Recipe: Pork and pineapple fried rice with broccoli

I'll bet there's not a Chinese/American Restaurant take-out menu without some version of Pork Fried Rice. For good reason. It can be a delicious dish with mass appeal, often satisfying the pickiest of eaters. I'd also be willing to bet in many cases it's loaded with oil, sodium and MSG. You can, however, make your own version at home. This recipe may not be as sticky sweet and oily yummy as traditional take-out, but you can bet it will be less caloric!

Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes (using pre-cooked rice and pork)
Cost: apx. $12.00

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon peanut, sesame, grape seed or canola oil
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets, washed
• 1 large red bell pepper, membranes removed and cut into squares
• 2 cups fresh pineapple, cored and cubed
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
• 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce or teriyaki sauce
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry,optional
• 2-3 cups cubed leftover pork loin roast
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• Red pepper flakes, optional

Directions

1. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
2. Add broccoli florets and bell pepper and stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add pineapple, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and sherry, if using, and cook an additional 1 minute.
3. Stir in pork and rice and cook, stirring, until heated through. Adjust seasonings adding additional soy sauce and red pepper flakes to taste, if desired.

 This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on Jan. 26, 2010.