Seared Pork with Balsamic-Honey Glaze

Pork is such a versatile meat. It works very well with so many different ingredients and cooking methods. There are also so many different cuts of pork to choose from to create simple, delicious dishes. In this dish, we have prepared pan seared pork medallions paired with a balsamic-honey glaze. The sweetness of the brown sugar, acidity of the vinegar and the spice of the Dijon mustard makes a delicious, well balanced glaze for the dish. We have put our own spin on this great recipe from foodnetwork.com    

For the balsamic-honey glaze:

1/3 cup brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pork:
1 3/4 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin
Olive Oil, for searing

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Make the glaze: Put garlic and rosemary in a small bowl. Add the vinegar, honey, olive oil, mustard, brown sugar and salt and pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.

For the pork: Slice the tenderloin into 1-inch thick medallions (rounds). Cover the bottom of a medium skillet with a light film of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add the pork slices in 1 layer, season with salt and pepper, and sear for 1 minute. Turn and sear for 1 more minute, until lightly browned. Transfer the slices in 1 layer to a shallow baking dish.

Pour the glaze over the slices and turn them to coat.

Roast for 10 to 13 minutes, until a thermometer inserted reaches 140 degrees F for medium. Remove from the oven and keep warm, loosely covered until ready to serve.
To serve place pork medallions on a platter and spoon the balsamic-honey glaze over them.

Israeli Couscous with Spinach

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh spinach chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 3/4 cup chopped onion 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup uncooked Israeli couscous 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup multi colored  pepper 

Preparation

1. Steam the chopped spinach. Place spinach in ice water 1 minute; drain and squeeze of excess water. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken broth and salt; bring to a boil. Add couscous; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, black pepper, bell pepper.  Cook an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Source: myrecipes.com Original recipe used asparagus.