Crispy Sage Pork with Couscous

We were in the mood for an easy pork dinner, so I paged through my cookbooks and this recipe caught my eye.  It was fast to make and tasted really good.  I especially enjoyed the crispy brown-butter sage.   The original recipe called for figs in the couscous (sounds delicious!), but sadly, Jeremy absolutely hates dried fruits so I omitted that.  It also called for shelled pistachios, but I didn't feel like buying a whole bag of pistachios for one recipe, so I used a box of Toasted Pine Nut Couscous instead.  I enjoyed that small amount of nutty crunch in the couscous.  The package of pork I bought from the store had 3 tenderized thin pork chops.  It worked out well because there was also extra couscous.  I'll have a yummy meal to take to work tomorrow.

Crispy Sage Pork with Couscous

Adapted from One Pan, Two Plates Cookbook

Serves 2-3 

Ingredients:

2-3 thin boneless Pork Cutlets, about 1/4" thick 

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter, divided

12 fresh sage leaves

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

1&1/4 cups chicken broth  (follow couscous package instructions for liquid amount)

1 (5.6oz) box Toasted Pine Nut Couscous and flavor pack 

1 green onion, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper on both sides; set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sage leaves and brown them on both sides until they start to get crispy, about 1 minute.  The butter should become golden brown.  Using tongs, transfer leaves to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Quickly add the pork to the hot skillet and brown the first side for about 2 minutes.  Turn and brown the other side for 2 minutes.  Transfer to a warmed plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, onion, carrot, and some salt and pepper.  Sauté for a minute until the onion begins to soften.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.  Add the couscous, green onions, and peas.  Cover skillet and remove from the heat.  Let sit, covered, for 4 minutes, to allow the couscous to absorb the broth.  Drizzle the olive oil over everything and stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Plate the pork with the couscous and sprinkle chopped parsley over couscous.  Top pork with the crispy sage leaves.  Feel free to crumble the sage into the couscous as well (I did-- it's delicious!).