Pork And Squash Stirfry

In the Philippines, one of my favorite lunch time eats is a Chinese dish called "steamed rice". Uh-oh. It's not just plain rice as the name suggests. It is rice, yes, but with toppings - and you can get it with either pork, chicken or shrimp topping. Not one chinese restaurant here in the U.S. serve this dish (I didn't find it so far), so I always make it a point to have it whenever I am back in my beloved motherland.

This dish that I cooked for dinner tonight reminds me of steamed rice, as it is a very good rice topping. In fact, I cannot imagine eating this dish with something else other than plain white steamed rice. Pork And Squash Stirfry:
1 (2 lb) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 in. cubes
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 tbsp coarsely grated orange rind
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 (3-in.) cinnamon stick, broken
1-1/4 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 2-in. strips
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
1 c chopped green onionsDirections:
1. Place squash in a large microwave safe bowl. Add water to a depth of 1 inch. Cover with plastic wrap, vent. Microwave at HIGH 8 minutes or so until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add rind, ginger, red pepper and cinnamon stick pieces. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove and discard cinnamon stick pieces.
3. Increase heat to medium-high. Add pork to pan, and sauté 4 mins or until browned. Combine sugar and next 5 ingredients (thru salt), stirring with a whisk. Add sugar mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring constantly.
4. Add squash, toss to coat. Stir in green onions. As always, I tweaked the recipe to suit my preferences and budget. First, I used balsamic vinegar in place of the Chinese black vinegar (chinese black vinegar is sweet and has a smokey taste). Or you may also use Worcesteshire sauce instead. Second, I used regular soy sauce but did not add any more salt. Third, I threw in some diced red bell pepper for color and taste. Fourth, instead of the peanut oil, I used a mixture of walnut oil and sesame oil. It's what I have in my pantry. And lastly, for the squash, I blanched it with boiling water for a couple of minutes. I prefer cooking on my stove top rather than using the microwave.

This recipe was adapted from the Cooking Light magazine.