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Pork and Veggie Stir-Fry and Taiwan Fried Rice for Food ‘n Flix

By Eliot, on July 24th, 2015

I am so happy that I have my food blog “clubs.”  When times get challenging (like this summer), my inclination is to stop making the time to write.   Although I truly love blogging and feel like it is a creative outlet for me, sometimes I feel like letting it slide.

So, I want to thank all the members of Cook the Books, C.L.U.E., and especially Food ‘n Flix for keeping me on track.

Food‘nFlix

This month found Deb at Kahakai Kitchen hosting Eat Drink Man Woman.  You can see her announcement post here.

Eat Drink Man Woman

It has been a number of years since I have seen this movie.   I believe I rewatched it after Tortilla Soup came out.  (Tortilla Soup is the English language/Latino version of Eat Drink Man Woman.)  I was glad Deb chose this film.  It gave me another excuse (not that I needed anymore) to enjoy a rare summer day off to spend on the couch vegging.

What better way to continue the vegging theme than to make a stir-fry?

Stir-Fry with Pork and Vegetables
Based on Pork Stir-Fry with Chines Vegetables

1 lb. pork (loin or boneless chops), cut into cubes
2 T. sesame oil (I used a fiery toasted sesame oil.)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 baby bok choy, trimmed and  separated
1 c. carrots, thinly sliced
3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
8 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 c. vegetable broth
2 T. cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 c. water

Heat the oil in a large wok. Stir-fry the pork with garlic and onion until lightly browned. Add the carrots, celery and mushrooms, and stir-fry until tender. Add the bok choy and stir-fry until wilted. Add the soy sauce and stock, stirring the meat and vegetables to mix thoroughly. Stir in the cornstarch and simmer until slightly thickened, being careful not to overcook the vegetables.

This recipe is a new favorite.   This makes a lot of stir-fry and I think it would be great with noodles, too, but I served it with the following fried rice.

Pork Stir-Fry and Taiwan Fried Rice

 

I hesitated to make fried rice after Shan-Shan scoffs at a classmate’s lunch order:   “Fried rice?  Too easy for Mr. Chu.”

shan shan

Taiwan Fried Rice
Based on Taiwan Fried Rice

3 T. sesame oil (Again, I used a fiery version.)
1 c. green peas
1 c.  grated carrots
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 T. minced garlic
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, partially drained
4 c. cooked rice

Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet. Saute the peas, carrots, scallions and garlic until tender. Stir in the soy sauce and pineapple. Add the rice and toss until thoroughly mixed. (serves 4)

The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of diced ham.  Because I was serving this as a side for our pork stir-fry, I omitted the ham.   In the future, however, I will use this recipe as an entree and include the meat.   This fried rice is delicious.

Pork Stir-Fry and Taiwan Fried Rice

With our crazy schedules this summer, it had been a long time since I had cooked an entire dinner.  I don’t know if that was the reason The Hubs went on and on about how good these dishes were or  if he was just starved for a home cooked meal.

If you have not seen Eat Drink Man Woman, I encourage you to do so as soon as you are able.   This may be the quintessential food lover’s dream film.  Ang Lee, the gifted director, makes food the star of this family dramedy.  The first Ang Lee film I ever say was his 1997’s The Ice Storm.  Soon after, I sought out this film.   My other Lee favorites include Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi.   As I peruse through his filmography though, I see a few others that I am adding to my watchlist like Ride with the Devil and Taking Woodstock.

Thanks, Deb, for hosting this month!

I am hosting Food ‘n Flix next month with August: Osage County.   Look for the announcement post here soon.

(Aside:  The baby bok choy was harvested from our garden!)

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27 comments to Pork and Veggie Stir-Fry and Taiwan Fried Rice for Food ‘n Flix

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