Szechuan Pork

Wow! This was terrific! It had a good balance of spicy and sweet. Typically we add chili garlic sauce to everything, regardless if the recipe already has it in there. The amount it called for was good though. More hot than sweet. Definitely having again.

We used wheat noodles, sinc I couldn't find soba, fresh ginger (not bottled), green pepper (cheaper than a red), and no green onions (disappeared between the grocery register and our house).

Szechuan Pork

Photo by ALB (with extra green beans)

Ingredients
6 ounces soba (buckwheat) noodles, uncooked
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 2-inch strips
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
3/4 cup red bell pepper strips (about 1 small pepper)
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter
3/4 cup (2-inch) diagonally cut green onions (about 4 green onions)
Added 1/2 pound green beans

Preparation 1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, chili garlic sauce, and ginger to pan; stir-fry for2 minutes. Add bell pepper to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add broth, soy sauce, and peanut butter to pan. Reduce heat to low; cook for 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Stir in onions. Serve over noodles.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup pork mixture and 1/2 cup noodles)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 338 (23% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 2.2g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.9g); IRON 2.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 63mg; CALCIUM 40mg; CARBOHYDRATE 36.8g; SODIUM 693mg; PROTEIN 30.4g; FIBER 1.7g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2008