Rush Hour Gourmet: Sour Beans and Minced Pork

This dish provides a winning combination of spicy, sweet, and sour in an impressively short time. The results come from boiling the green beans in rice wine vinegar, and adding ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper. Simple, but delish.

3 cups rice wine vinegar

1 pound green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or Chinese long beans if you can find them)

1 1/2 peanut oil

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1 pound lean ground pork

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1. Bring vinegar to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add beans; cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, but do not rinse.

2. Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and next 3 ingredients (through crushed red pepper). Stir-fry 30 seconds.

3. Add pork, stirring to crumble; stir-fry until pork begins to brown, about 4 minutes.

4. Add beans; stir-fry 1 minute. Add soy sauce; stir-fry until pork is browned, about 1 minute.

Note: This dish is best served over white rice, particularly a medium or short-grain sticky rice. Also, be sure to use standard rice wine vinegar in the dish, not the sweetened variety, often called "seasoned rice vinegar."

Per serving: 279 calories, 25 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams sugar, 16 grams fat, 85 milligrams cholesterol, 603 milligrams sodium, 4 grams dietary fiber.