Grilled Pork & Plum Salad with Almond Gremolata

Ingredients:

• Gremolata:
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 tsp salt

• Pork:
• 2 (3/4 lb) pork tenderloins
• 4 firm medium plums, halved
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 6 oz. baby spinach (6 cups)

Makes 4 Servings

1. For the gremolata: In a food processor, combine the almonds and garlic; pulse until just blended, about 10 seconds. Add parsley, lemon zest, oil and salt; pulse until jsut blended, about 15 seconds more.
2. For the pork: Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Grill pork 8-10 minutes per side, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 150 F-155 F. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, place plums, skin side down, on grill and cook, turning once. Transfer pork and plums to a cutting board andlet pork rest for 5-10 minutes. While pork is resting, slice plums into wedges.
3. In a large bowl, combine oil, vinegar, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Add plums and spinach and toss to combine.
4. Cut pork into 1/2-inch thick slices. Divide pork among 4 plates and top with gremolata. Serve warm with salad.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. I have officially cooked my way through this cookbook and this recipe is a great way to celebrate. I was craving pork and veggies and if you ever saw the photo for this dish, you would TOTALLY want to  cook this. Gremolata is an Italian chopped herb condiment that is typically made of garlic, parsley and lemon zest and often served as an accompaniment to the traditional Italian dish osso buco. This version includes almonds for a nutty flavor and added protein. The pork was delicious as were the plums. The spinach mixed with the lemon zest, olive oil and red wine vinegar give this dish a nice flavor. This is another version of a sophisticated salad with a lean protein and seasonings. You will never find this dish at the Olive Garden, trust me. Heck, you will never go out to an Italian restaurant once you've cooked this dish. Therer is more to Italian cooking that just pizza and pasta. This dish is great for a dinner party and great for date night, especially if your guests include Mario Batali, Michael Chiarello, Scott Conant, Emeril Lagasse or even Bobby Flay.