Did you know it was National Nutrition Month? Neither did I. But as I was putting together this recipe, which is my own invention borrowed from several sources, one of my fellow recipe writers informed me. In a holdover from Michelle Obama’s time in the White House, the United States Department of Agriculture has a website called “Choose My Plate” (www.choosemyplate.gov) which lets anyone looking for healthier eating options a place to find them. It’s an amazingly complete website with all kinds of features and all kinds of ways to discover how to eat better regardless of age or dietary restrictions. There’s even a feature called “My Plate. My State” which features information that’s about as local as you can get.
Looking over the site, there was something very reassuring about knowing that Stir Frys are right up there in the healthy food gro
ups. This is because very little oil is used in making them. And here, pork loin is used, which is ranked just as lean as skinless chicken breasts. In fact pork meets the guidelines for ‘Extra Lean’ with less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of staturated fat and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3 oz. serving. Astonishing to me was the fact that pork is leaner than a skinless chicken thigh!
None of this really matters if it doesn’t taste good. Need I tell you, this recipe is full of flavor and crunchy texture along with a silken Asian-accented sauce. And talk about simple. Once you’ve got all your prep done, there’s very little that’s easier to cook than this: Here is the recipe:
Pork Stir Fry with Bok Choy, Red Peppers and Mushrooms
Crisp vegetables, tender pork loin in an Asian-inflected sauce makes a perfect any night dinner.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 7 teaspoons canola oil, total, divided.
- 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp. ginger cut into match sticks
- 12 ounces boneless pork, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 12 ounces bok choy trimmed and cut into quarters lengthwise
- 8 ounces of Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 8 green onions, white parts only sliced in two vertically
Directions
- Step 1 Combine chicken stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch and 2 tsp canola oil in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Let stand while you prepare the garlic, ginger and vegetables.
- Step 2 Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 3 teaspoons canola oil to pan, swirl to coat. Add pork then stir-fry until the pink disappears but not cooked through (about 1 1/2 minutes). Place pork on a plate, discard liquid in pan.
- Step 3 Return pan to high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil, swirl to coat. Add the garlic, green onions and ginger. Cook two minutes until garlic is cooked through. Add bok choy , bell pepper and mushrooms. Stir-fry 2 minutes. Add crushed red pepper. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add stock mixture. Cook 3 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Return pork and any juices to pan, and cook for 1 minute more. Serve over rice if you like.
Great dish! No instruction as to when to add mushrooms. I put them in with rest of vegies.
Thank you Roberta! I have amended the recipe and regret my mistake.
Going to try it tonight. What is the sodium content please
Sorry Linda, I have no clue what the sodium content is. Note the low-sodium soy sauce called for. That being said, Oyster Sauce is very salty stuff. I wish I could help more. But the net takeaway was this was part of a collection of ‘healthy’ recipes.
So it says the oil is divided and the first five (incl oil) should be combined. How much of the oil should be combined with the other 4 ingredients?
Dear Amanda, Thank you so much for pointing out this ridiculous error on my part. I have now gone back and re-written the recipe–which truly wrong on top of being confusing. I do apologize to you and I hope that you will be able to make this very good stir-fry now. Regards, Monte Mathews
Yup. I was able to make a guess at what to do on the last one and it turned out great. I am back to make it again 🙂
Dear Amanda, I will do my level best to proofread my recipes this year far better than last. I am delighted you were able to muddle through but I do apologize to you. Happy New Year!
Delicious! I didnt have mushrooms onhand and substituted hoison sauce for the oyster.
So happy you liked it! Bon Appetit!
I think hoisin is sweeter but need to use what we have. I have an iodine deficiency so need that extra “fishy” salty stuff
Delicious! I had mushroom broth on hand so I used that.
Thanks so much Valerie for taking the time to write. So glad you enjoyed this wonderful dish. Bon Appetit! Monte