Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Pork

D made this. Finally a fruit and meat dish we liked! You could tell it was homemade versus the Chinese Take-out, because it wasn't cloyingly sweet. We had with rice.

Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Pork

Serve a one-dish dinner loaded with fresh veggies, tender pork, and bold Asian-inspired flavor. A bed of coconut rice is an ideal accompaniment.

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided

1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, undrained

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup prechopped onion

1 teaspoon bottled minced ginger

1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup slivered green onions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Place almonds on a baking sheet; bake at 400° for 4 minutes or until toasted. Set aside.

3. While almonds cook, combine pork, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce; toss well to coat. Drain pineapple in a sieve over a bowl, reserving juice. Combine juice, remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, and next 3 ingredients (through Sriracha), stirring with a whisk.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1 cup onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in pineapple and bell pepper; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in vinegar mixture; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with almonds and green onions.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

CALORIES 347 ; FAT 11g (sat 1.9g,mono 6g,poly 2.3g); CHOLESTEROL 74mg; CALCIUM 54mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35.9g; SODIUM 582mg; PROTEIN 27g; FIBER 3g; IRON 2.5mg

Cooking Light, AUGUST 2009