Sunday’s are a mix of frenzied work trying to get ready for Monday and sitting around trying to soak up the last bits of the weekend.  I know those are two opposing ideas, but that’s just how my Sundays go. 

By the time dinner rolls around, I usually don’t want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen or use a bunch of brainpower/creative coming up with something fancy to eat.  This is where my slow cooker comes in handy and Sunday is usually the day that I make my Whole Roasted Chicken.  Seriously, that chicken is the best Sunday dinner ever because not only do I eat wonderfully for dinner, I have leftovers for lunches/dinner throughout the week.  It’s the meal that keeps on giving.

A few Sundays ago I was looking through my fridge/freezer to see what jumped out at me as a suitable simple dinner.  I had a few odds and ends, but not much was striking me as dinner worthy.  Until I saw a hunk of pork tenderloin.

I totally forgot I had cut up a large pork tenderloin and frozen it in sections to use for quick dinners.  Thanks past me.  Future-Sunday-dinner-searching-me appreciates your thoughtfulness. 

Once I was done thanking myself, I started brainstorming what I could possibly do with 1/3 of a pork tenderloin.  For some reason, I wanted Chines food and because I always have things like coconut aminos, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and Chinese five-spice on hand, I ran with that idea.

I ended up with a delightful meal.  Crispy pork bites that are wonderfully tender and juicy on the inside.  The sprinkling of sesame seeds towards the end was just the cherry… err… seed(?) on top.  Serve this over a bed of rice (or cauli-rice) and a serving of stir-fry vegetables and you’ve got yourself a tasty dish!

What are your Sunday go-to meals?

Chinese Pork- serves 4-6 

Calories: 120 Total Fat: 4.68g Carbs: 2.12g Protein: 16.27g

• 1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into bite-size chunks
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos (or soy/tamari sauce)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1-in knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

1. Whisk together the coconut aminos, fish sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.  Place the pork chunks into a large Ziploc bag or shallow dish with a cover.  Pour the marinade over the pork.  Shake the dish or squish the bag to distribute the marinade evenly.  Sit it in the fridge for at least an hour or up to six hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and a cookie rack.  If you don’t have a cookie rack that’s fine, it just helps to circulate the air around the pork and makes it extra crispy.
3. While the oven is heating up, heat a little oil/fat of choice in a large skillet over high heat.  Sprinkle the pork with a little salt and pepper.  Then quickly sear the pork and then place on the baking sheet.  You aren’t trying to cook them all the way through, just get a little brown around the edges.
4. Sprinkle the Chinese five-spice over the seared pork and place in the oven for 10 minutes.  Pull out the baking sheet and add the sesame seeds and cook another minute or two until the seeds are toasted.
5. Serve over rice and with vegetables and enjoy!