Szechuan Pork

Szechuan Pork
Cooking Light, June 2008 p. 194
4 servings

6 ounces soba (buckwheat) noodles, uncooked
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 2-inch strips
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
¾ cup red bell pepper strips (about 1 small pepper)
¼ cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter
¾ cup (2-inch) diagonally cut green onions (about 4 green onions)

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, chili garlic sauce, and ginger to pan; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add bell pepper to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add broth, soy sauce, and peanut butter to pan. Reduce heat to low; cook for 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Stir in onions. Serve over noodles.

This is what we had for dinner last night. I enjoyed it for two main reasons - (1) it was very quick even with the time used for cutting the veggies (this is definitely something I consider when cooking in the summer) and (2) it was tasty.

I made pancakes out of buckwheat one time that I did not like much. So I was a little afraid of the noodles in this recipe. It turns out I was wrong to be hesitant because their flavor was not overpowering and they worked well in this dish. I couldn't find any chili garlic sauce so I used Sriracha sauce. I also used more than it called for so this was pretty spicy for my taste buds. I think it was just the right heat for Matthew. My sauce did not get very thick so I might add a tiny bit of cornstarch next time around. I think I would also throw in some more veggies. This only made 3 servings for us so adding more veggies would make it last longer. Another option would be serving it with rice.