Stir-fry is a perfect work-night dish. You cook every ingredient from start to finish in the same pan and make the sauce in the pan as well. This all happens in a matter of minutes, when you have all of your ingredients prepared ahead of time, because you are working with high heat. There aren’t many home stoves that have the BTUs of a real wok in a Chinese kitchen, so use a heavy-bottomed skillet like cast iron or a stainless steel pan with a clad bottom, and get it very hot before you start. Gather your ingredients and wait until the pan is almost smoking before you begin cooking. High heat = high flavor and less need for fat. It’s the original nonstick cooking technique.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1 pound lean pork loin, cut into bite-size strips

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　Nonstick cooking spray

　　1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin

　　6 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed

　　2/3 cup Rockin’ Asian Stir-Fry Sauce (page 210) or store-bought low-fat, low-calorie teriyaki sauce, such as Seal Sama

　　2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, thawed

　　2 tablespoons reduced-fat peanut butter

　　2/3 cup chopped fresh basil

　　2 tablespoons roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped

　　

Step 1

Heat a large cast iron pan over high heat. Season the pork with salt to taste. When the pan is hot, spray it with cooking spray and add the pork. Cook until the pork is light golden brown and almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate, and cover with foil to keep warm.

　　

Step 2

Remove the pan from the heat. Spray the pan again with cooking spray and return it to the heat. Add the red bell pepper and sugar snap peas, and stir-fry until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, combine the Asian sauce, orange juice concentrate, and peanut butter in a small bowl, and stir until the mixture is smooth.

　　

Step 4

Add the sauce and the cooked pork to the pan. Bring to a simmer, adding a little water if necessary to thin it. Stir in the basil and peanuts. Season with salt to taste, if desired, and serve.

　　

nutrition information

Step 5

Fat: 38g (before), 10.9g (after)

　　

Step 6

Calories: 505 (before), 297 (after)

　　

Step 7

Protein: 31g

　　

Step 8

Carbohydrates: 17g

　　

Step 9

Cholesterol: 71mg

　　

Step 10

Fiber: 3g

　　

Step 11

Sodium: 915mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.