She who controls the spice

CONTROLS THE UNIVERSE.

Or at least the intestinal health of those you for whom you cook.

It's from Dune, you know Dune? Frank Herbert? Muad'Dib? Giant many toothed worms on a desert planet? Not only a spectacular set of books but I do love the various movie versions as ridiculous as they are... and the audio book from the library was one of the better readings to which I've listened.

Thinking of desert suns, have I mentioned how much I love the placement of my cubicle? Well, I do. I get to see the sunrise and trees. When I was little I imagined that the earth was a giant's head, trees were his hair, caves were pores and people were like lice. I hadn't figured out the whole ocean thing but really I was only seven. Sometimes imagination isn't really a pretty thing.

So you're aware: I'm going back to being unconcerned when I end sentences with a preposition... of.

I had a chunk of roasted pork loin from Sunday (see previous post) that I needed to offload. Stir fry with noodles it is! I was slightly concerned about the residual rosemary but seems that it doesn't matter when soy sauce is thrown in the mix. It was one of the more successful stir fry type things I've done.

Here's how I did it, Add whatevs you want:

Ingredients
Half a box of linguine or Chinese noodles... whatever kind of noodle you'd like
1 small head bok choy sliced lengthwise
1 cup roast pork cut into strips
1 large carrot cut into strips
1 celery stalk sliced into your preferred eating shape
1/2 cup sliced orange bell pepper (I like the orange ones.)
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1 TBspn oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tbspn rice wine
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
1/4 cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tsp sesame oil
1TBspn vegetable oil

The Veggie treatment
1. wash slice/chop all veggies and set aside

Noodle treatment (can be simultaneous with veggie treatment)
1. Cook your noodles according to directions
2. drain and set aside

Sauce base
1. Mix 1 TBspn oyster sauce, 1 1/2 tsp sugar, 2 Tbspn rice wine, 3 Tbspn lite soy sauce, 1/2 tsp chinese 5 spice powder in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside

Cook it all
1. Heat 1 tsp seame oil and 1 Tbspn veg oil in a large skillet or wok if you have one
2. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes
3. add sliced garlic clove, ginger and pork stir it around for 1 minute
4. add carrots, celery, bell pepper cook for 2 minutes
5. add bok choy and stir around
6. Optional: sprinkle 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper over the whole mess or more if you likes it HOT and stir it in
7. Add the soy sauce mix and stir it around until it coats all the veggies and meat
8. taste it and see if it needs something
9. when the vegetables are cooked to your liking, remove pan from heat, add noodles and stir around to coat noodles with the sauce

heh heh loin