Sizzling Beef Lettuce Cups

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 250g low fat beef mince
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 5 spring onions, finely chopped
• 8 fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
• A small handful of coriander, roughly torn

To serve:

• 2 baby gem lettuces, separated into leaves
• Thai sweet chilli sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• ½ cucumber, peeled, deseeded and sliced into thin batons
• 1 small carrot, sliced into strips
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

METHOD

1. Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a high heat, add the low fat beef mince and fry for 2–3 minutes or until the mince is tender, breaking the mince up with a spoon as it cooks.
2. Add the grated garlic and finely chopped chilli, and fry for a further minute.
3. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar and stir through, frying for another minute until you have a good colour on the meat.
4. Finally add half the spring onions, coriander and mint and fry for 1–2 minutes until the spring onions are just tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until just warm.
5. Generously fill each baby gem lettuce leaf with the aromatic beef, and arrange on a large plate. Top with a drizzle of Thai sweet chilli sauce and a garnish with the sesame seeds, lime juice, remaining spring onions, chilli & herbs. Serve alongside the carrots & cucumbers. Or optionally, you can have all the elements on the table and allow everyone to build their own lettuce cups. Enjoy!