Thai Red Curry with Beef, Potatoes, and Green Beans

The beef share we got in the fall came with a large quantity of ground beef. Great for tossing into pasta sauce or chili, but I've also been trying to come up with new recipes using it. This one worked out well. It's not fancy, but it's easy and delicious; humble but exotic at the same time. I added green beans because I had some in the freezer from last summer, and they worked well with the flavors and textures. But you could substitute whatever other vegetables you have available. You can find Thai curry pastes (usually green as well as red) in almost any grocery store these days. If you keep fish sauce on hand, a small amount would not go amiss here. Serve this over rice, preferably jasmine.

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef (thawed if frozen)
2-3 tsp Thai red curry paste
2 lbs potatoes, peeled, in 1-inch cubes
1 14-oz can light coconut milk
2-3 cups chopped green beans or other vegetables
1 Tbsp lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the onion and saute over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until thoroughly browned. If there's a lot of fat, pour it off (if you're using local grass-fed beef, there probably won't be). Stir in the curry paste, making sure it is well distributed, then add the potatoes and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add the green beans and simmer until tender. Stir in the lime juice and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Serve hot over rice.

Serves 4-6.