Saucy Pork Stir-Fry

I'm always on the lookout for yummy stir-fries that I can make at home, and that taste even remotely close to the restaurant stir-fries that I crave. However, I'd also like them to be lower in fat than restaurant dishes, and not be loaded with sodium.

This is a pretty sauce dish, but the sauce is packed with flavor, so that's OK by me. The sauce has just a bit of sweetness and spice, and the tomato paste gives it an extra depth of flavor and a sort of heaviness (in a good way) that some stir-fry sauces lack.

This sauce recipe is based on a Cuisine at Home recipe, but I made several changes and substitutions and math errors, so I really have no idea what the original recipe was supposed to be like.

And did I mention the dish is saucy? If I'd had twice as many vegetables on hand, I would have added them, and there would have been plenty of sauce. So that's what I'm going to suggest for the recipe, and next time, I'll throw in a bunch of broccoli or something. There's plenty of sauce to soak up, so you might as well load the dish up with as many veggies as you can!

Saucy Pork Stir-Fry
Serves 4-5

16 oz. pork loin, cut in thin strips
6 Tbsp. lite soy sauce, divided
1 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 c. dry sherry
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Pinch or two of cayenne pepper
2 tsp. canola oil, divided
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
4 c. fresh vegetables, chopped (bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.)

1. Combine pork and 2 Tbsp. soy sauce in a dish. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the sauce.

2. Stir together 4 Tbsp. soy sauce, broth, sherry, cornstarch, honey, tomato paste, 2 tsp. garlic, 1 tsp. ginger, pepper, and cayenne for the sauce. Set aside.

3. Preheat a wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp. oil.

4. Stir-fry pork until it's cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.

5. Remove pork from wok and set aside.

6. Add remaining 1 tsp. oil to wok. Add 2 Tbsp. garlic and 1 Tbsp. ginger and stir-fry about 30 seconds. Add veggies.

7. Return pork to wok and add sauce. Cook until sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes.

Easy and Light Fried Rice

I really like fried rice, but I still tend to use it as a base for stir-fries rather than eating it on its own. So I like my fried rice to have a pretty mild flavor.

I've tried making fried rice several times at home, and while it looks so simple, it's been troublesome for me. I tend to to overdo it with the soy sauce, and my rice tends to get really, really salty.

This recipe had about the perfect ratio of rice to soy sauce to suit my tastes (and the lite soy sauce certainly helped), and is incredibly easy to make. And while I went pretty basic, you can certainly add any veggies that you like -- mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, etc. But if you add more veggies, you might want to serve the fried rice with some extra soy sauce on the side, just in case your spreading your flavor too thin.

Easy and Light Fried Rice
Serves 4

1/2 c. shredded carrot
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
4 c. cold cooked brown rice
3-4 Tbsp. lite soy sauce
2 eggs, beaten
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/3 c. frozen peas

1. Spray large wok or nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add carrot, onion, ginger, and garlic. Cook and stir about 1-2 minutes.

2. Stir in rice and soy sauce. Cook over low haet 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Move rice mixture to one side of skillet. Add eggs and pepper to the other side. (I added an extra quick shot of cooking spray to the side of the skillet before adding the eggs.)

4. Cook over medium-low heat 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until eggs are cooked. Add peas to rice and egg mixture and stir thoroughly to combine.

5. Heat through, and serve with extra soy sauce, if needed.