Pork and Pine Nut Meatballs

"What are we having for dinner?"

My guess is that if you are the one who is in charge of menu planning and preparing the meals this question is asked EVERY. DAY.

Not knowing what to make for dinner I turned to my cookbooks and began flipping through them while Itty Bitty was napping. Surprisingly, I didn't have to flip for too long and my fingers didn't dry out too much. Flat Belly Diet! Cookbook to the rescue. I came across a recipe for Pork and Pine Nut Meatballs and had all of the ingredients on hand.

The last time I made meatballs they were the turkey meatballs for the subs. They set the bar incredibly high. Those meatballs were anything but healthy. These Pork and Pine Nut Meatballs weren't as rave worthy but they were delicious for a healthier meatball.

Extra lean ground pork is hard to find in most grocery stores so it's nice being able to put your food processor to work and make your own. It literally look me less than five minutes to put these meatballs together thanks to the aid of the food processor. Pine nuts, pork tenderloin, and spices are ground together, rolled into balls, and then baked for 25 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Taste wise they are a little bit dry but this is entirely my fault. I accidentally deleted my timer on the microwave and had to guess how much time was left. I decided to just keep them in the oven until the macaroni and cheese was finished. Dry but still flavorful.

When I want a guilty pleasure I'll go for the turkey meatballs but when I'm trying to eat healthier I'll come back to this recipe.

Pork and Pine Nut Meatballs

Flat Belly Diet! Cookbook

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed, and cut into small chunks
• 1 1/2 tsp crumbled dried sage
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• olive oil in a spritzer

And Action:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a large baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Pulse the pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade until coarsely chopped. Add the pork, sage, garlic, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pulse until evenly ground.

Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions and roll into meatballs. Arrange on the prepared pan. Spritz lightly with the oil.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until cooked through.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 254 Protein: 26 g Carbohydrates:3g Fat: 16 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Cholesterol:74mg Sodium: 203 mg Fiber: 1 g

Turkey Meatball Subs

When I think of ground turkey I tend to think, "Oh no!" because of it's tendency to taste dry. I only went along with making these Turkey Meatball Subs after reading others' reviews of the recipe claiming these meatballs to be "very tasty and moist."

I am sure glad that I went off of what others had to say and didn't pass this recipe up. Turkey's reputation is slowly changing thanks to this recipe. The turkey meatballs are simmered in marinara sauce and sandwiched on a broiled roll with provolone cheese.

Mr. Sideline Chef and I ate two sandwiches each! They were that good. Mr. Sideline Chef even commented that he couldn't tell that they were ground turkey until I told him. This is a dinner that will see it's way into the rotation. More often the better.

Quick and easy for a weeknight dinner. Even the meatballs and sauce would be perfect over pasta if you prefer. Yummy!

Turkey Meatball Subs

MyRecipes.com and All You, January 2009

Makes 8 Subs

Cost Per Serving: about $2.62

Stars of the Show:

• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
• 8 crusty sub-style rolls
• 2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 12 oz sliced provolone

And Action:

Whisk eggs with 3 tbsp water. Stir in breadcrumbs and let stand 5 minutes. Add Parmesan, parsley, garlic and turkey. Mix gently until well combined. Moisten hands and roll mixture into 24 1 1/2-inch balls. Transfer to a dish large enough to accommodate all meatballs. Refrigerate meatballs for 30 minutes.

Pour marinara into a wide, deep pot with a lid and warm over medium-high heat. Medium-high was too high so I turned it to medium and adjusted the cook time. Add the meatballs (sauce will not completely cover meatballs), cover and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and turn meatballs. Cover; cook 10 minutes longer, until meatballs are no longer pink inside (cut one to test).

Preheat broiler to high. Cut rolls lengthwise and drizzle inside of each with 1 tsp. olive oil. Divide cheese among rolls and place on baking sheet. Broil until cheese is melted and bread is lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Place three meatballs on each roll and spoon sauce over. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 718
Fat: 35g
Saturated fat: 13g
Protein: 48g
Carbohydrate: 54g
Cholesterol: 170mg
Sodium: 407mg