African Chow Mein

So apparently this dish comes to us from the chinatowns that have cropped up in various major cities on the African continent. To me it sounds like yet another delicious way to use ground beef. You see, I’m usually not much of a ground beef user but I ended up with a bunch of it in my freezer so I’ve been trying to work on ways to use it that aren’t my usual burger or slider standby. The dish is mainly ground beef, celery, and rice, Nice and simple. I have no idea how authentic my flavour is. My dad is the one who has visited several countries in Africa not me. So here is my effort based on what I’ve had described to me.

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 small onions, sliced
• 1 cup uncooked brown minute rice
• 1 package onion soup mix
• 1 can fat free cream of celery soup
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1/3 cup soy sauce (kikoman ofcourse!)
• 2 1/4 cups boiling water
• 1 1/2 cup mushrooms cut to desired consistency (I puree mine, mushroom flavour in every bite! I use crimini, oyster, or shiitake mainly)
• Ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Use a large wok to sautee the onions until the edges turn slightly brown. Add the ground beef. Cook until browned. Drain the fat.
3. Add the other ingredients to the pan and mix well.
4. Pour the ingredients into a casserole dish and bake, covered, for 45 minutes.
5. Stir and return to the oven uncovered for 30 minutes.
6. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with chives (optional).

This makes four servings. Each serving has 484 calories, 26 grams of fat (lower this by using extra lean), and 2 grams of fiber. I know at first glance that may seem like a lot but consider this is a one dish meal. You have veggies, grains and proteins all in one. I served this all by itself and went from starving hungry (I was late getting dinner going) to happily satisfied with just one serving. I liked it so much I’m actually having a serving leftover for lunch today…as is my husband. This dish was a bit of a crowd pleaser. My husband came home yesterday with a headache and completely drained of umpf. At this for dinner and was back to his old self. Maybe that qualifies this as a comfort food?