pepper lunch
for when you need an extra yummy girl dinner <3
Happy Friday girls! I know my recipes typically tend to lean a little on the lighter side, but this one is for when you want something extra yummy that feels special but still requires little to no effort. You could easily make this lighter/more weeknight friendly though by just adding more veggies and using a leaner cut of steak. I definitely plan on making a hot girl version (aka high-protein + veggie) soon, so stay tuned ᵕ̈
I can never skip a Pepper Lunch video on my feed so I genuinely have no idea why it took me this long to actually make it. But I finally did recently after a long day at work when I was in desperate need of a little solo treat dinner. Not only was it insanely delicious, it was also insanely easy — aka my favorite kind of recipe.
All I did was pick up some steak from Whole Foods on my way home, throw in a zucchini that I needed to use up (and also bc a girl needs her fiber ᵕ̈), and the rest is basically just pantry staples: rice, corn, onion, and butter. Which means you can pretty much throw this together whenever you’re in need of a little pick-me-up.
Side note: I would definitely categorize this meal as a universal crowd pleaser (aka kid/picky-eater friendly). I mean… what is there not to like? It’s steak, rice, and corn topped with butter and honey soy sauce. So combined with how easy this is to make, pepper lunch is basically a goated group dinner meal. I made a double batch on a ski trip recently and it was such a hit. Everyone went back for seconds and thinks I’m some kind of masterchef, but in reality it was the easiest thing to throw together.
And you know I’m always about maximum brownie points for minimal effort ᵕ̈
ingredients:
3 cups cooked rice (~ 1 cup uncooked)
1 white onion, thinly sliced
1 lb thinly sliced beef1
veggie of choice: 1 zucchini, diced (optional)
½ cup corn (frozen or canned)
1 tbsp butter
2 scallions, sliced (for vibes)
sauce:
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp mirin or sake
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
steps:
In a large pan, heat a little oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft and fragrant (about 2-3 mins).
Add the beef and cook until browned (about another 2-3 mins). Stir in half of the sauce and let it cook for another minute or two. (If you’re adding veggies, toss it into the pan now with the sauce and cook until slightly softened)
Pack the rice tightly into a bowl so it holds its shape. Make a hole in the center of the pan and flip the bowl of rice into the middle.
Top the rice with the corn, butter, and scallions and drizzle the rest of the sauce over the rice.
Let everything cook undisturbed for about 3-5 minutes so the rice gets a little crispy on the bottom. Mix everything together and enjoy ᵕ̈
p.s. if you’re a visual learner like me, I posted videos of said girl dinner and ski trip on my page if you want to follow along:
I recommend using thinly sliced beef (preferably ribeye) that you can find in asian supermarkets for hotpot but if you can’t find it, just thinly slice your fav cut of steak yourself! I did that with short rib from Whole Foods for my little solo girl dinner treat and it was delish.