Photo: Heater Tallman
I served these pork skewers on a bed of whole wheat Soba noodles with a side of sauteed green beans or broccoli.
The Heat Can’t Keep Me Away
You are really serious about grilling if you’re braving the heat these days, donning your apron, and heading outside to stand over a hot grill. I know this because in the midst of a heat advisory, I am grilling more than ever before!
I have a short list of things that I have never been successful at making on the grill, so this summer I am trying my hand at making pizza’s with fresh dough, grilling fruit (that doesn’t end up sticking), and even making a cake in my old cast iron skillet.
Asian Flavors
Sometimes I just get in a rut and nothing really sounds good. My family is the same way so instead of eating out on this particular night, I made something a little different.
I am not good at incorporating Asian flavors into our meals, but this time I was successful and made something that we all loved! If I had known how much we would like it, I would have doubled it.
If you leave the meat on the skewers, your kids will like having dinner presented to them in a little different way. I used metal ones this time to avoid the dreaded ‘bamboo burn’ that I get when I forget to soak them before hand.
Cheap, Local, Tasty
Making this even better was the fact that I bought almost all of the ingredients for dinner at the farmers market. The crisp green beans and the pork tenderloin from Simpsons Farm Market in Martinsville were two of my great purchases that day.
I served these pork skewers on a bed of whole wheat Soba noodles that you can find at most grocery stores, but you can also serve over Linguine or rice. Add a side of sauteed green beans or broccoli and this is a dinner even your pickiest eater will love.
This dinner is easy on the pocketbook as well. With a few pantry items you may already have, you can make this for under ten dollars.
Five-Spice Pork Skewers
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (I used Tamari)
- 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Chinese Five-Spice powder
- 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin
- 1/4 cup peanuts, unsalted, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- lime wedges for a little extra flavor
Cooking Directions
- For sauce, combine the first four ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Trim the pork into strips and thread on the skewers of your choice.
- Brush a little of the sauce on the meat and grill until cooked, making sure not to over cook.
- Brush the remaining sauce on the pork and serve.
Green Beans Sauteed In Soy Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound washed green beans with the stem end snipped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup say sauce (low sodium, Tamari)
- 1 shallot, minced
- drizzle of olive oil
Cooking Directions
- Add all of the above to a large skillet. On low/medium heat, saute until soft yet still a little crunchy.
