I am a newlywed on a budget, just trying to make healthy and inexpensive meals for my husband and I to enjoy. He eats a lot, so cost is a big factor. Though I work 3 jobs, I manage to find time 6 nights a week to cook a full dinner for us both. I am constantly looking for new recipes that are moderately healthy, taste great, and won't break the bank.

On the side, I also own a brownie business called Gersheybars. My passion and love for cooking started when I was just a small child, baking with my mom and grandmother. The brownie recipe has been passed down through 5 generations and I am thrilled to finally have an outlet to share them with everybody else. Friends and family have helped spread the word and made my business as successful as it is today.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Thai Pork Salad

It's been pretty hot and humid these past few weeks, so while I was at the library, I picked up a fantastic cookbook that's all about salads, called Simply Salads, by Jennifer Chandler. The beauty of the book is that each salad can be made with a package of mixed salad greens and just a few ingredients. Also, there are a ton of recipes for freshly made salad dressings. The first salad we made was a Thai Beef Salad, but I used pork loin instead of beef. The marinade was good, but I didn't like the dressing, so I made something different. The final product was very light, and full of flavor, perfect for a hot Summer night.

Ingredients
  • 1/2lb pork loin, trimmed, and cut into thin strips
  • 1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 small onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh mint (I really didn't taste much mint with all the other ingredients, and would probably omit it next time)
  • 1 bag Hearts of Romaine
  • 1/2 cup corasely chopped unsalted, roasted peanuts
Marinade
  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 T grated ginger (I used 1 tsp ginger paste)
  • 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
Directions
  1. Place the pork in a shallow dish. Pour 1/3 of the marinade over the pork and marinate 2-3 hours. Reserve the rest of the marinade for use later.
  2. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan and cook pork 3 minutes. Add onions to pan and continue cooking until pork is no longer pink. Be careful not to overcook it!
  3. In a large bowl, combined sliced pork, cucumber, onions, cilantro, mint and lettuce. Add dressing to taste, and toss well. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve immediately.

1 comment:

What's Cookin Chicago said...

Looks like a great salad! I love thai flavors and this recipe does a great job incorporating it in a salad!