Old Favorite: Pork Lo Mein

The first time I made this recipe, we didn't like it that much. It was very bland, and neither of us is a big fan of pork. But I liked the concept, so I reworked it a little and it has since become one of our favorite dishes. We use ostrich instead of pork, but if you like pork, I imagine that's just as good, and definitely less expensive.

Pork Lo Mein: Makes 4 servings; 7 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 8 oz uncooked whole-wheat spaghetti, or buckwheat soba noodles [I use chuka soba chow mein noodles, which aren't quite as healthy but are well suited to the dish.]
  
• Cooking spray
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced [I press garlic instead of mincing it because it's much easier.]
  
• 1 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, minced [I use pre-minced ginger from a jar. Fresh ginger is a huge pain to work with.]
  
• 1 pound lean pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes [I use ostrich fillets instead.]
  
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots [I don't like carrots, so I skip these.]
  
• 1/2 cup onions, diced [I just use one onion and don't measure exactly how much it is.]
  
• 1 cup fat-free chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• [I also add a bit of Asian hot sauce, a bit of Thai fish oil, and a few other seasonings, such as onion powder, to spice this dish up a bit.]
  
• 2 Tbsp scallions, chopped (for garnish) [I don't bother with this.]
  

Instructions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.
   
2. Meanwhile, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook 1 minute.
   
3. Add pork [ostrich] and cook, stirring occasionally, until pork is golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. [When cooking with ostrich, the cooking time needs to be adjusted so that the meat doesn't wind up overcooked and chewy.]
   
4. Add carrots and onion; cook until vegetables are soft, about 2 minutes. Add broth and soy sauce [this is when I add the other sauces and seasoning as well]; simmer until pork is cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
   
5. Add noodles to pork mixture and cook 1 to 2 minutes to heat through. Garnish with freshly chopped scallions, if desired. Yields about 2 cups per serving.

The verdict: Obviously, like I said, we love this dish. The meal is light and yummy and very easy to make. When we're in a recipe rut we often wind up eating this dish at least once a week.