Even I'm getting bored--Stir-Fried Pork, Scallions, and Peppers in Garlic Sauce

Stir-Fried Pork, Scallions, and Peppers in Garlic Sauce
The Best Light Recipe Copyright 2006

¾ pound pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons dry sherry
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
5 teaspoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 cup scallion whites, sliced on the bias into 1-inch pieces
2 medium red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
1 ½ cups scallion greens, sliced on the bias into ½-inch pieces
1 recipe Garlic Sauce

1. Toss the pork with the soy sauce and sherry in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, and 2 teaspoons of the oil.
2. Heat 1 more teaspoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the pork and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the clumps, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pork to a clean bowl.
3. Add 1 more teaspoon oil to the pan and return to high heat until shimmering. Add the scallion whites and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 1 minute. Add the remaining teaspoon oil and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Clear the center of the pan and add the garlic mixture. Cook, mashing the garlic mixture into the pan with the back of a spatula, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Stir the garlic mixture into the vegetables. Add the pork and scallion greens and toss to combine. Whisk the sauce to recombine then add it to the pan and bring to a simmer. Off the heat, toss until the pork and vegetables are well coated with sauce and sizzling hot. Serve immediately.

Garlic Sauce:
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Combine all the ingredients except the garlic and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Add the garlic and pepper flakes to the garlic mixture in step 1 of the stir-fry recipe. ?? Was I supposed to add 6 cloves or garlic to the recipe or 3?? I only added 3 big cloves and I forgot to add the red pepper flakes.

Serves 4. Per serving (without rice): 250 cal, 10g fat, 19g carbs, 21g protein, 3g fiber, 760mg sodium
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If these stir-fries are starting to bore you, you're not the only one. This was a very good stir-fry. The sauce had lots of flavor (and there was a good amount of it). I was sort of rushed so my meat wasn't cut as thinly as possible and the onions were cut smaller than they should have been. I didn't have enough green onions either. It still turned out great but I'm just bored with the whole stir-fry thing right now since it seems like I've been making one at least every other week and it's usually pork.

I've gone a bit wild the past few weeks, with cookbooks. With my due date approaching, I think it's a form of escapism. Between auction, Ollie's, book clubs, Costco and the library, there's plenty of fresh material around and nowhere to put it! I had filled up my two shelves completely. What now? At least it was easy to pick recipes for next week.

Blast From The Past: Graham Cracker Chewies from December 2005, before we stopped eating nuts in our house. I've been meaning to try this recipe without any nuts but I haven't yet. If you can eat nuts, try this recipe! It's delicious. I originally got it off the internet but I've come across the same recipe in several cookbooks. I'm surprised I don't see it more though - it's really good.

Question of the Day: What do you do to 'escape' when you're stressed out?