bad mood when she is around.  She has her own blog Moving Wright Along which I recommend you check out, where she shares her adventures in healthy living while going back to school to become a Registered Dietitian.

As I knew it would, the meal did not disappoint.  Krystal’s boyfriend Josh doesn’t a eat gluten-free diet, but liked it so much that he hinted to Krystal that he wouldn’t mind this meal being included in their regular dinner rotation.  Recipe success!

I hope you like the recipe as much as Krystal and Josh did.

Recipe

Mongolian Beef – recipe adapted from The Iron You.

Servings: serves 3-4

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Ingredients

• 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup coconut aminos
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus two teaspoons olive oil (divided)
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 scallions, sliced thinly

Instructions:

1. Combine the coconut aminos and water into a small bowl.
2. Heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. To the heated oil, add the ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds, and then quickly add the coconut aminos/water mixture before the garlic scorches.
4. To the saucepan, add the coconut sugar, ground black pepper and red pepper flakes (if using)
5. Raise the heat on the mixture and simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
6. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside.
7. Combine beef slices and arrowroot powder in a ZipLock bag (or in a shallow dish) and toss until all beef slices are evenly coated.
8. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan (or wok), until it’s hot but not smoking. Add beef and saute/stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until it begins to darken around the edges, stirring every now and then so that it cooks evenly.
9. Remove the beef from the frying pan and clean the pan (but be careful, since the pan will be hot).
10. Return the pan back over the heat, add the meat and simmer for one minute.   Then add the sauce and cook for one additional minute stirring constantly.
11. Add the green onions and cook for one further minute.
12. Transfer to a plate leaving the excess sauce in the pan and serve.