Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Pork Meatballs with Mashed Savory Sweet Potatoes


Meatballs are a household favorite, so when meatballs are on the menu the family is pleased! There are so many different ways to cook them, and you really can't go wrong with any variation! I enjoyed tonight's pork version. The cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans gave it a very comforting Fall feeling that paired really well with the savory spices in the sweet potatoes! It was total comfort food at its best and a great way to enjoy these crisp Fall evenings!

Pork Meatball Recipe:
1 lb. ground pork
1 egg
1/2 C applesauce
1/2 C super finely chopped pecans (I used a food processor)
1 T finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
pinch sea salt
2 T olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Combine pork and all other ingredients, mix well (I love to use my hands for this). Form into about 2 inch balls (which should make roughly 22-24 meatballs). Place in the skillet and brown on all sides. I did this fairly quickly and then placed in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes to finish up. While they were baking, I made the sweet potatoes...

Mashed Herbed Sweet Potatoes:
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 T olive oil
3/4 C coconut milk
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 T finely chopped fresh mint
1 T grated orange zest
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
pinch sea salt

In a 5 quart pot, boil potatoes for about 10 minutes, until tender. Saute onion and garlic in 1 tsp. olive oil until translucent and tender. Mash potatoes and mix in coconut milk, remaining olive oil, orange zest, salt and pepper (I used an electric mixer to give it a smooth, creamy texture). Fold in sauteed garlic and onion mixture and fresh herbs. Mix well. Serve & enjoy!





3 comments:

  1. This looks and sounds delicious. However, I am confused! Your sweet potatoes look like regular potatoes. This is the second time I've run into this. On the menu at a resort in Jamaica they listed "sweet potato fries" and they appeared (and tasted) to be white potatoes of some sort.

    Am I missing something? What kind of "sweet potato" is that? When I think of sweet potatoes, I think of yams, which are very orange in color.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is confusing. It's difficult to find true yams in the US. What we call "yams" in our grocery stores are really a variety of a sweet potato. They have a darker skin with a moist bright orange flesh. What we call "sweet potatoes" have a thinner lighter colored skin and a pale dry yellow flesh (similar to the white potato). There are also "garnet or red yams" to make things even more confusing. They have an even darker red/purple skin as well as a bright, moist orange flesh. True yams are not related to the sweet potato. They are native to Central and South America and can be found in some international marketplaces. The US Dept. of Agriculture uses sweet potato and yams interchangeably. Hope that helps. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. 3 Researches PROVE Why Coconut Oil Kills Fat.

    The meaning of this is that you actually burn fat by eating Coconut Fats (also coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut oil).

    These 3 studies from major medical journals are sure to turn the traditional nutrition world upside down!

    ReplyDelete