Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Shallot Mushroom Gravy, Couscous salad and fresh fruit

Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Shallot Mushroom Gravy

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light fresh food fast weeknight meals cookbook

Couscous Recipe courtesy of myself Lauren Buczkowski

Ingredients:

1. Pork tenderloin (approximately 1lb)

2. 8oz presliced mushrooms (I used portabello)

2-3 Tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

1 medium tomato, or 1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

1 3/4 cup Israeli couscous 

2 teaspoons corn starch

1 Tablespoon sherry

salt

pepper

4 cloves of garlic (use a garlic press)

8oz beef stock

1/3 cup shallot sliced 1/2 lemon and zest

parsley or cilantro (1/3 cup) 

2 cups boiling water

 Start by putting the couscous into a pan and let it toast (about 5 minutes) don't let it burn. This is going to brown it and it brings out a slightly nutty flavor in the pasta. It just enhances the flavor. Just like toasting pecans or any type of nut is going to bring out the flavor of the nut, same thing is happening here.

Once it toasts, add in a little salt and then add in the 2 cups of water. Let it simmer on low for 12-15 minutes.

 While the couscous is cooking, slice the tenderloin diagonally into medallions. Lightly salt and pepper the medallions and rub each one with a little of the minced garlic. Coat pan with cooking spray and cook medallions 2 minutes on each side. Once they are done, put them on a plate and cover with foil to keep them warm. (don't worry if they are not completely cooked, you will cook them more in a bit.)

 Place pan back on the burner and spray once more with cooking spray. Add in the mushrooms and shallots and let them cook down. Approximately 5 minutes.

 While the mushrooms are cooking mix beef broth, corn starch, and sherry into a bowl and use a wisk to make sure there are no lumps and the cornstarch is mixed in really well. Pour the liquid over the mushroom mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat.

 Once it comes to a boil, add the pork back in and let it cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

 While the pork finishes cooking, put the couscous into a bowl and add in the zest of 1/2 a lemon. Then squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon. (if you are not a huge citrus fan add less lemon juice)

 Next add in the tomato, parsley, and feta cheese. Add approximately 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.  Lightly salt and pepper as well.

 Mix it together and serve at room temperature or chilled. 

Enjoy! This was a delicious meal and well balanced. You could add a side salad  or some sauteed green beans if you wanted to add in a Green container. 

21 Day Fix: 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1/2 Blue, 2 Tsp. and 1 Purple

For this meal, you dont get enough of the sauce to count the cornstarch or sherry as anything. If you felt like you needed to count it as an orange for the sauce, you could do that as well. The couscous doesn't have enough veggies to count it as a green.