Delicious Healthy Halloween-Week Dinner

 It's Halloween Week!  I broke down and got kids' costumes today.  I was going to make them re-use last year's costumes.  When I was a kid in the 70s and 80s, if that costume still fit for a second year, we were wearing it twice.  Because of COVID recommendations, we will not be trick-or-treating and there are so few events I thought reusing Harry Potter & Captain Rex would work.  Alas, they broke me down.  At least they were willing to go matching and go cheap!  Our Halloween plan is Trunk or Treat at church, throw-back Casper movie at the theatre (social distancing enforced) then the kids each get $20 to spend on whatever candy they want at the store.  Then, back home safe and sound I hope.

On to the recipe!  One thing that has remained important to me after VSG surgery is that I can make a clean family meal that I can enjoy with everyone else.  I do this usually 6 nights per week but now my serving size is about the same as my 6-year-old.  Tonight I didn't follow a recipe, but rather came up with my own.  In my house, we say "mommy is making a concoction."  It was a hit!  Healthy and economical so I thought I'd share.  Serves a lot because of the pork tenderloin and 4 beets.  I would think 2 family-sized dinners (freeze half for a quick last-minute meal) or it will make great lunches through the week because the seasoning will just get better with time and it should reheat well.  The pork was so tender!

This meal took me about an hour total to make because of the brown rice, otherwise, I'd say 45 minutes.  Yes, I like to cook and have all these ingredients on hand.  I know it may be a bit much for some but once you get used to cooking with spices and herbs for your seasonings, instead of sauces, you'll have a full pantry of awesomeness too.  The house smells so awesome because of the Chinese Five Spice.  BTW, I highly recommend Penzey's spices!  Their cocoa powder is the best!

Printable Recipe

Halloween Dark Red Stir-Fry (Todd's name for it)

1 pkg Pork Tenderloin cut into small cubes, discarding any fat or sinuous meat.

4 Medium Beets, peeled and chopped small (if you get beets with the greens attached, wash them, chop them and throw them in.  Stems with the beets and leaves with the cabbage in the end)

1 Large onion chopped

1/2 head of cabbage, chopped

1 T Oil of choice (I like avocado oil for stir-fry because of the high smoke point)

2 t or to taste Chinese Five-spice powder

1 C Water

1" chunk fresh ginger peeled and grated

2 T or to taste Raw Honey

1 T Sesame Seeds

1 T Dark Sesame Oil

2 t garlic powder or 4 cloves fresh garlic 

Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil on high in a wok or whatever you like to use for stir-fry.  Once you see wisps of smoke, add the pork and begin to stir-fry.  As pork cooks, add in salt, Chinese Five-spice, and garlic powder if using.  If using fresh garlic, wait until the end of the cooking of the pork and add in the last 30 seconds so as not to burn your garlic.  Cook this pork until you don't see pink clearly on the outside.  Move it off to a bowl leaving juices behind.  

Add the beets and onion to the wok with the juices.  Stir fry beets and onions until the liquid in the wok has been absorbed.  Add your 1 cup of water and you can let it steam a bit without stirring.  Once the water has evaporated by half, add the cabbage to the top and let it steam as the rest of the water evaporates.  Once it is down to the end and the wok is about to dry again, add sesame seeds and stir so the seeds get toasted.  You can turn off the heat but leave the wok on so the residual heat will keep warming the food.  

Add ginger, honey, and the pork back to the wok.  Adjust seasoning to your liking by adding salt and pepper, more Chinese Five-spice, or honey.  My kids liked it with more honey, so I just added it to the top of their serving, whereas my husband liked more Chinese Five-spice and the lingering warmth.  I served on brown rice.

With this meal, you and your family are getting an excellent dose of lean protein from the pork and fiber from the beets, cabbage, and sesame seeds (even more if you add in brown rice).  Garlic, ginger, and honey are natural medicine powerhouses.  Just be sure to get raw and organic!  Sesame seeds are abundant in minerals.  Did you know that 1/4 raw unhulled sesame seeds provide more calcium than a cup of milk!  And since we aren't cows that is great news because it doesn't make sense to me that we drink baby cow food.  Just sayin'

🕊 Peace 🕊