Adventures in Cooking - Mangoes

So I just looked back at the last Adventures in Cooking post and it was dated July 30th. Well, I guess that is because there haven't really been many adventures in cooking lately. I can't really say what happened in August, but since school started I have been scrambling to get dinner on the table most days. Sometimes it is because we get home late, sometimes it is because I haven't had time to grocery shop or forgotten an ingredient and sometimes I just take the easy road and make food I know everyone likes.

Well, I finally picked up a recent issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray to get a little inspiration. The Tumbleweed has been on a Mango kick lately (since the Eagle brought home freeze-dried mangoes) so the article with Mango recipes caught my eye. I decided to give the Teriyaki Pork-and-Mango Stir-Fry a try. With a few minor modifications (see recipe below), it turned out well. Okay, the Eagle and I liked it - the Tumbleweed ate all of the mangoes (and some pork when we said she had to) and the Dandelion wouldn't touch the mangoes, but ate the pork. Neither ate more than a trial bite of the bean sprouts. Overall a success, considering both the kids ate something!

Teriyaki Pork-and-Mango Stir-Fry
Everyday with Rachael Ray - Nov 2009

1 lb boneless pork chops, cut into 1/4" x 1/4" strips
1/2 c flour
2 t. salt (I used a little less)
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 small head of Boston lettuce (sub. for Napa Cabbage) thinly sliced.
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
3 T of Teriyaki sauce (we used La Choy)
2 mangoes, cut into matchsticks
2 c bean sprouts (I don't think we used that much)

Directions
1- mix salt & flour in bowl, and toss pork with mixture
2- heat 3 T oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Shake off excess flour from pork and cook in a single layer in skillet. Cook until browned and crisp on one side (about 3 min), turn and cook until browned all over (another 2-3 min). Remove from skillet
3- add remaining oil to skillet and cook cabbage* until it begins to brown (2-3 min), add in garlic and stir for about 30 sec. Stir in teriyaki sauce then toss with pork and mangoes. Remove from heat. *if using a crunchy lettuce, put lettuce and garlic in at the same time and cook for about 30 sec.
4- put servings on a plate and top with bean sprouts.

Overall the prep time is the most time consuming part (cutting pork, lettuce & mangoes), the cook time is less than 10 minutes!