Sweet-and-Sour Pork with Black Rice

This week, I'm trying to use up some of the items in my freezer... you know, to make room for more frozen goodies. Ha! When I buy pork tenderloin at the store, it usually comes in a 2 pound package that has 2 pieces of pork inside. I like using one and freezing the other. A lot of times, pork doesn't reheat too well (it tends to get dried out in my experience), so I don't like cooking 2 pounds at a time unless I'm cooking for a larger group of people. This recipe was just as good as it was the first time I made it (3 years ago yesterday! I guess early May is when I crave sweet-and-sour dishes!). I also had some black rice that I picked up at H-Mart a while back, and I decided to try making it in the rice cooker. It worked perfectly! I like to put a kitchen towel or paper towel between the rice cooker and lid, making sure it's not hanging over any of the electronics, when cooking to prevent that annoying starchy rice liquid from splattering all over my countertop. Black rice has some fantastic health benefits (helloooo, antioxidants!), and it's a nice change of pace from the typical white or brown rice that I serve. Plus, it looks cool. My toddler really enjoyed this meal, too, which is always a huge plus!

Sweet-and-Sour Pork
The New Holly Clegg Trim & Terrific Cookbook

Makes 6 servings

1 ½ pounds lean boneless pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat, sliced into thin slices
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce*
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks with juice
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup chopped green onions (scallions)
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin orange segments, drained
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups cooked rice

In a non-stick skillet, cook the pork over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until browned, stirring frequently. Add the tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and cayenne pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pork is tender.

Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice. To the pork mixture, add the pineapple, green pepper, green onion, and mandarin oranges; cover and simmer 5 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are crisp-tender.

Combine the cornstarch with the reserved pineapple juice, and stir into the pork mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and boiling. To serve, spoon the pork mixture over the rice.

*Optional: use Gluten Free

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories 366, Protein (g) 27, Carbohydrate (g) 52, Fat (g) 4, Calories from fat (%) 11, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Dietary Fiber (g) 2, Cholesterol (mg) 67, Sodium (mg) 339, Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1.5 starch, 1.5 fruit, 1 vegetable

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars