Pork and Green Bean Stir Fry

 Apricot jam adds a touch of sweetness to this quick and easy stir fry dinner.

Ingredients

1/4 cup apricot jam

2 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

2 tsp. chili-garlic sauce

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into thin strips

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 Tablespoons avocado oil

12 ounces green beans trimmed

1/2 red pepper, sliced thin

1/4 cup sliced scallions

2 Tablespoons  toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Whisk jam, soy sauce and chili-garlic sauce in small bowl.

Toss pork with cornstarch until no cornstarch remains at the bottom of the bowl.

Add green beans to boiling water and cook until crisp tender.

Heat oil in cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 6 - 8 minutes. Stir in green beans and red pepper and continue to cook, stirring often, until beans are cooked. Add jam mixture and cooking, stirring for 30 seconds to one minute or until all is well coated.  Remove from heat. Add scallions and sesame seeds. Toss to combine.

Serve over rice.

Summer Shrimp Saute'

This light inviting summer meal features the best farmer's market veggies and  shrimp - and dinner is ready in 15 minutes.

Ingredients

4 slices bacon
2 cups fresh corn kernels, not cooked prior to removing the kernels
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup sliced okra
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 pound medium  or large sized shrimp -peeled and deveined
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tablespoons torn fresh basil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Cook bacon in skillet until crisp. Remove from pan and crumble.
Remove all but 1 Tablespoon bacon grease from skillet. Reserve extra grease.
Increase heat  to medium high. Add corn, okra and onions to skillet. Saute until lightly browned.
Add garlic and saute one minute longer.. Remove from the pan.
Wipe the pan with a paper towel and add one more Tablespoon of bacon grease. Heat pan over medium high heat.
Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper. Add to pan and saute until shrimp are done. Stir in corn mixture, bacon, basil, lemon juice and tomatoes. Stir until all is warmed.

Kung Pao Shrimp

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha
1 teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoons canola oil
12 ounces raw, shelled and deveined medium-large shrimp
1 cup roughly chopped onions
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup sliced celery
6 ounces brown mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
1/2 cup cashews
3 cups cooked brown rice
4 sliced green onions
Additional sriracha sauce, optional

Instructions

In small bowl, combine, soy sauce, vinegar, corn starch, sriracha, sugar and oil. Whisk to combine.

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and stir-fry 3 - 4 minutes or until done. Remove to plate. Add remaining 1 Tablespoon oil.  Add onion and cook about 2 - 3 minutes. Add red peppers, mushrooms and celery. Continue to stir-fry for 5 more minutes.
Add soy sauce mixture and simmer one minute. Add shrimp, water chestnuts and cashews; cook one minute.
Serve with rice and top with sliced green onions and additional sriracha sauce, if desired.

Asian Pork Stir Fry

Stir fry meals are quick to put together and tasty to eat. This is one of my favorites.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons sherry
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
3 green onions
3 large carrots
1 yellow squash
1/2 pound mushrooms
1/4 pound pea pods
2 Tablespoons oil
White or brown rice

Instructions

In medium bowl, combine sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch and ginger.
Cut pork crosswise until thin diagonal slices. Cut green onions into thin short pieces. Add pork and green onions to soy sauce mixture.
Peel carrots and cut into thin diagonal pieces or match-stick thin pieces. Cut yellow squash into thin slices or match-stick pieces. Slice mushrooms.
In wok or skillet, add 1 Tablespoon oil. When skillet it hot, add pork and green onion. Cook, tossing, until it is done. Transfer to dish and set aside. Add remaining oil to wok. Add carrots and yellow squash. Stir fry until lightly browned. Add mushrooms and pea pods. Continue to stir fry for several minutes. Add 2 Tablespoons water. Cover and cook vegetables until crisp tender. Return pork to wok and mix with vegetables.
Serve over rice.

Stir Fry Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients

1/2 pound sirloin steak
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sherry
1 minced garlic clove
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 small onion, cut into eighths
1 small bunch broccoli, cut into one-inch pieces
4 Tablespoon beef stock or water
2 Tablespoon oil

Instructions

Slice beef in very thin pieces across the grain (Note: partially frozen meat slices thinner).
Combine cornstarch, pepper, soy sauce, sherry, garlic, ginger and sesame oil. Add meat and mix to coat the meat.
Add one Tablespoon oil to hot wok or skillet. Add broccoli and onions. Toss for about two minutes. Add 2 Tablespoon beef stock or water and cook, covered, for two minutes. Remove vegetables to plate.
Add remaining oil and heat to almost smoking. Add meat and stir fry until browned.
Return vegetables to wok with meat. Toss to mix. Add remaining 2 Tablespoons beef stock and cook until sauce thickens.
Serve immediately with rice.

Options: Add in mushrooms or water chestnuts.