Healthy and Hearty

 

Pork and Veggie Stir Fry with Ginger

1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin

3/4 cup tangerine or clementine juice, divided

3 teaspoons tangerine zest, divided

2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger, divided

4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided (gluten free if desired)

1 cup broccoli, chopped

2 cups thinly sliced red bell peppers

1 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 cup thinly sliced onion

1 clove garlic, crushed

4 teaspoons cornstarch 

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 tablespoons peanut oil

3 tablespoons water

Sticky rice for serving

Slice pork into very thin shavings. Place in a bowl and toss with 1/4 cup juice, 1 teaspoon zest, 1 teaspoon ginger and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Set aside to marinate while slicing other veggies and preparing sauce. Have veggies and garlic separated and ready to toss into the wok. Mix remaining juice (1/2 cup), cornstarch, remaining soy sauce (3 tablespoons), 1 teaspoon ginger, sesame oil and red pepper flakes together in a bowl and set aside. Heat a stove top wok to a very high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and allow to heat to a shimmer. Stir fry pork until browned. With a slotted spatula remove to a plate when just cooked. Pour any juices remaining in the wok on top of the pork. Return pan to heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to bottom and when shimmering, stir fry broccoli just until bright green, add 1 tablespoon water to wok and stir until steam desapates. Remove to plate with pork. Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok, heat to shimmer, stir fry carrots and peppers for a minute or two, add 1 tablespoon water, cook a few seconds longer and remove to plate. Add last tablespoon oil to pan, heat to shimmer again and add crushed garlic, ginger and zest. Stir quickly then add celery and onions. Cook until onion becomes a bit pliable. Add sauce liquid and cook until sauce thickens. Return all the veggies and pork and toss to coat with sauce. Serve immediately over hot rice. 

Hints: Although this seems to be a long recipe, it takes very little time to cook and the prep is sped up with the use of a food processor slicer or mandolin. My daughter, Amy, gave me a mandolin a few years ago and it is a real boost to cooking quickly. If the pork is slightly frozen, it will shave on the mandolin easily. All the veggies are rapidly sliced as well. Even the broccoli. Be sure and use the hand guard as the blades are extremely sharp. Not a good tool for kids!

The delightful tones of ginger are perfect with pork. Oriental food is a real favorite of mine because it is generally healthy and delicious--what's not to love? But my favorite way to eat it is when my friend Kris cooks it!