Garlic pork simple Chinese meal to make at home

Chinese takeout is a favorite way to eat. Tasty – and easier than cooking at home, we think.

Not necessarily so, say Leeann and Katie Chin, a mother and daughter team, who run a catering company based in Los Angeles.

In a feature in a recent issue of Cooking Light magazine, they offer a series of recipes for creating simple, authentic-tasting dishes easily. Here’s one to try that’s full of flavor and low in fat. Serve it with fiery chili sauce on the side.

Garlic Pork with Tomato and Basil

12 ounces pork tenderloin, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

3 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon Sriracha (hot chili sauce)

2 teaspoons peanut oil

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

2 cups chopped seeded plum tomatoes (about 3 tomatoes)

3/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 2 onions)

2 cups hot cooked brown rice

Combine pork, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, salt and pepper in a small bowl, tossing to coat.

Combine water, oyster sauce, sugar, Sriracha and remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and pork mixture; saute 3 minutes or until the pork is done. Add chopped tomatoes; saute 1 minute. Add cornstarch mixture; cook 1 minute or until thickened. Add basil; stir to combine. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with onions.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size 1 cup pork mixture and 1/2 cup rice).

Approximate nutrition per serving: 257 calories, 6 grams fat (1.6 grams saturated, 22 percent fat calories), 21 grams protein, 29 grams carbohydrate, 55 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams dietary fiber, 294 milligrams sodium.