I love coconut milk and whenever I see a recipe with coconut milk in it, I definitely give it a try. This one is from an old issue of Cooking Light magazine (July 2002); an east-west fusion and a trimmed down version of an old time favorite beef recipe.

Ingredients
Paste:
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Thai chile sauce
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped

Stew:
Cooking spray
1 pound beef stew meat
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 (14 1/4-ounce) can low-salt beef broth
2 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
1 1/2 cups (1-inch-thick) sliced carrot
1 cup (1-inch-thick) sliced celery
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup light coconut milk

Preparation
To prepare paste, combine first 6 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Spoon into a bowl.

To prepare stew, heat a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan.

Reduce heat to low; add oil to pan. Add paste; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add curry, cinnamon, and bay leaf; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in beef, soy sauce, and broth. Increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour.

Add sweet potato, carrot, celery, and mushrooms. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until beef and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; stir in coconut milk. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf.

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