Coleslaw stir fry a la Ms. Annetta

I'm sad that I no longer work with Miss Annetta, because we used to hang out in the lunch room and talk about cooking and music. She taught me that a bag of coleslaw mix from the grocery store could be used to make a quick and delicious stir fry. Why do all that shredding yourself?? I combined her instructions with this recipe I like from budget bites, and it's tasty every time. I enjoy this one with onion and bell pepper as well as the cabbage and carrots from the bag. It's a little greasy but pretty quick and good. If you have ginger garlic paste handy it's even quicker.

https://www.budgetbytes.com/2016/08/beef-cabbage-stir-fry/

 (Dan's version below)

Ingredients

STIR FRY SAUCE

• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (I use a lot less than budget bytes called for, too greasy/sesame for me)
• 1 Tbsp sriracha*
• 1-2 Tbsp brown sugar (aka 1 scoop, I eyeball it)
• 3-5 cloves fresh garlic, crushed and minced
• 1-2 Tbsp fresh peeled grated ginger
• 3 green onion, sliced 
• white vinegar, a splash (maybe 1 teaspoon?)

STIR FRY

• Half a bag of coleslaw mix (or ~3-4 cups shredded cabbage and carrots)
• 1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced, whatever color you prefer
• 1 small onion, diced or thinly sliced
• ½ Tbsp vegetable oil or other neutral cooking oil
• 1 lb. lean ground beef (or ground turkey, or ground pork. Use 1/2 lb if you prefer it less meaty)
• Salt and pepper to taste

GARNISHES (optional)

• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp sriracha 
• Additional sliced green onion

Instructions

1. Prepare the stir fry sauce first. In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, green onion, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and brown sugar. Set the sauce aside.
2. Prepare all the vegetables so they are ready to go when you need them.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the cooking oil and ground beef, and season to your taste with salt and pepper. Cook the beef , breaking up into small pieces, until well browned and no longer pink (about five minutes). Then remove from the pan into a small bowl lined with paper towels to drain some of the fat. 
4. Add the vegetables to the skillet and turn to coat - continue to stir and cook until bright and slightly wilted (or fully wilted, if you prefer). Return the beef to the pan, and stir in the prepared sauce. Mix well and cook until heated through and flavors have mingled, another 2-4 minutes. 
5. To serve, spoon the stir fry mixture over a bowl of steamed rice, and top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a drizzle of sriracha.

Notes

* 1 Tbsp sriracha makes a medium-spicy stir fry. You can also use more, or add chili paste if you prefer it more spicy, and if you don't like spicy, start with 1 tsp sriracha instead. The sriracha adds flavor as well as heat, so I don't suggest skipping it all together.