A great way to keep your family focused on healthy eating is to cook and prepare more meals at home. You control the portion, the quality of ingredients, and the sodium. This year I teamed up with the National Pork Board to create several quick weeknight recipes that were full of trending food flavors with lean pork as the main protein.
I want to thank Women’s Running Magazine for sharing my recipes for Pork Quinoa “Fried” Rice and Spicy Pork Buffalo Enchiladas.
Fried rice is classic comfort food. In this version, it’s made a little lighter using lean ground pork and quinoa instead of rice and good-for-you vegetables like carrots and asparagus.
Pork Quinoa Fried Rice
Serves 4
1 pounds lean ground pork
2 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons corn oil or sesame oil
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
10 asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 green onions, chopped
2 cups prepared quinoa (prepared according to directions on package)
3 Tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
Scallions, chopped, for garnish
Whisk eggs in small bowl, set aside. Season ground pork with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Brown pork, stirring and breaking it up into bite-sized pieces, until cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Add the frozen vegetables, asparagus, and green onions. Stir-fry until tender, about 2 minutes. Push vegetables to the side of the skillet then add the eggs and the remaining teaspoon of oil to the middle of the pan. Scramble eggs. Add the ground pork, quinoa, and soy sauce. Toss well to combine.
340 calories, 35 grams protein, 11 grams fat, 580 milligrams sodium, 160 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams saturated fat, 27 grams carbs, 5 grams fiber
If you’re craving that bold and spicy buffalo flavor, look no further than these Mexican-inspired enchiladas, featuring juicy pork tenderloin.
Spicy Buffalo Pork Enchiladas
Serves 8
1 pound pork tenderloin
3/4 cup red enchilada sauce
1/4 cup buffalo sauce
1 small white onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
8 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
1 ounce gorgonzola cheese, crumbled, or more to taste
2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped for garnish (optional)
Non-stick cooking spray
Add the pork tenderloin and 1 1/2 cup water to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours until pork is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork. Remove pork and place it on a cutting board or platter. Shred pork and place it in a bowl.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a skillet over medium heat, spray non-stick cooking spray, and then add onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add cooked vegetables to bowl with shredded pork. Stir to combine.
Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Fill a tortilla with 2 to 3 heaping spoonfuls of the pork-vegetable mixture. Roll up and set seam side down in the baking dish. Continue until all 8 tortillas are filled. Mix red enchilada sauce and buffalo wing sauce in a small bowl. Pour sauce on top of enchiladas. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven, top with crumbled Gorgonzola and cilantro before serving, if desired.
230 calories, 17 grams protein, 7 grams fat, 680 milligrams sodium, 40 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams saturated fat, 22 grams carbs, 5 grams fiber
What’s your go to weeknight dinner?
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