Sesame Stir Fry + Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

I love a good stir fry. It's a great way to fill up on loads of veggies in one meal. I added on to Real Simple's kale & red pepper stir fry recently and ended up with a heap of sesame-flavored vegetables paired with an Asian spiced pork tenderloin.

The stir fry contained:

1 red bell pepper
2+ teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 medium bunch of kale, leaves ripped into bite-sized pieces
1+ cup snow peas, halved
1 10 oz container sliced mixed mushrooms
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 - 2 glugs of chicken or vegetable stock

Heat canola oil in a pan, then add pepper and ginger. After about 2 minutes, add in the mushrooms and peas. After another minute or so, add in the kale and soy sauce. Continue to toss until the kale wilts down but remains bright green. During this wilting process, I noticed the pan getting a bit dry, so I added in a small splash ('glugs' above) of stock. The stock gave off steam which helped further the kale wilting. Once finished, I drizzled on some sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

I paired this with slices of pork tenderloin that I'd rubbed with a dry spice mix and baked. The mix was a tablespoon of Chinese 5 spice, a teaspoon each of cumin, hot paprika, and garlic powder, a 1/2 teaspoon salt and many aggressive shakes of fresh cracked black pepper. I let it sit on the countertop for about 10 minutes in the dry rub while the oven heated up, but you certainly could do this overnight for stronger permeation. This would work great on chops or chicken, too.

A flavorful pile of veggies and a rich, spicy protein, from fridge to plate in under an hour. I know some balk at weeknight meals that go past 30 or 45 minutes, but this one is full of big flavors. If you're not a pork eater, certainly swap in some chicken or even shrimp - even add them to the stir fry itself!