This is what I refer to as an emergency dinner. Not because it comes before or after an emergency, but because it is a dinner I resort to when dinner feels like an emergency. (And haven’t we all experienced those nights?) When time is limited, I’m out of ideas, and I have almost nothing in the house,

This is what I refer to as an emergency dinner. Not because it comes before or after an emergency, but because it is a dinner I resort to when dinner feels like an emergency. (And haven’t we all experienced those nights?) When I’m short on time, out of ideas, or have almost nothing in the fridge, this fifteen-minute Mongolian Ground Beef recipe comes in handy. To begin with, it’s very tasty and requires only a few ingredients, but it’s also something the rest of my family will always eat, and it matches nicely with some white rice and steamed broccoli. When you don’t have time for takeout, this gets the job done quickly and deliciously.

This is about as easy as it gets for dinner. I use a pound of ground beef in this recipe, but you can easily adjust it up or down as needed. Begin by browning the ground beef in a skillet. Once the beef is no longer pink, add some garlic and ginger to the pan and cook until fragrant. Nothing beats the flavor of fresh ginger, so I keep a knob in my freezer to grate whenever I need it, but if you don’t have any (or don’t want to go to the expense of having any), ground ginger will suffice.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
2 tsp rice vinegar 1/4 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 inch of grated ginger
4 minced garlic cloves
3-4 sliced green onions
For serving, white rice
PREPARATION
Whisk together the soy sauce, broth, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Place aside.
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, sprinkling with salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the garlic and ginger. Allow to heat until aromatic, about 2-3 minutes.
Stir the sauce into the pan. Allow to simmer and thicken for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the sauce to coat the ground beef. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the green onions wilt.
If desired, serve over white rice with steaming vegetables. Enjoy!