Cashew Pork and Cabbage Stir Fry!

I love just about any type of stir fry, because they come together quickly and they are really versatile.  Whatever you have on hand, you can incorporate it into the dish and make it work!  For example, for this stir fry, I had some boneless pork loin chops I needed to use up and some bell peppers and fresh mushrooms, so this was perfect for that!    Of course, I did 'southernize' this stir fry a bit by  adding bacon, which you all know makes anything better!   

Here is what you will need:

5-6 slices of bacon

3-4 boneless pork loin chops, sliced crosswise in thin strips

1 Tbs. sesame seeds

3 Tbs. vegetable or canola oil

2 Tbs. butter

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1 large sweet onion, sliced and separated in rings

1 large bell pepper, sliced in thin strips (I used 1/2 red and 1/2 yellow bell pepper for color, use what you have)

2 cups fresh mushroom slices

1/2 large green cabbage head, shredded

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce (I use Kikkoman)

2 Tbs. brown sugar

1 tsp. rice wine or apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tsp. cornstarch

pinch or red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 cup cashews

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

soy sauce to taste

Fry the bacon in a deep, rounded skillet or wok.  Remove to a plate when it is crisp.  Add the oil to the bacon drippings and heat to a medium high heat.  

 Add the pork strips and stir fry until completely cooked through.   Sprinkle with the sesame seeds. 

Move the pork to the edges of the pan and add the garlic, onion rings, bell pepper strips, and mushroom slices along with the butter.   Stir fry until the onion and other vegetables are just starting to get tender.  Add the shredded cabbage and continue to stir fry at medium high heat, mixing the vegetables and pork all together.

 

In a separate bowl, mix the teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar.  Pour over the cabbage and pork and toss.  Cook until the cabbage is crisp tender or to your liking! 

Mix the cold water with the cornstarch.  Make a well in the center of the pan and add this mixture, toss to coat.  This will thicken the sauce.  

Sprinkle with the red pepper flakes and cashews and toss again.   Add additional salt and pepper to taste, because of the saltiness of the teriyaki sauce and soy sauce, you might not need much salt. 

Right before serving sprinkle with the crisp bacon.  Add soy sauce to each serving as desired! 

This is good served with rice!





Southern Fried Cabbage!

  

Fried cabbage is a whole lot like so many other things we 'fry' in the South...fried apples, fried corn.  We call it fried, but it's not really what someone not from the South would probably consider fried.   It is cooked a whole lot like fried corn though.  My recipe is sort of my own version and not completely traditional, but it is so good and it's really simple.


  Here is what you will need:

4-5 strips of bacon

2 Tbs. butter

1 sweet onion, diced (I like to use Vidalia onions if available)

1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced (optional)

1 small head of cabbage or 1/2 large head of cabbage, rough chopped

salt to taste

black pepper to taste

1/2 cup water

In  large skillet with a lid, fry the bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon to a plate and add the butter to the bacon drippings.  Add the diced onion and bell pepper.  The bell pepper is my addition and is completely optional, but I think it adds some really good flavor and color to this dish.   Saute on medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Add the chopped cabbage and toss to coat with the butter and bacon drippings.  Stir fry until the cabbage starts to get tender.  Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to your taste.  Pour 1/2 cup water in the pan around the cabbage and cover to steam it until just tender for about 20-25 minutes.  I don't like my cabbage cooked to death.  I like for it to still have a little body to it.  If you like yours cooked down more than this, just cook it a little longer.

 When it's done, place in a bowl and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon.   I actually like mine with a little soy sauce or some hot sauce on it and some like vinegar, but it's good just like this.