I had put it off all summer. Once school started, I knew it couldn’t be postponed any longer. It was time… you know what I mean, it was time for “the talk” with my 13 year old daughter. Heavy sigh. The best way to begin was to print pictures with diagrams of what I was trying to convey. So I went to www.ChooseMyPlate.gov and the talk began. You were thinking that this was the talk I was talking about, weren’t you?
We talked about how the vegetables took up the largest portion of the plate. We discussed the fact that we don’t need to consume large portions of protein. The talk went really well and my daughter and husband were both on board. Well, sort of.
Ok, now I had to decide what we would have for dinner. Since we had talked veggies, I decided to select my 13 year old’s favorites (green beans and carrots) and incorporate them into dinner. Any dinner with pasta or rice rates #1 in her book so that left nothing else to try but stir fry. I have shared a favorite Garlic Ginger Beef Stir Fry in a previous post. This recipe is a family fav, so I knew there was hope.
I reduced the amount of meat that I would usually use and I increased the vegetables. The result was a dish that received high marks at our dinner table. It tasted as if we had visited our favorite local Chinese restaurant and everyone was happy. Well, almost–my daughter and husband both said they loved the recipe, but requested that next time I prepare this for dinner that I increase the meat in the recipe. And it just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t confess when I cleared the dishes from the table, I noticed one had a neat pile of thin red pepper slices off to the side. Change is hard but baby steps are a great beginning.
It is my hope that you can try this recipe and begin those baby steps with your loved ones.
Green Bean and Pork Stir Fry
1/2 pound pork tenderloin
3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons grated, peeled fresh ginger, divided
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 to 3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 medium onion, diced
Hot cooked white or brown rice
1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts
Trim any excess fat from pork. Slice 1/4-inch thick. Cut each slice lengthwise in half. Whisk together soy, hoisin, rice vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Add pork slices and coat with marinade. Set aside.
Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Ladle pork out of marinade, reserving liquid. Add pork, half of the ginger and red pepper flakes. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, turning to brown on both sides.Remove to a plate.
Meanwhile, fill a medium saucepan half full with salted water and bring to a boil. Add green beans and carrots; reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and place on paper towels to pat dry.
Add remaining teaspoon (or more if needed) vegetable oil, to skillet. Add beans, carrots, bell pepper, onion and remaining ginger. Stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are cooked to desired doneness.
Add pork and reserved marinade liquid to vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Serve immediately over hot cooked rice. Sprinkle with peanuts.
Makes 4 servings
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