Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup brown rice
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ cup fresh sugar snap or snow peas, thinly sliced diagonally
- 4 4-oz lean boneless pork chops, trimmed of visible fat
- 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- High-heat cooking oil (such as sunflower, safflower, peanut, or grape seed oil), as needed
- 1 red bell pepper, halved lengthwise and seeded
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 2 ¾-inch-thick pineapple rounds
Sauce:
- 1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped (TIP: For less heat, substitute with 2 tbsp finely chopped green bell pepper)
- 2 tbsp organic evaporated cane juice
- 2 tbsp white balsamic or white wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp arrowroot powder
- 2 tsp peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
Directions:
- 1. Cook rice according to package directions; add turmeric at beginning of cooking process. Stir in peas while rice is still warm.
- Meanwhile, on a large plate or platter add pork and spoon 1 tbsp soy sauce over top; set aside. Heat a large grill pan on medium-high and lightly brush with cooking oil. Mist bell pepper with cooking spray on all sides and add to pan. Cook, turning occasionally, for 6 minutes. Push pepper to side and add pork and pineapple to pan. Cook pork, pineapple and pepper for 8 more minutes, turning once, until pork has just a hint of pink in center and reaches 145F when tested with an instant-read thermometer. Transfer pineapple and peppers to a cutting board and pork to a separate large plate; let pork rest for at least 3 minutes.
- Prepare sauce: in a small saucepan, combine jalapeno, cane juice, 2 tbsp plus 2 tbsp water, vinegar, 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce and arrowroot. Heat on medium high and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in ginger. When pineapple and peppers are cool enough to handle, coarsely chop. Divide pork, pineapple and pepper among plates and spoon jalapeno mixture over pork.
Nutrients per serving (1 Pork Chop, ¾ cup Pineapple-Pepper Mixture, 2 Tbsp Jalapeno Mixture, ½ Cup Rice): 346 Calories, 7 g Fat, 2 g Saturated Fat, 2 g Monounsaturated Fat, 1 g Polyunsaturated Fat, 42 g Carbs, 3 g Fiber, 14 g Sugar, 29 g Protein, 303 mg Sodium, 75 mg Cholesterol
Estelle L. Benoit, RD, LDN
Source: August/September 2012 Clean Eating Magazine