In a cooking rut? Try one of these taste-tested, family-approved recipes using ground beef.

Battered and fried pork (or chicken) is mixed with a simple homemade sweet and sour sauce with carrots, bell pepper, and pineapple.
2 pounds boneless pork loin (or substitute chicken breast)
vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 can (about 20 ounce size) pineapple chunks, drained (save the syrup)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
2 carrots, cut diagonally into thin slices
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1 green bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (I like yellow or orange peppers)
hot cooked rice
Trim the fat from the pork and cut into 3/4" pieces. Heat 1 inch oil in a skillet.
Beat flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/2 cup cold water, the egg and 1 tsp salt with a hand beater until smooth. Stir pork pieces into batter until well coated. Add pork pieces one at a time to the oil (about 20 pieces at a time) and fry until golden brown, about five minutes. Drain on paper towels, keep warm.
Add enough water to the reserved pineapple syrup to measure 1 cup. Heat syrup-water mixture, brown sugar, vinegar, carrots, soy sauce, 1 tsp. salt and the garlic to boiling in a pot, reduce heat.
Cover and simmer until carrots are crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Mix 2 tbsp. cornstarch and 2 tbsp. water, stir into sauce. Add cooked pork, pineapple and whatever colored peppers. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice.
Jerri Manthey, CDKitchen Staff
Read more: My First Cooking Success
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