Last year, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, and was told to eliminate all carbohydrates, processed sugars, and dairy from my diet. The reality of that wasn’t very exciting as you can imagine for a foodie like me, and I found it very challenging when eating out or cooking for my family.

Fast forward to a year later having learned to experiment with my limited ingredients and you get this tasty, healthy stir-fry.

I was so happy with how this dish turned out it has become my new favorite ‘go to’ weekday dinner. The Gochujang chili sauce and chopped Thai-chili peppers provide just enough heat without making the dish too spicy, the pork is tender and juicy, and keeping the cooking time down on the veggies keep them bright and crisp. The addition of the chopped peanuts add a satisfying salty crunch, almost as a ‘carb-like’ element so I don’t miss having rice or pasta on my plate.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground pork
2 fresh Thai-chili peppers, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek, quartered and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup fresh green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Gochujang sauce (Korean chili paste)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

Directions:

1) Brown the ground pork in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high until the pork is crumbly and no longer pink about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the cooked pork to a bowl and set aside.

2) Add the olive oil to the same pan until the oil is shimmering, and sauté the garlic, leeks, green beans, and peppers about 4 minutes until the beans are bright green yet still crisp.

3) Return the pork to the pan with the veggies.

4) Combine the Gochujang, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a small bowl, and stir the sauce into the skillet mixing the ingredients thoroughly. Add the rice wine vinegar and cook for 1-2 minutes.

5) To serve, top the dish with the chopped cilantro and peanuts.