Eat Great and Lose Weight!

Submitted by Darcy Maulsby,
Darcy Maulsby & Co.

This July I returned for my fifth year as the featured Saturday morning cook at the 2012 Cherokee County Fair in Cherokee, Iowa. It was great to have nearly 60 people learn how to “Have Your Cake and Eat it, Too.” I’m on a mission to show you can eat great and lose weight without sacrificing flavor—or dessert!

Take this simple, citrus-marinated Cuban Pork Tenderloin, which only has 140 calories per serving and is great on the grill. If you try it, let me know what you think (e-mail me at yettergirl@yahoo.com). Be sure to enjoy a piece of Glazed Lemon Cake, too!

Cuban Pork Tenderloin

(find more great pork recipes at http://www.porkbeinspired.com/Index.aspx)

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1/4 cup orange juice, fresh
• 1/4 cup grapefruit juice, fresh
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Mix orange juice, grapefruit juice, cilantro, cumin, oregano, garlic, salt, and hot pepper in gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag. Add pork, close bag, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Prepare outdoor grill for direct medium-hot grilling. For a gas grill, preheat grill on high. Adjust temperature to 400°F. For a charcoal grill, build fire and let burn until coals are covered with white ash. Spread coals and let burn for 15-20 minutes.

Lightly oil cooking grate. Remove pork from marinade, drain briefly, but do not scrape off solids. Place on grill and cover grill. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned and instant-read thermometer inserted in center of pork reads 145°F, about 20-27 minutes. Transfer to carving board and let stand 3-5 minutes. Cut on slight diagonal.

Low-Fat American Fries

• 4 baking potatoes, cut into wedges (leave the skins on)
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika

Toss potatoes with olive oil and seasonings. Bake at 425°F for 35 minutes, or until crisp.

Darcy’s Ranch Salad

• 1 bag of coleslaw mix
• Spin Blend salad dressing (this has better flavor than mayonnaise)
• 1 packet dry ranch salad dressing mix
• Fresh broccoli, washed and cut
• Crumbled, cooked bacon (optional)

Combine coleslaw mix, Spin Blend, ranch salad dressing mix, and broccoli. Taste as you go to determine how much Spin Blend, ranch mix, and broccoli you want to include. Top salad with bacon.

Watermelon Fruit Kabobs

• Wooden kabobs
• 1 seedless watermelon
• Fresh fruit of your choice (options could include grapes, pineapple chunks, cantaloupe, honeydew melon)

Cut watermelon in half. Take one half and place it flat-side down on a platter or serving tray. Arrange chunks of fresh fruit on each kabob. Placed the pointed end of each kabob into the rind of the watermelon. Serve and enjoy!

Darcy Maulsby is based in Lake City, Iowa, where she runs her own marketing/communications company and helps out on her family’s Century Farm. She assists clients in agriculture and other industries with magazine articles, sales materials, newsletters, website articles, photography and more. Darcy, who is also an avid home cook, invites you to follow her food and ag updates on Facebook and on Twitter.