With the state’s restrictions easing up and places gradually getting back to normal, you may notice that traffic is picking up again and life is getting busier. Rushing home to cook dinner may not be an ideal way of spending your evening, but there are simple time-saving ways of whipping up a delicious meal that’s sure to please the entire family.
Stir-frying is a quick way of cooking a meal within minutes, while preserving its fresh flavors. The key to great stir-frying is to use high heat and to understand the cooking times for each ingredient. It’s a good idea to have some basic stir-fry ingredients on hand, such as protein (chicken, pork and tofu), aromatics (garlic and ginger), and vegetables (celery and carrots), which will save you a trip to the store. Prepare ingredients the night before, so your cooking time will be kept to a minimum.
Ginger-Pork Sauté
Directions:
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 pound pork loin, sliced
• 8 stalks asparagus, ends removed, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths, blanched
• pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon ginger, finely minced
• 1/4 cup low-sodium shoyu
• 2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 2 tablespoons sake (Japanese rice wine)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
Directions:
In a skillet or wok, heat oil on medium-high heat and stir-fry pork until cooked; add asparagus and sauté lightly. Season with pepper. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve with hot rice. Serves 4.
Approximate nutrient analysis per serving (not including rice): 240 calories, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 650 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 26 g protein. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
Hawaiian Electric features a variety of community-shared recipes through “The Electric Kitchen.” Get more cooking ideas online at hawaiianelectric.com/recipes.
