It’s day three of the Sean dinner choice week, and so far so good. Sean liked the soup last night, which was very tasty and flavorful. I really think the homemade broth made a difference in this one, so if you can make it yourself, you should. One thing I did notice this morning when I was packing the leftovers for Michelle’s lunch today is that the polenta really set once it was chilled, so if you want to re-heat the leftovers, you may want to add some extra stock or water to it before you heat it up. Anyway, the next to days are 2 more stir fry meals that Sean wanted to try. The first one is Pork, Peppers and Pineapple and we are having fried rice with this one. Actually, I am going to make enough fried rice so we can have it again tomorrow night when we make the next stir fry, saving me some work tomorrow (sometimes it pays to think ahead). Tonight is another good night to make the fried rice since we are using pork in the main dish. We can take some of that pork and re-purpose it into the fried rice as well. Both recipes are very simple and not at all time-consuming. You could easily have both dishes done in 20 minutes if you make the white rice ahead of time or are using extra rice leftover from another night (One good thing about getting Chinese takeout is you often have a little container of white rice leftover. Just add a little warm water to it to loosen it up and it’s good to go for your fried rice recipe).

Pork with Peppers and Pineapple

1 1/3 pounds lean pork (I am using pork loin that could be used for a roast. You could use tenderloin here too)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup pineapple juice (you can use the juice drained from the pineapple chunks, or pineapple juice on its own)

3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped peppers (mix up the colors if you like, I am)

1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup pineapple chunks

Slice the pork thinly (it’s easier to do if the meat is a little frozen). Combine the soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a bowl. Add the pork to this mixture, stir, and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining cornstarch with the sugar and 1/2 cup of pineapple juice. Set aside.

heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork to the skillet and stir fry for 4 to 7 minutes, or until the pork is white all the way through. Remove 1/3 of the pork from the skillet and set aside (we’re going to use this for the fried rice). Add the pineapple juice mixture to the remaining meat and blend thoroughly. Remove the pork from the skillet and set aside.

If necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons of additional oil to the skillet. Stir fry the peppers, carrots and pineapple chunks for about 3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Add the pork back into the skillet and blend thoroughly for 1 minute. Serve.

If you wanted to use this as a meat-free dish, you can easily adapt it by eliminating the pork and increasing the amounts of peppers, carrots and pineapple, and maybe throwing in some extra vegetables as well. Either way, I think it will go nicely with the fried rice.

Here’s the thing about fried rice. I’ve tried a bunch of recipes, and most of them seem to use either way too much soy sauce, or not enough soy sauce. It’s kind of a personal thing as to which you prefer. This recipe seems to use just the right amount, but I still use low-sodium soy sauce and I think you could probably cut it down a little if you think it’s too much. Also, if you are making this meat-free, simply eliminate the pork from the recipe.

Simple Fried Rice

2 cups white rice, cooked and chilled

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 eggs, beaten

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 inches fresh ginger, minced or grated

1/3 pound cooked pork, diced

1/2 cup shredded carrots

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/3 cup soy sauce

Heat a large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and swirl. Add the eggs to the hot oil and break into small pieces as it scrambles. When the eggs are scrambled, remove the eggs from the pan and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean, return the skillet to the stove over medium-high heat and add the remainder of the oil. Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pork to the pan and heat through, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots and scallion and quick stir-fry, about 2 minutes. Add the rice to the skillet and combine with the pork and vegetables, mixing thoroughly. Fry the rice for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the peas to the rice mixture and stir fry 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and stir into the rice for 1 minute. Add the eggs back to the skillet with the rice and mix in thoroughly and heat through, about 1 minute, then serve.

AS is true with just about all stir fries, you can add or subtract whatever you like to either the pork recipe or the fried rice recipe. Using shrimp instead of the pork in the fried rice will make that a meal on its own. if you like. You could easily do the same with chicken or beef, or just use all vegetables, the choice is yours.

Tomorrow’s recipe is another Sean pick, and it is our seafood meal for the week. We’ll be making Shrimp in Hoisin Sauce, and we’ll be having leftover fried rice with it as well. I am hoping we can start picking out meals for next week’s meal plan tonight as well, so I may have that ready to add to the blog tomorrow as well. If you want to start your own meal plan, you can always follow along on the planner I use here:family_meal_planner. As always, any questions, comments, additions or recipes are always welcome and appreciated. You can leave a comment here or send me an email at IguanaFlats@msn.com. Hopefully you all have a pleasant and wonderful day and enjoy whatever your meal is tonight!