Sauteed pork chops in a pesto sauce and tomato flavored couscous is a quick, 15-minute meal. Fresh basil, parsley, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese are a few of the basic ingredients for an Italian pesto sauce. Happily, prepared pesto sauce is available in the supermarket. For this quick meal, the pesto sauce is spread on the sautéed pork chops while they are still in the pan and cooks only 2 minutes. The sauce flavors the pork and is warmed through, while the fresh basil and parsley flavors are preserved.
The Tomato Couscous takes only 5 minutes to cook. The tomatoes are tossed with the couscous after it has cooked, but is still warm. This flavors the couscous with a fresh tomato taste.
Fred Tasker’s wine suggestion: The herbal pesto would go well with an herbal white sauvignon blanc.
Helpful hint
• Two tablespoons prepared pesto sauce is used in the recipe. The remaining pesto sauce can be saved in the refrigerator or frozen for future use.
Countdown
• Place water for couscous on to boil.
• Prepare ingredients for both recipes.
• When water boils, add couscous.
• Saute pork.
• Finish couscous.
This meal contains 547 calories per serving with 30 percent of calories from fat.
Pesto Pork Chops
3/4 lb. boneless pork chops
2 Tbsp. flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil spray
2 Tbsp. prepared pesto sauce
Remove visible fat from pork. Add flour to a plate and season with salt and pepper to taste. Coat both sides of the pork with the flour and shake off any excess. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with olive oil spray. Add pork chops and brown 2 minutes. Turn and brown 2 minutes. Spread the pesto sauce over the pork chops, cover with a lid and cook 2 minutes. The pork will be juicy and not dried. A meat thermometer should ready 145 degrees. Makes 2 servings.
Per serving: 337 calories (41 percent from fat), 15.4 g fat (3.3 g saturated, 6.6 g monounsaturated), 124 mg cholesterol, 39.8 g protein, 7.6 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g fiber, 200 mg sodium.
Tomato Couscous
1 cup water
1/2 cup plain couscous
1/2 cup drained, canned, no-salt-added, diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. shredded, part-skim milk mozzarella cheese
Bring water to a boil. Add couscous, cover with a lid and remove from the heat. Let sit 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper to taste and toss with a fork. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Makes 2 servings.
Per serving: 210 calories (11 percent from fat), 2.6 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 0.7 g monounsaturated), 9 mg cholesterol, 9.5 g protein, 36.6 g carbohydrates, 3.0 g fiber, 98 mg sodium.
Shopping list
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tonight’s Dinner in Minutes.
To buy: 3/4 lb. boneless pork chops, 1 small container pesto sauce, 1 small box plain couscous, 1 small can no-salt-added, diced tomatoes, 1 bottle dried oregano, 1 small package shredded part skim milk mozzarella cheese and olive oil spray.
Staples: Flour, salt and black peppercorns.
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