Chinese Pork Puffs and Quick Stir-Fried Rice

Feel like Chinese food tonight? This Chinese dinner is faster and less expensive than takeout. Crisp, stir-fried pork served in little lettuce puffs with scallions and cucumber takes only minutes to make in a wok.

Use the same wok for the rice. The pan juices from the meat will flavor the rice. Fried rice is great made with leftover rice.

• Helpful Hints:

Hoisin sauce can be found in the Chinese section of the supermarket. It’s made from soy beans, vinegar, sugar and spices.

To remove whole leaves from head of lettuce, remove the core by hitting the bottom of the lettuce on a counter to loosen the core. Then twist the core out. The leaves will come off easily then.

• Countdown:

Prepare ingredients.

Microwave rice.

Complete pork dish.

Stir-fry rice.

• Shopping List:

To buy: ¾ pound pork tenderloin, 1 bottle sesame oil, 1 bottle hoisin sauce, 1 package microwave brown rice, 1 bunch scallions, 1 medium cucumber, 1 head iceberg lettuce

Staples: salt, black peppercorns.

Chinese Pork Puffs

Makes 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

¾ pound pork tenderloin

For garnish:

2 scallions (about 1/3 cup strips)

½ medium cucumber (¾ cup strips)

8 whole lettuce leaves removed from a head of iceberg lettuce

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove visible fat from pork. Cut into ½-inch pieces. Prepare garnishes: Wash and remove root end and damaged leaves from scallions. Cut into 4-inch pieces. Slice each piece lengthwise into long slivers. Place in a small bowl. Peel and cut cucumber into 4 inch pieces, then cut lengthwise into thin slivers. Place in another small bowl. Remove lettuce leaves in whole pieces to make lettuce cups. Wash and drain. Place in large serving bowl. Spoon hoisin sauce into small serving bowl. Heat wok or skillet over high heat. Add oil and heat until smoking. Add pork. Stir-fry 3 minutes. Remove from wok. To serve, place scallions, cucumber, lettuce, hoisin sauce and pork on the table. Take one lettuce leaf and spoon a little sauce onto it, add a few scallion and cucumber slivers and some meat. Roll up and eat like a wrap.

Per serving: 325 calories, 105 calories from fat, 11.7 g total fat, 2.3 g saturated fat, 4.3 g monounsaturated fat, 108 mg cholesterol, 488 mg sodium, 15.9 g carbohydrate, 3.3 g dietary fiber, 8.7 g sugars, 38.2 g protein

Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate, 5 lean meat, 1 fat

Quick Stir-Fried Rice

Makes 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

1 package microwave brown rice (to make 1 ½ cups cooked)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Microwave rice according to package instructions. Measure 1 ½ cups rice and reserve remaining rice for another time. Add oil to same wok used for pork and heat to smoking. Add rice. Toss 3 to 4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: 220 calories, 63 calories from fat, 7.1 g total fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 3.6 g monounsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 11 mg sodium, 29.3 g carbohydrate, 1.5 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugars, 3.8 g protein

Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat