Pork loins with mushroom sauce and beans

from “Cook with M&S Food”

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 2

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2x lean pork loins
  • 1x packet of brown mushrooms
  • 1x packet of green beans
  • 1x bag of shallots or onions
  • 150 ml of double cream
  • 1x jar of M&S mushroom & roasted garlic paste

Special Equipment

  • Large frying pan
  • Medium frying pan

Preparation

  • Vegetables
  • Wash mushrooms thoroughly and then cut them into thick slices
  • Peel the shallots, slice them in half (length-ways) and then cut them into 1 cm thick half moon slices
  • Cut ends off the green beans and then cut the beans in half

Cooking

  • Step 1 – Vegetables
  • Add 2 tbsp of oil to a large frying pan, sauté the mushrooms for 8-10 minutes on a medium/high heat, until golden and caramelised. Season to taste
  • Remover the mushrooms from pan and set to one side, cover to retain heat
  • Add another tbsp of oil to the pan and sauté the shallots for 6-7 minutes or until softened
  • Step 2 – Pork
  • Season the pork loins to taste on both sides
  • Using a separate frying pan, add 2 tsp of oil and cook the pork on medium heat, 4-5 minutes on each side
  • Step 3 – Combine
  • While the pork is cooking
  • Return the mushrooms to the large frying pan with the shallots
  • add 150 ml of double cream and 100 ml of water to the pan along with the green beans
  • Stir thoroughly and simmer for 5-6 minutes (or until beans are no longer crunchy), stirring regularly

Presentation

  • Use heated plates
  • Serve the pork loins surrounded by the creamy mushroom/shallots/bean mix

Nice and easy Friday night recipe!

Goes well with a nice bottle of red wine to start the week-end…

Cotes de porc aux lentilles

From “The Encyclopedia of French Cooking” by Elisabeth Scotto

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 4-6

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 pork loins (or chops)
  • 6 small pork sausages
  • 450 g (1 lb/ 2.25 cups) of Puy lentils, already pre-soaked and cooked
  • 2 onions
  • 4 large carrots
  • 4 fresh sage leaves (or ground sage)
  • 600 ml (1 pint / 20  oz/ 2.5 cups) of chicken stock

Special Equipment

  • Large frying pan
  • Casserole dish

Preparation

  • Peel the onions and chop in small pieces
  • Peel the carrots and dice/slice them
  • Chop the fresh sage leaves into small pieces

Cooking

  • Step 1
  • Sprinkle the pork loins/chops with the chopped sage leaves and add salt and pepper to taste
  • Fry over brisk heat in a pan, 5 minutes each side or until brown
  • Remove pork loins/chops and set aside
  • Step 2
  • Add the pork loin/chops to the casserole dish
  • Add the lentils on top
  • Pour the stock in
  • Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and cover
  • Cook gently for 1 hour or until the chops are tender

Presentation

  • Remove the loins/chops and sausages from the casserole
  • Arrange around the edge of a warm plate
  • Add the lentils and sausage
  • Serve with some greens ( Brussels sprouts for example) on the side

The pork will be ever so tender !

Goes well with… a 2014 Woodstock “Deep Sands” 
Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon  from the McLaren Vale region of South Australia