Tender pork stir-fried with broccoli makes for a delicious, quick meal that comes together in just minutes.
The key to successful stir-frying at home is ensuring the oil in your wok or skillet is smoking hot before adding ingredients. To keep the process smooth and efficient, I like to arrange all the ingredients on a plate in the order they’ll be added. This way, I can work quickly and avoid overcooking.
To round out the dish, I prepare Crispy Chinese noodles by boiling them for a few minutes, then toss them into the hot wok once the pork and broccoli have been removed.
HELPFUL HINTS:
Dried Chinese noodles or angel hair pasta can be used instead of fresh Chinese noodles.
2 teaspoons ground ginger can be used instead of fresh ginger.
Frozen chopped onion can be used instead of diced onion.
COUNTDOWN:
Place water for noodles on to boil.
Prepare ingredients for both recipes.
Boil noodles
Stir-fry pork broccoli.
Sitr-fry noodles
SHOPPING LIST:
To buy:10 ounces pork tenderloin, 1 container cornstarch, 1 small piece fresh ginger, 1/2 pound broccoli florets, 1 small bottle reduced sodium soy sauce, 1 small bottle dry sherry, 1 container steamed or fresh Chinese noodles.
Staples: onion, garlic, sugar, canola oil, salt and black peppercorns.
Stir-fry Pork with Broccoli
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
10 ounces pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1/2 pound broccoli florets, about 3 cups
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided use
1 cup diced onion
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons dry sherry
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cut pork into thin slices about 1-inch by 1/2-inch. Place pork in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch and ginger and mix into the pork with a spoon. Cut broccoli into approximately 1-inch pieces.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet. When hot, add pork, onion and garlic and stir-fry over high heat for 3 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the wok and then the broccoli. Stir-fry 3 minutes. Sprinkle with water and sugar. Toss to mix into the broccoli. Cover the wok with a lid and cook 2 minutes. Return the pork mixture to the wok. Add soy sauce, sherry and pepper to taste. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Serve with the noodles.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 415 calories (37 percent from fat), 17.1 g fat (2.1 g saturated, 9.7 g monounsaturated), 90 mg cholesterol, 36.7 g protein, 23.7 g carbohydrates, 4.3 g fiber, 881 mg sodium.
Crispy Chinese Noodles
Recipes by Linda Gassenheimer
4 ounces steamed or fresh Chinese noodles (2 cups)
1 teaspoon canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large saucepan 3/4 full of water to a boil. Add the noodles and boil 2 minutes. Drain and add salt and pepper to taste. When the pork has been removed from the wok, add oil to hot wok. When oil is smoking, add noodles. Stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes or until noodles are crisp. Spoon onto 2 plates.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 239 calories (18 percent from fat), 4.8 g fat (0.8 g saturated, 2.1 g monounsaturated), 48 mg cholesterol, 8.1 g protein, 40.6 g carbohydrates, 1.9 g fiber, 12 mg sodium.