Farmington Fresh: Ginger Pork and Pepper Stir-Fry

It’s back to the grind: No more partying on patios, lounging by the pool or wearing white pants. It's time to wrap yourselves in Snuggies, cozy up to hot chocolate and get ready for some football.

With the kids back in school and summer vacation a distant memory, dinner should be quick and easy on those hectic weeknights.

Despite my mom's jam-packed work schedule, she would always cook dinner for us from scratch, pretty much every night. One of her go to meals was a stir-fry. Now it has become one of mine, because of its versatility and convenience.

My stir-fry is a departure from hers, mainly because I’m convinced she’s holding out on me on her key ingredients, but the big difference is that she uses oyster sauce. I don’t use oyster sauce because I like lighter flavors, and this sauce can be quite salty. But if you happen to have some on hand, throw a tablespoon into the mix.

This weekend, make your trip to the Farmington Farmers and Artisans Market not only fresh but fit; after checking out the , pick up any vegetables that look good to you for this fast and healthy meal: broccoli, green beans and peppers would all work well. Just make sure to cut everything in the same size, so everything cooks evenly.

The key to stir-fries is to have everything chopped and ready to go into a blazing hot pan. The prep work will take the longest amount of time, but once you’ve got it all going, you’ll have dinner ready faster than you can say Chinese takeout.

Ingredients
1 pound boneless pork loin chops, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
4 tablespoons of sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon of canola oil
4 tablespoons of soy sauce
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon of Sriracha
¼ teaspoon of honey
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (can leave seeds in if you like it hot)
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 handful of cilantro, chopped

Directions
Season the pork with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add half of the sesame oil and brown the pork (might have to do in two batches depending on how large your skillet is). Remove from pan, set aside and keep warm.

In a small bowl, mix the Sriracha, honey, lime, soy sauce and two tablespoons of sesame oil. Add the crushed red pepper.

Heat about a tablespoon of canola oil in the same skillet. Add the cilantro, garlic, ginger, jalapeno and green onion, sautéing until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the vegetables and sauce and cook until crisp tender.

Add the pork to the veggies and cook until pork is cooked all the way through, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve with rice or noodles. Garnish with green onions and cilantro.