Tag Archives: quick dinner recipes

Comfort food, Healthy, Main Dishes, Pasta

Pork Lo Mein Stir Fry

Leave a comment

 

If there’s one food I’m pretty sure I could eat every single day forever, it would be Chinese food.  There is so much variety; you can have pork, chicken, steak, shrimp, tofu.  Almost every vegetable tastes better fried in a wok with soy sauce on it.  And seriously, rice is amazing.  Put anything on top of it and it’s better than it was alone.  Or you can have noodles instead. Or both!

Speaking of noodles, Chinese lo mein is always so delicious, do you ever wonder why?  (Besides the week’s worth of salt and addictive MSG)  I think it’s the slurping you get to do, one noodle at a time or swirl a big batch around a fork and shove it all in. But it is so easy to make at home! You don’t have to buy special noodles either, plain spaghetti will do in a pinch.

This recipe uses diced pork, and is very flexible. You can use ground meat instead, or use a different type. You can also sub in tofu for the vegetarian crowd. And for the vegetables, I used zucchini, onion, and green bell pepper, but you can add whatever you happen to like and have at home. Try edamame, carrots, mushrooms, cabbage, or more exotic things like baby corn, sprouts, or bamboo.

20160911_172015

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup diced pork meat
  • 1 1/2 cup chopped veggies of choice
  • 1 pound noodles
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2-3 tbsp fish sauce (if you have it)
  • 2-3 tbsp lemon or lime juice, or rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp flour or cornstarch if you want a thicker sauce
  • Optional to serve: hot pepper, sriracha, lime wedges, diced fresh herbs, crushed peanuts or cashews

20160911_172911

Step 1: In a hot frying pan, melt the butter or olive oil and cook the pork until browned on all sides. In a separate pan, boil the noodles per directions on package, and drain.

20160911_173300

Step 2: Remove the pork to a plate and add the vegetables. Stir fry on medium high heat until cooked throughout and beginning to brown, about 3-5 minutes.

20160911_173244

Step 3: Add the soy sauce, fish sauce if using, lemon or lime, and any other spices you want (Sriracha lovers?). Mix well to coat the veggies, add the pork back to the pan. Add the cornstarch and mix well if you want a thicker sauce.

20160911_173224

Step 4: Serve over the noodles with your desired toppings!

20160911_173057

 

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Comfort food, Healthy, Main Dishes

Cashew Ginger Chicken Stir Fry

Leave a comment

 

You know my biggest topics I love to talk about are: 1) Healthy food, 2) Delicious & New foods, and 3) Affordable food, right?  Well, if you didn’t you do now.

Not much lights me up more than finding or creating a recipe that is good for you, quick and easy to make, and also draws rave reviews from a somewhat finicky eater.  Stir fry is almost always one of those meals.  Stir fry is always in my top ten for one simple reason: you can put just about anything in it.

Seriously.  Chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, scrambled eggs, fish, tofu, tempeh.  Broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, water chestnuts.  Ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, onions, garlic, nuts.

All of the above.

Sure, there are sometimes occasional fails (for the love of god, do not put oregano into your stir fry, just trust me. Also this is proof I’ve loved stir fry at least since 2011, and how far both my cooking and writing have come since then!).  But the majority of the time, the recipe of Protein + Veggie + Rice + Sauce = Magic.

IMG_3649

For this particular recipe, I had just made a batch of My Homemade Pickled Ginger and it had aged in the refrigerator a week or two, so I was eager to try it out.  I also had some black sesame seeds which had been a Christmas gift and I still hadn’t yet used.  Combine that with a cheap $1 store bagged mix of broccoli slaw, free green onions that grow wild in my yard, a cup of brown rice, and some other ingredients I always have on hand, and I had a super quick, super cheap, and super satisfying dinner.

A few notes on substitutions:  If you do not like cashews or don’t buy them because of cost, you can easily substitute peanuts or almonds.  Or if you’re allergic, definitely omit them!  (You could add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast for a boost of vitamins if you like).  If you don’t like onions, use chives, or parsley, or just don’t add it in.  I used brown rice because I like the texture and I like the nutrition as compared to white, but you can totally use white rice, or a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture!  You can use shredded or powdered ginger instead of fresh.  And if you don’t like bagged store mixes, feel free to shred your own broccoli, cabbage, and/or carrots.

Cashew Ginger Chicken Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1 cup cooked diced or shredded chicken
  • 1 bag broccoli slaw mix
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock (or veggie stock or water)
  • Optional: 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp sliced pickled ginger
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp crushed cashew pieces
  • 2 tbsp chopped green onion/chives
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

IMG_3643

Step 1: Put the bagged slaw mix and mushrooms in a large pan with the olive oil and stock or water and cover.  Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 5-7 minutes.  Once the veggies are softened, remove the lid and add the soy sauce and ginger.  Add in the chicken, mix well to coat, and let the liquid evaporate until most is gone.

IMG_3647

Step 2: Put about 1/2 cup cooked rice and 1/2 the cooked mixture on a place in whatever way visually pleases you.

IMG_3651

Step 3: Sprinkle the crushed cashews and green onions on top.  Add a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and enjoy!