Five Spice Pork Lo Mein

Hope everyone had a great weekend, and a great Father's Day!  On Saturday we went to pick strawberries.  It was a great time, and we came home with almost 13 pounds of them.  Stay tuned later in the week for lots of strawberry recipes!  I am still trying to come up with something else to make to use up the last pound.  
 
In the mean time, I have a great quick dinner for you. We love stir-fry here.  This is a super easy, but really good one.  We found this one years ago, and it is still in our rotation! It is super flavorful, and makes great leftovers as well!

5-spice Pork Lo Mein
Adapted from Cooking Light
Printable Recipe

1 package uncooked Chinese-style noodles 
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger 
1 1/2 Tbls  five-spice powder 
1 (approx 1 lb)pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into thin strips 
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 
2 tablespoons canola oil 
1/2 cup water 
1/2 cup hoisin sauce 
1/2 cup chopped green onions



Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Place in a large bowl. Snip noodles several times with kitchen scissors.  Our local grocery store sells a package called Chinese-Style noodle - it looks kind of like Ramen.  Last week I was at the Asian market, so I picked up a different shaped noodle, and it was just as good!



Combine ginger, five-spice powder, and pork in a medium bowl; add 1/4 teaspoon salt, tossing to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.



Add pork mixture; sauté 2 minutes or until browned. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, water, and hoisin sauce; cook 2 minutes or until pork is done. Add pork mixture and green onions to noodles; toss well to combine.

Linked to:  "Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans.”

 

Char Siu Pork Roast

 I had printed this recipe from Cooking Light a LONG time ago, and really really wanted to try it.  I finally got around to it.  I hate it when your expectations are so high, and it just doesn't live up to it.  I love Asian flavors, and pork - so I thought this would be great.  And it kind of was.  The flavor on the pork was really good, but serving it the way they suggested just wasn't good.  Basically you marinate pork in a sauce, then use the slow cooker to cook the meat.  Then you shred the meat and serve over rice.  Sounded good in theory.  But just shredded pork over rice?  Not so much.  I think that marinating the meat is great.  Then I think instead of using the slow cooker, you could use it in a stir fry with veggies to serve over rice.  Or if you want to shred it, maybe on a bun as a different style pork sandwich?  The pork was really good, don't get me wrong.  But the dish needs help!  Maybe you can make this better, and share it with me :)  Sorry for the lack of pictures on this one, I was in a hurry when I was getting it ready.


Char Siu Pork Roast
From Cooking Light
Printable Recipe

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 
1/4 cup hoisin sauce 
3 tablespoons ketchup 
3 tablespoons honey 
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic 
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger 
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil 
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder 
1 pounds Pork Tenderloin
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add pork to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Place pork and marinade in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

 Remove pork from slow cooker using a slotted spoon; place on a cutting board or work surface. Cover with aluminum foil; keep warm.  Add broth to sauce in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes or until sauce thickens. Shred pork with 2 forks; serve with sauce.