Saucy Stir-Fried Pork  

 

Chicken Chow Mein

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound mung bean sprouts
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 7 to 8 ounces each
• Marinade:
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 small piece (less than 1 teaspoon) cornstarch
• Sauce:
• 1/4 cup water or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons water
• Other:
• 1/2 pound dry wonton noodles
• 2 medium ribs celery
• 1 pound bok choy or broccoli
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 green onion (scallion, spring onion)
• Vegetable oil for frying and stir-frying, as needed
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Preparation:

One or 2 hours before cooking, rinse the mung bean sprouts so that they have time to drain thoroughly.

Cut the chicken into thin strips. Add the marinade ingredients, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes.

The following 3 steps can be completed while the chicken is marinating:

To prepare the sauce, in a small bowl dissolve the 1 tablespoon cornstarch with the 4 tablespoons water. Whisk the water or chicken broth with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt, pepper and cornstarch and water mixture and set aside.

Soften the noodles by placing them in boiling salted water. Plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process and drain thoroughly.

Wash all the vegetables as needed. Cut the celery and the bok choy into 1/2-inch pieces on the diagonal. If substituting broccoli for bok choy, peel the stalks until no more strings come out, and slice thinly on the diagonal.  Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth and slice. Cut the red bell pepper in half, remove the seeds and chut into chunks. Peel and chop the onion. Dice the green onion.

Heat a wok or frying pan over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the noodles. Fry in batches until golden. Remove the noodles from the pan.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onion and the meat. Let the meat brown briefly, then stir-fry until the redness is gone and the meat is nearly cooked through. Remove the cooked meat and onion from the pan.

Cook the rest of the vegetables separately, except for the green onion, seasoning each with a bit of salt while stir-frying if desired. When cooking the bok choy or broccoli, add 1/4 cup of water and cover while cooking. Remove each of the vegetables from the pan when finished stir-frying. Add more oil as needed.

Give the sauce a quick restir. Add all the ingredients back into the wok, making a "well" in the middle if the wok for the sauce. Add the sauce, stirring quickly to thicken. Mix everything together. Stir in the green onions. Pour the cooked vegetable and sauce mixture on top of the noodles. Garnish the chow mein with the toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot.
Nutritional Breakdown based on 4 servings, Calories 434, 54 g Carbohydrates, 14 g Protein, 20 g Total Fat, 2 g Saturated Fat, 10 g Monounsaturated Fat, 5 g Polyunsaturated Fat, 5 mg Cholesterol, 7 g Fibre, 685 mg Sodium, 900 mg Potassium.

Shrimp and Vegetable Stir-Fry

3 T. cornstarch
1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. sesame oil, optional
2 T. vegetable oil, divided
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 C. cut-up vegetables (thinly sliced carrots, green pepper strips, sliced green onions, snow peas, sliced water chestnuts, sliced pimientos, etc.)
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. garlic powder or
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 C. hot cooked rice

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch, broth, soy sauce and sesame oil if desired; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in skillet. Add shrimp and stir-fry until pink. Remove shrimp from skillet; set aside. Add remaining vegetable oil to skillet.

Add vegetables, ginger and garlic and stir-fry until crisp-tender. Stir cornstarch mixture; add to skillet. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Return shrimp to skillet and heat through. Serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Orange Pork Stir Fry

1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons sesame oil; divided
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 garlic clove; minced
1 tablespoon sherry
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon fresh grated orange peel
3/4 pound pork tenderloin cut into strips
3 cup mixed fresh vegetables
Choose from the following:
green pepper, red pepper, snow peas, carrots, green onions, mushrooms, onions
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup unsalted cashew bits
3 cup hot cooked rice

Combine orange juice, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, sherry, ginger and orange peel in small bowl.

Add pork; marinate one hour. Drain pork; reserve marinade.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet or wok over medium high heat.

Add pork; stir fry 3 minutes, or until pork is lightly browned.

Add vegetables; stir fry 3 to 5 minutes until vegetables are tender crisp.

Combine cornstarch with marinade; add to pan, stir until thickened.

Add cashews, cook 1 minute longer.

Serve immediately over rice.

Serves 4.

Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Sweet 'N Sour Sauce
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon light soy sauce

Stir-Fry Vegetables
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup sliced carrot
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chunked red bell pepper
1 cup sugar peas, stems removed

Combine the ingredients for the Sweet 'N Sour sauce in a mixing bowl.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat.

Add broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and celery, cook for 2 minutes.

Add bell pepper and sugar peas, cook for 2 minutes.

Add Sweet 'N Sour sauce, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, covered. Serve vegetables while hot.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: 132 calories, 2 g protein, 4 g fat (1 saturated), 20 g carbohydrate, 99 mg sodium, no cholesterol

Five Spice Pork and Green Bean Stir Fry

a 3/4 pound piece well trimmed boneless pork loin

For sauce:
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh gingerroot
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mango chutney
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek, Indonesian chili paste

1 medium red onion
1/2 pound fresh green beans
a 3/4 pound piece green cabbage, about 1/2 medium head
1/4 cup packed coriander leaves
4 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 pound fresh bean sprouts, about 2 cups
1 cup snow pea shoots or daikon, Asian radish, sprouts
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

Freeze pork, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, 30 minutes, to facilitate slicing. Cut pork crosswise into 3/4 inch thick slices and season with salt and pepper.

Make sauce: Mince garlic and in a small bowl stir together with remaining sauce ingredients until combined. Halve onion lengthwise and cut into thin slices.

Diagonally cut beans into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

Core cabbage and cut into 1 inch pieces. Chop coriander. Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until a bead of water dropped on cooking surface evaporates immediately.

Add 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil, swirling wok or skillet to coat evenly, and heat until hot but not smoking.

Add onion and stir fry until slightly softened.

Add beans and stir fry until crisp tender, about 4 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to wok or skillet and stir fry cabbage until crisp tender, about 2 minutes.

Add bean sprouts and stir fry until sprouts are slightly wilted, about 30 seconds.

Transfer cabbage mixture to bowl. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to wok or skillet and heat until just smoking. stir fry half of pork, separating slices, until browned and transfer to bowl.

Add remaining tablespoon peanut oil and stir fry remaining pork, transferring to bowl. Add sauce to wok or skillet and bring to a boil, stirring.

Return pork vegetable mixture to wok or skillet and stir fry until heated through. Stir in coriander, snow pea shoots or daikon sprouts, sesame oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve stir fry over rice.

Serves 4.

 

Mandarin Shrimp Stir Fry

20 peeled medium raw shrimp
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup bok choy
1 cup pea pods
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup red bell peppers
1/4 cup red onion
1/4 cup carrots
2 cups store bought stir fry sauce
4 cups cooked jasmine rice
Sesame seeds to garnish

Slice or chop all of the vegetables for the stir fry, reserve.

Heat a large sauté pan or wok over a high flame adding two tablespoons of sesame oil to the wok or pan.

Add the ginger, garlic, pepper flakes and orange zest and sauté for 15 seconds.

Add the shrimp and continue to sauté for another 3 or 4 minutes.

Add all remaining vegetables to the sauté pan or wok and continue to sauté for another 3 or 4 minutes.

Add the shrimp stir fry sauce and the last tablespoon of sesame oil. Serve the shrimp stir fry over the jasmine rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Serves 4

Stir-fry Mexicana

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound lean flank steak

1/4 cup sliced onion

1 large tomato

1 small zucchini

1 can (14.5 ounces) red beans

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 cup beef broth

4 cups cooked long grain white rice

Remove all visible fat from flank steak and cut across grain into strips about 1-inch wide and 1/8-inch thick.

Slice onion, cut tomato into 1-inch chunks, cut zucchini into 1/4-inch slices and chop garlic; set all aside. In small bowl or measuring cup combine cornstarch and beef broth and set aside.

To cook, heat wok or large nonstick skillet for 30 seconds to one minute. Add olive oil and heat until rippling. Stir in beef and cook 1 minute.

Remove from wok while still pink.

Add onions to pan drippings and saute 1 minute. Stir in tomato, zucchini and red beans with liquid. Cook one minute.

Stir in garlic and chili powder. Stir in broth mixture and return beef to wok. Heat through over high heat until sauce is slightly thickened and bubbly.

Serve immediately over rice.

Serves four.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

 

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 1/2 t. peanut oil

1 T. finely chopped shallots

1/4 C. dry white wine

1 1/2 C. broccoli florets

3/4 C. low-sodium, nonfat chicken broth, divided use

1 t. cornstarch

2 t. low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 C. sliced water chestnuts, well rinsed if canned

1/8 t. crushed hot pepper flakes, optional

1 1/2 C. cooked long grain white or brown rice

Trim all visible fat off chicken and cut into 1-inch cubes. Heat wok or nonstick skillet; add peanut oil and heat until rippling but not smoking. Stir in chicken and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until little pink is visible.

Stir in chopped shallots and add white wine. Stir-fry until chicken is no longer pink and shallots begin to soften, about 30 seconds. Stir in broccoli florets and half the chicken broth and stir-fry about 90 seconds or until broccoli begins to turn bright green.

Stir cornstarch and soy sauce into remaining chicken broth; add to wok. Stir in water chestnuts and hot pepper flakes, if desired. Stir-fry until sauce is bubbling and slightly thickened and broccoli is tender but still crisp and bright green. Serve immediately over cooked rice.

Makes two servings.