Sure, take-out is great but recipes like this one for Spicy Green Beans with Pork make it a cinch to whip up at home: tender pieces of stir-fried pork and green beans in a tasty Asian-flavored sauce. It’s a perfect weeknight meal!

As with any stirfry, it’s important to have all the ingredients prepped, measured out and ready to go when you start cooking. You could even cut the pork and trim the green beans the day before so that when it’s dinner time the next day, all you have to do is heat up the pan and start cooking. The tip on freezing the pork for 30 minutes does make it easier to slice but don’t sweat it if you want to skip that step (just cut the pork as thinly as you can).

For the sauce, I skipped the chicken stock and substituted water because I didn’t want to open a can of chicken broth for only 1/4 cup. Also, I used Lee Kum Kee brand Black Bean Garlic Sauce for the spicy bean sauce. If you don’t have any sake on hand or don’t feel like buying it, dry sherry would be a good substitute. Serve the stir fry with steamed rice. Enjoy!

Spicy Green Beans with Pork
-recipe from Family Fun Magazine (October 2008)

The green beans in this classic Chinese dish take on the flavors of ginger, chili, and garlic. And the spice is just right — not too hot for most kids but a bit of a kick for Mom and Dad. Makes about 5 cups.

1 pound pork tenderloin
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine (sake)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chicken stock (or water)
1 tablespoon spicy bean sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
1 pound green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup toasted white sesame seeds

Shave the pork into thin strips. (Tip: first partially freeze it for 30 to 90 minutes.) In a small bowl, toss the shaved pork with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice wine, and the pepper. Marinate the pork at room temperature while assembling the rest of the ingredients.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce, the remaining tablespoon of rice wine, the stock, spicy bean sauce, hoisin, chili garlic sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch, and set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the beans and stir-fry them until they begin to brown or blister, about 10 minutes. Remove the beans from the pan using a slotted spoon and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil.

Return the pan to the heat and add the pork, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry the mixture until the pork is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add the green onions and cook for 1 minute.

Add the reserved sauce and green beans, mix well, and cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about one minute. Finally, sprinkle with the sesame seeds before serving. 
 

Tags: Asian, black bean sauce, chili-garlic sauce, ginger, hoisin sauce, pork tenderloin, Quick Cooking, sake, soy sauce, spicy green beans with pork, stir-fry, stirfry, take-out

I love Japanese food so I was intrigued when I saw this recipe for Japanese Beef Bowl. It’s a tasty stir-fry that only takes a few minutes to make — perfect for a weeknight meal.

For beef stir-fry, I usually use a flatiron steak because it stays tender. For easy slicing, let the meat freeze for 20-30 minutes (it’s a great tip!). After the beef finished cooking in the sauce, I added a teaspoon or so of freshly grated ginger (just because I had it out for another recipe). Serve the stir-fry with steamed rice and veggies for a complete meal.

For more recipes, check out Tasty Tuesdayand Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Japanese Beef Bowl
-recipe from Sunset Magazine

A simple weeknight dinner full of flavor. To slice beef thinly, wrap and place in freezer for 30 minutes before cutting. Makes 4 servings

2 cups short- or medium-grain rice
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sake
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound  beef sirloin, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Pickled ginger slices (optional)

In a 4-quart pan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add rice and salt. Cover and reduce heat to simmer, then cook until almost tender, 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

In a small pan, bring soy sauce, sugar, sake, and 3/4 cup water to a boil. Remove from heat and reserve.

In a 10-inch frying pan over high heat, cook onion in oil until it begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add beef and continue stirring for 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup of soy-sake sauce and stir until beef is cooked, 2 minutes longer.

Divide rice among 4 bowls. Top with beef, remaining sauce, and cilantro. Serve with ginger, if desired.

Tags: Beef, cilantry, Japanese, onion, sake, soy sauce, sugar