Family Circle is an American institution. A
very American institution. They’ve been delivering top-notch food publications since Hoover was in office. But to be fair, they’ve probably spent about as much time in the island nation of Singapore as
Family Circus has.
So don’t go into this little stir-fry recipe expecting authenticity, is all I’m saying.
However, if you go in with expectations of crunchy veggies and sweet, subtle curry noodles you’re going to be delighted. One arena in which my old Family Circle cookbook has never failed me (okay, except this one time when I tried a recipe for some kind of red cabbage with apples, beets and raisins all boiled in vinegar but that was certainly an exception and I have to take part of the blame for being stupid enough to try it because it said ‘cabbage’ and ‘raisins’ and ‘vinegar’ right there in the ingredients) is colorful, healthful, veg-ful dinners that are almost too simple to make. This one, like so many FC recipes, is tasty and refreshing and takes only a few minutes to throw together. It even comes in at under 400 calories per serving… if you can stop at one serving.
I added some additional veggies and hot pepper for a little somethin’, and I used lo mein instead of egg noodles, but the rest of the recipe came straight out of Family Circle.
Oh! You know what you should have with it? A light salad, with this perfect ginger dressing that I found a couple of years ago at the Frantic Home Cook. (I can’t seem to find the dressing recipe on her site anymore, but good news! At some point, I wrote the ingredients on a post-it which I stuck to the Singapore Noodles cookbook page. See below.) The salad makes a wonderful cold complement to the noodles, and it couldn’t be easier to throw together.
I mean, I guess it could, like if it was just lettuce out of a bag or something… with the dressing from the packet that comes inside the bag… so you just tear it open and make your whole salad with one hand while you watch TV… and then maybe you go ahead and just eat it out of the bag so you won’t have any dishes to do… but that doesn’t sound like you. Nah. You’re gonna make the ginger dressing. I can tell. And I support you.
Singapore Noodles with Pork and Vegetables
- 8 oz lo mein noodles or medium-wide egg noodles
- 1 tsp Oriental sesame oil
- 3 tsp vegetable oil
- 8 oz trimmed lean boneless pork loin, sliced into thin strips
- 1 large onion, sliced into wedges
- 1 medium-size sweet red pepper, sliced thin
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 lb sugar snap peas
- 1 pint shiitake mushrooms
- 3 small zucchini (about 5 oz each), sliced about 1/4″ thick
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 large green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
- Bring a pot of water to a boil while you prepare all your vegetables. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. They can be in the pot whilst you’re stir-frying the vegetables, as long as you remember to keep an eye on them so they won’t get overcooked.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or big fat skillet. Add pork and stir-fry for a couple minutes, just until cooked through. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and put it in a bowl for a while.
- Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the pan. Add onion and red pepper; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add ginger, garlic and curry; stir-fry 1 minute. Add snap peas, mushrooms and zucchini; stir fry 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- In a small bowl, mix together a little chicken broth, the cornstarch, and the soy sauce. Once the lumps are gone, add the rest of the chicken broth. Pour the mixture into the pan with the vegetables, and return the whole thing to medium heat. Stir constantly until the broth boils and remains boiling for one minute. Add cooked, drained noodles, pork and green onion. Heat to serving temperature and serve immediately.
Soy-Ginger Salad
- 1/4 cup light mayo
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- Spinach, rinsed and trimmed
- Radishes, cucumbers, and carrots, sliced thin
- Snapea Crisps or crunchy chow mein noodles
- Mix the first six ingredients (mayo through ginger) in a little bowl. Whisk until smooth. If it’s thicker than you like it, add a little more vinegar.
- Toss the salad ingredients together, pour dressing over the top, and serve.
