Spicy Thai Ginger Beef

12 ounces beef top round steak
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 medium zucchini, cut into julienne strips (2 cups)
6 green onions, bias-cut into 1-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 fresh, pickled, or canned jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups hot cooked rice sticks or rice
2 tablespoons snipped cilantro

Trim fat from beef. Partially freeze beef. Thinly slice across grain into bite-size strips. Set aside.

For sauce, in a small bowl stir together fish sauce, water, lime peel, lime juice, and sugar. Set aside.

Pour cooking oil into a wok or large skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry zucchini in hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes or till crisp-tender. Remove zucchini from the wok. Add green onions to the hot wok; stir-fry for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove green onions from the wok.

Add jalapeno pepper, gingerroot, and garlic to the hot wok. Stir-fry for 15 seconds. Add beef; stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or to desired doneness. Return zucchini and green onions to the wok.

Add sauce. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more or till heated through. Serve immediately with hot cooked rice sticks or rice. Sprinkle with cilantro. Makes 3 servings.