Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Orange Pork Stir-Fry


With "orange season" coming to a reluctant close I found myself using up the last of my dad's prosperous orange crop.  His tree, now barren of fruit, is popping with beautiful orange blossoms and lending a lovely orange blossom scent to his yard.  The blossoms give promise of yet another season to come, however we will miss our daily orange until the new fruits make their appearance.

Making our first sit down family dinner in nearly a week I went back in time to 2007.  Eating Well provided a recipe base that I was able to turn into my own with the ingredients I had on hand bringing a dinner to the table that the entire family enjoyed.

Sliced pork is stir-fried and then combined with chopped veggies and a bright sauce of orange juice, peel and soy ties it all together.  A touch of sesame oil and rice vinegar give the dish a bit of a kick and the optional addition of crushed red pepper made my husband's meal a hit for him.  Quick to put together, popular all the way around and healthy to boot, this is one of those meals I feel good about.



Orange Pork Stir-Fry
adapted from Eating well Jan/Feb 2007 

1 orange, washed
3 tsp toasted sesame oil, divided
1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut into strips
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
1 cup snap peas, trimmed and cut in half if large
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
2 Tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs rice vinegar
2 tsp cornstarch


Using a vegetable peeler, remove zest from the oranges in long strips.  cut the strips length-wise into very thin pieces.  Cut the orange in half and squeeze enough juice to give 1/2 cup.


Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat.  Swirl 2 tsp of oil, then add pork and cook, stirring until just cooked - 2 to 3 minutes.  Transfer pork to a plate.


Add the remaining tsp of sesame oil to the pan along with the onion, peppers, peas and ginger.  Cook for a few minutes or until crisp tender, stirring often.  Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for another minute.  Stir in the orange juice and soy sauce and add pork.  Bring to a simmer.

Whisk the vinegar and cornstarch in a small bowl, then pour it into the pan along with the pork and its juices.  Cook stirring nearly constantly until thickened and bubbling and the pork is heated through, about 1 minute.

Serve with brown rice and sliced oranges if desired.


PS... the pups are feeling better today!!  Yay!!!!


 

19 comments:

  1. Yum...healthy and tasty! I'm always looking for new ways to cook pork tenderloin, so saving this one. I love citrus flavors in spring/summer!!

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  2. I'm moving to a place that has a huge orange tree. I'm really excited to have my own oranges.
    Photo of your puppy is adorable.

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  3. This looks so delicious and healthy too! I also have to say that your dog is adorable :)

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  4. Yay! Glad the puppies are better :) Loving this dish. I love stir-fry but I pretty much never make it at home. I mean, my wok is spotless. That's kind of embarrassing. I think this recipe is a good way to dirty it up a bit :) Thanks for sharing

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  5. This looks so tasty! What a great recipe and photo!

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  6. That sounds very delicious! Cooking with orange juice is something new to me...it must be very good!

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  7. Sounds great! Will try this. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Your stir sounds so good, especially with the orange. Your pictures are great, too. Your little pup looks so cute in his bed. Bailey won't sleep in a dog bed, so we took it back. She didn't like it. She is a princess you know:)

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  9. I love the flavor of oranges in stir fry :) I always make mine with chicken, but your pork version sounds delicious!

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  10. Pork is my all-time favorite meat and I am always looking for new ways to cook it! And I love an orange sauce! This sounds divine! Thanks for sharing :)

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  11. That looks good. Well done! It would also be good with pineapples too :) Also, is toasted sesame oil and regular sesame oil different? Interesting.

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  12. Beautiful, flavorful entree! So glad the pups are on the mend :)

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  13. Aw pups!! So cute...

    The stir-fry looks so great and bright and colorful. I love how all your dishes just seem to be screaming with color...they are so gorgeous Kim!

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  14. Orange season... I'm holding on with a kung fu grip...

    Really glad your puppies are feeling better! Your Orange Pork Stir-fry looks delicious. Beautiful photos, Kim... Always!

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  15. Oh my word, that is delicious! I haven't had orange pork in forever! This would make such a great meal right about now... you made me hungry. :)

    Hi little Pup!!

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  16. What a delicious and beautiful looking dinner and luv that you served it with healthy brown rice. I'm on the lookout for that toasted sesame oil. =)

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  17. I love orange in a savory dish! Looks delicious! We had an orange tree but hurricane Wilma blew it over... sighhhh.

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  18. I'm thinking this will become a favorite in this house! Lovely recipe and beautiful photos!

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  19. I love the vision I got of that beautiful orange tree with your opening to this post. The stir fry sounds wonderful too!

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