Thai Larb: Easy to make and delicious to eat!

By Takeaway, via Wikimedia Commons

If you're like me, you'll try almost anything once. The first time I ever ate Thai food, I immediately fell in love. Thai food has complex flavors but is actually very easy to make. Unfortunately, thai food normally includes noodles or rice or some kind of sweetener which makes it off-limits during the #whole30, and makes me a sad panda. That is, until I discovered larb.

Traditionally, larb (pronounced 'lop') includes rice powder and sugar or other sweetener, but its very easy to tweak for the whole30 and delicious to eat!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 pound ground meat (beef, chicken or pork - your choice)

1 tablespoon coconut aminos

2 tablespoons red curry paste (or more if you like it H-O-T)

1/2 cup scallions, finely sliced

2 teaspoons fish sauce (more or less to taste)

1 lime (cut into halves)

8 - 10 iceburg lettuce or cabbage leaves

2-3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Veggies for garnish: shredded carrots, cabbage, sliced cucumbers

Directions

• Heat the coconut oil in a skillet on medium heat for 30 - 45 seconds until it becomes liquid and starts to shimmer.
• Add the curry paste, and toast for 1-2 minutes until the oil starts to separate from the chili.
• Add your ground meat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Add the fish sauce and coconut aminos to the pan and continue cooking the meat until it is cooked through completely
• Once the meat is done, reduce the heat, add the scallions, and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
• Turn off the heat, and squeeze the juice of half of the lime onto the mixture and the cilantro, stir.
• That's it! Serve in the lettuce leaf or cabbage leaf "cups," garnish with lime slices and additional veggies.

This can be eaten warm or cold, and makes great next-day lunch leftovers!