Pair seasonal, crisp apples with the vibrant flavors of Asian cuisine in this Sweet and Sour Apple Pork Meatballs dish. Unlike your traditional sweet and sour sauce that contains added sugar and artificial colorings, our improved version is vegetable-based, providing you with health benefits and flavor. Eat your favorite Asian dish and feel good about it!

Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 20 min.

Cook Time: 25 min.

Total Time: 45 min.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. ground pork, 96% lean
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 green apples, peeled and grated
  • 2 small red onions, diced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
  • 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
  • 1 tablespoon egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 leek, finely chopped
  • 1 small zucchini, sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons golden monk fruit sweetener
  • 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions
In a large bowl, place ground pork, bell pepper, onion, grated apple, ginger, cilantro, and egg white. Mix everything together.

Roll the meat into 16 small balls and lay flat on a plate or baking tray, lined with parchment paper. Place in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes. If you have additional time, you can leave these for an hour or overnight which helps with structure.

Meanwhile, make your sauce by heating 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. When warm, add the onion, leeks, and zucchini and saute for 5 minutes, or until onion is turning translucent.

Add cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper, and monk fruit sweetener and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Stir to mix, then turn down the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the heat and add the mixture to a blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil over medium heat. When hot, add meatballs to the pan and cook for 7-10 minutes, turning to ensure they are cooked through.

When all of the meatballs are cooked, add sauce and let everything simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

Serve over cauliflower rice and garnish with basil leaves.