I’m highly susceptible to Publix meat sales, which means I often find myself in the kitchen staring at a soon-to-expire pork tenderloin, thinking, “What the hell am I going to do with this thing?”

That was definitely the case last night. Then I found this recipe for Spinach Salad with Spiced Pork and Ginger Dressing in Cooking Light.

The whole thing takes about 20 minutes. You slice the pork; toss it with Sriracha (hot chile sauce), brown sugar, garlic powder and salt; and cook it for three minutes on both sides. Then you put together the salad: spinach, thinly sliced  cabbage, red bell pepper strips and your favorite low-fat sesame ginger dressing. (You could make your own dressing, but I had a bottle of Newman’s Own Lite Low-Fat Sesame Ginger, so that’s how I rolled.)

Oh, man, the combination of warm, spicy pork and cold, crisp, gingery vegetables is so good. I wasn’t thinking about sharing this recipe when I made it, but then I took a bite and grabbed my camera.

Twenty minutes. About 200 calories per serving. A perfect pork recipe to keep in your back pocket.

Spinach Salad with Spiced Pork and Ginger Dressing

From “Cooking Light” (October 2008)

Makes 4 servings

• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3 cups baby spinach leaves
• 2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
• 1 cup red bell pepper strips
• 1/4 cup low-fat sesame ginger dressing (such as Newman’s Own)

1. Cut pork crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Cover the slices with a sheet of plastic wrap, and flatten each one slightly with the palm of your hand.
2. Transfer the pork to a large bowl, add the Sriracha, and toss to coat.
3. Add sugar, garlic powder, and salt; toss well.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (or set an electric skillet to 375 degrees F). Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork mixture to pan, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from heat, and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
5. In a large bowl, combine spinach, cabbage, and bell pepper. Add your sesame ginger dressing; toss well. Arrange 1 1/2 cups spinach mixture in each of 4 shallow bowls; top each serving with 3 ounces pork.

Nutritional Info (Per Servings) – calories: 202, fat: 4.7g, protein: 25g, carbs: 14.7g, fiber: 1.9g, PP+ = 5

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