This is an excellent, quick, beef noodle soup that never fails to please. For the noodles, try to find packets of wet noodle sheets. These can usually be found in Asian groceries, refrigerated, in clear plastic bags. If you can't find these, you can substitute dried rice noodles, but soak them first.

Steak Ingredients:

3 Green-Fed™ Sage Mountain Beef Steaks cut across the grain, approximately 1 inch long and 1/8 inch thick
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Soup Base Ingredients:

3 cans (14 ounces each) coconut milk
3 stalks lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed
3 tablespoons minced ginger
3 kaffir lime leaves, or 1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 stalk celery, diced (about ½ cup)
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
¼ cup minced cilantro
1 cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Vegetables and Noodles Ingredients:

3 Roma tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sweet onion, finely sliced
3 scallions, finely sliced
1 carrot, finely sliced
5 ounces dry rice noodles (or jasmine rice noodles)
1/2 cup finely sliced basil

Directions:

• Place your Green-Fed™ Beef in a mixing bowl, add the soy sauce and sesame oil, and let marinate at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or at least 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
• To prepare the soup base, place the coconut milk in a large saucepan. Cut the lemongrass in half across and then in half lengthwise. Crush with the back of a heavy knife and add to the pan. Add the ginger, lime leaves, celery, lemon juice, garlic, cilantro, wine, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil gently for 5 minutes and then remove from the heat and let infuse, covered, while cooking the beef and vegetables.
• Heat a dry wok or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the beef and marinade and sear for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the beef is tender, browned, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove the beef and pat dry with paper towels.
• To prepare the vegetables, blanch the tomatoes in a small saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, peel, cut in half, and gently squeeze out the seeds. Dice the tomatoes and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan; add the onion, scallions, and carrot, and sauté over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
• Strain the coconut liquid into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the basil, blanched tomatoes, and cooked beef, sand season to taste. Ladle into serving bowls.

Serves: 4

Shiitake mushrooms, a rich source of immune system boosting lentinan (which works like the cold-fighting herb echinacea) can be added, and you can garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, celery leaves, and scallions to kick up the nutrition (and flavor).

A fish sauce such as Thai Nam Pla sauce, or Tiparos (found in the Asian section of supermarkets) can be added for a more traditional flavor. So can 4 minced thai bird's eye chili peppers (prik ki nu), one 1/2-inch piece galangal (kha) or fresh Ginger, one 1-inch stick of cinnamon, and 2 teaspoons of palm sugar (nam taan pep) to balance the heat (if you use the Thai chilis).