Stir-fried steak with citrus basil dressing

Instructions

1 Plunge the beans into a saucepan of boiling, salted water for 1-2 minutes to soften slightly. Drain.

2 To make the dressing, finely slice half the basil leaves and put into a small bowl with 1 tablespoon oil and the lemon juice. Mix together.

3 Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan or wok. Season the steaks with salt and pepper then fry over a high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside to rest.

4 Heat the remaining oil in the pan (there’s no need to wash it first). Add the capsicum and fry for 5 minutes until golden. Meanwhile, slice the steak into strips.

5 Add the Herby onion rice* to the pan and fry for 5 minutes, stirring, until hot through. Add the beans and steak strips. Stir over a high heat for 1-2 minutes until everything is hot. Add the remaining basil then divide among 4 plates. Drizzle over the dressing and serve.

*Herby onion rice

Heat olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add onions and thyme or rosemary. Season and cook gently for 15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions are soft. (Cooking the onions slowly brings out their gorgeous sweetness.) Add rice and vegetable stock then cover and bring to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is almost cooked. (Under-cook the rice slightly so it retains some bite, as it will finish cooking in the recipe.)

You can also use this rice as a base in these recipes:

Spiced smoked fish in creamy parsley rice
Mushroom and spinach risotto
Chicken and bacon paella