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

Pineapple and Pork Tacos with Avocado Crema

Mamas really do know so much. During my check in call with my mama about how the Flat Belly Diet is going for her I asked if she knew how to speed up the ripening process for the avocado I just bought. "Put it in a brown paper bag overnight." Before starting this diet I wouldn't have even been able to do that considering the fact that I've never had reason to buy brown paper bags before.

I pulled out the brown paper bag (I have them for the Popcorn Drizzled with Chocolate.) and placed my bright green avocado in the bag before bed. I woke up this morning to a black skinned avocado that was slightly tender to the touch. Magic I tell you!

My sights have been set on making these tacos as long as that Chicken Pad Thai was. The reason I wanted to make these Pineapple and Pork Tacos with Avocado Crema was because when I was 13 years old my brother and his wife came to visit us. We decided to take a day trip and visit Multnomah Falls and then head to the Dalles for kite flying. After a couple hours of kite flying we decided it was time for lunch. My brother suggested a taco stand he knew of and I had my first ever tacos al pastor. The pork and pineapple were a memorable combination. I have not found a better place for that kind of taco since. I don't even recall the name of the place or where it was located exactly. What 10 years does to the memory! After filling our bellies on these tacos we finished the day out by touring the "Fruit Loop" and hitting up every produce stand we came across. I even had my first taste of blackberry soda. The bounty of produce and memories we walked away with that day was unforgettable.

When I was reading through the Flat Belly Diet Cookbook and came across the recipe I immediately bookmarked it. The flood of memories came back. I miss my brother and his wife terribly. Too many miles between us. They are quite a duo. Always a party when they are around. Cupcake and dance parties! You're sure to feel like you've had a great abdominal workout after a visit with them from all of the laughs. I love them both so very much!

These tacos are a tad bit time consuming to make. Took about 45 minutes to prepare but so worth it. The serving size of 3 tacos left me uncomfortably stuffed but in a good way. It was one of those meals you keep eating because the punishment tastes so good. I can't get over how filling the foods are on this diet. I'm about an hour away from my next meal time and not even hungry yet.

Pan searing the pork tenderloin kept the cooking lean and it also intensified the sweetness of the pineapple. The pork was flavored beautifully and the ground cumin really stood out. The avocado crema was cool and refreshing. Next time I would leave out the sour cream though. I want to be able to taste the avocado (one of my favorite foods and I like to really taste it) and I felt the sour cream took over. I try to like corn tortillas because I knew they are a better choice but I still can't really say I'm crazy over them. With that all said these tacos truly were outstanding and packed a flavor punch. They are crave worthy. I think when I reheat the leftovers I will bake the corn tortillas into chips instead and make these as nachos. After the diet though I will use flour tortillas for the tacos.

These are a must try!

Pineapple and Pork Tacos with Avocado Crema

Flat Belly Diet

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 12 oz pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 fresh pineapple, cored and sliced crosswise
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 12 corn tortillas (6" diameter), warmed according to package directions
• 1 avocado, mashed
• 2 tbsp fat free sour cream
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/8 tsp salt

And Action:

To prepare the pork and pineapple: In a one-cup measuring cup mix the sugar, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, pepper, and salt. Mix half of the spices with the pork and toss with the oil. I did this in a ziploc bag. Mix the remaining spices with the pineapple. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Prepare the avocado crema while the pork sits. Mix the avocado, sour cream, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with olive oil spray and heat over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the pork and cook, turning a couple of times, for 8 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Add the cilantro and toss to combine. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely to keep warm.

Add the pineapple to the pan and cook, turning a couple of times, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden. Remove from the heat.

Assemble the tacos by placing 3 tortillas on each plate. Divide the pork and pineapple between each tortilla. Top with the avocado crema. Roll 'em up and enjoy!

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

MUFA: Avocado

Calories: 420

Protein: 24 g

Carbohydrates: 50 g

Fat: 16 g

Saturated Fat: 3 g

Cholesterol: 56 mg

Sodium: 310 mg

Fiber: 9 g

6 days down, 26 to go!!!

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

When coming up with our Christmas dinner menu nothing was tempting me into the kitchen. I looked to Mr. Sideline Chef for his suggestions and after he sat there playing his video game I figured he was too deep in concentration that he had selective hearing. I had my back to him at the laptop doing my "research" when I hear, "Pork tenderloin. We haven't had that in forever." What? He speaks. Oh it's halftime on his game, figures. Haha!

After entering pork tenderloin into the search engine on my favorite recipe website, MyRecipes, there it was at the forefront, Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin. The search was over and I couldn't wait to eat bacon for dinner. Bacon makes me giddy.

This recipe was a snap to put together and with only 3 ingredients it didn't take much mental power or motor functions making this an ideal entree for our Christmas dinner. Mr. Sideline Chef would tell you the star of the show was the pork tenderloin but I would tell you it was the bacon after I stole all of the bacon off of the rest of the pork tenderloin. For dinner I had bacon with the Squash and Parsnip Gratin. The bacon had crisped and had such an amazing flavor combination from the Montreal Steak Seasoning. It was incredible. I'm drooling on the keyboard while typing this. The original recipe stated that this would take a total of 35 minutes to cook but all of my past pork tenderloin experiences had me scratching my head wondering what super oven they cooked theirs in. After cooking for the initial 25 minutes uncovered I had to cover it with foil to prevent it from drying out and lowered the temperature to continue cooking it another 30 minutes until it reached 160°.

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

MyRecipes.com and Southern Living, April 2008

Makes 4 servings

Stars of the Show: (A standing ovation for BACON!!!)

• 1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin
• 1 tsp steak seasoning - I used McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning.
• 3 bacon slices, cut in half - I went bacon happy and lost count after layering on slice number three. Who's counting anyway? I turn a blind eye when it comes to bacon.

And Action:

Trust the meat thermometer first and foremost for your cooking times. I found mine needed to be cooked longer. Preheat oven to 425°. Sprinkle the seasoning over the pork tenderloin. Wrap the pork with the bacon slices and secure with wooden toothpicks. I sprinkled more seasoning on top of the bacon but you can either do so or not. Place the pork tenderloin on a lightly greased aluminum foiled lined roasting pan.



As you can see I don't follow instructions and forgot to lay down the foil.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 155° in the thickest spot of the meat. Turn the oven to broil. Broil 5 inches from heat for 3-5 minutes until bacon is crisp. Remove from the oven and cover the pork with foil and let stand for 10 minutes until the meat thermometer reads 160°.