Garlic Pork with Vegetables and Noodles

Its a cold, rainy night here in Massachusetts and all I wanted was something healthy. Since the options were order in greasy take-out pizza or Chinese, or get in the car and drive through a monsoon to the supermarket for more food, I decided I would actually make use of what I had in the ol' pantry.

Not too shabby for a girl who claims to hate food of the Asian genre

And P.S. ... this dish isn't as garlicky as the title implies. I mean, there is quite a bit of garlic in it, but it's not so bad. Actually, the title was lacking in adjectives before I added it on.

Stir Fry Sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teapsoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
1/2 teapsoon cornstarch

Pork Marinade
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

12 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed of all visible fat and cut into small strips
8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti (or other thin noodles)
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups broccoli florets
1 cup sugar snap peas or snow peas
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup haricot verts
1/4 scallions, finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

Mix stir fry ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside. In a larger bowl, mix 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic. Add in pork and toss until well coated by the marinade; marinate for 15 minutes.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta as directed on package.

Spray a wok with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add marinated pork and cook until cooked on the outside. Transfer the pork to a plate and tent with foil. Add mushrooms and minced garlic and cok for 3-4 minutes. Add broccoli, peas, pepper, and green beans. Pour stir fry sauce over vegetables and cover wok tightly. Cook for 5 minutes. Add semi-cooked pork to mixture, fresh ginger, and scallions. Toss well and cover tightly, cooking until pork is cooked through. Add cooked pasta and toss.

Yields 4 servings.

WW info:
core - 1 point (all included if canola oil is subbed for sesame oil)
flex - 7 points

Asian Slaw Salad

I have finally broken free from the "been there, done that" salad topped with grilled chicken. I found the inspiration for this salad in Cooking Light (which originally used chicken...surprise!). My leftover pork from a few days ago seemed perfect since pork and Asian flavors are an undeniable match. The original recipe called for slivered almonds on top, but I didn't include those, but I guess you can. I also added some grated ginger to the dressing, because what's an Asian flavored salad without ginger? Seriously.

Salad
4 cups coleslaw mix OR 3 cups shredded green cabbage and 1 cup shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup sugar snap peas, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely sliced (or 1/2 cup scallions, chopped)
1/4 cup water chestnuts, chopped
6 ounces cooked lean pork loin, shredded

Dressing
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp grated ginger
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp sugar

Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and toss well. Refrigerate one hour (or overnight) before serving.

Yields 2 large entree size salads.

WW info:
core - included
flex - 3 points

Herbed Pork Loin with Apples and Garlic

How is it that I've never cooked a pork roast before? It was so easy and so much more juicy and flavorful than regular old pork chops. I couldn't decide on which recipe to use so I combined a number of recipes to create my own. The apple mash really adds a nice touch instead of the usual jarred applesauce.

7 garlic cloves
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
10 large sage leaves
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
1 (3 pound) boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of all visible fat
coarse salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 large Granny Smith apples, cored and diced
1/2 cup apple jelly
1 Tbsp cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Place 3 garlic cloves, rosemary, sage, and parsley in a food processor and pulse until a paste forms. You have to scrape down the sides one or two times to enusre that everything is ground up evenly. Season pork with salt and pepper and rub herb paste over top and sides of the roast. Dice remaining 4 garlic cloves and spread on the bottom of the baking dish with the diced apple. Place roast on top of apple and garlic mixture. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of the roast and cook for 20 minutes.

Place the apple jelly and cider vinegar in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until the jelly liquifies. After the first 20 minutes of cooking the roast, brush the apple jelly over the surface of the roast. Cook for another 10 minutes and brush with the jelly again. Continue this process ever 10 minutes until the thermometer reads an internal temperature of 150 degrees.

Remove from the oven and tent with foil; let stand for at least 10 minutes prior to slicing and serving. Place the roast on a serving tray, leaving the apple and garlic in the baking dish. Lightly mash the apples and garlic with a potato masher or fork; transfer to a small serving bowl to serve as a garnish for the pork.

Yields 8 servings.

WW info:
flex - 6 points
core - 1 point (for the apple jelly)