Last Night's Dinner

Wow my blog post titles are really lacking in creativity, but I'm short on time today! Have I mentioned it's my sisters wedding week?! Words can't describe how excited I am for the wedding weekend to start. I'll post a full recap of the wedding next week.

Last night we Lawhon (my maiden name) girls had a real slumber party. It was so fun and so special. My sister, Claire (The bride!) cooked a great dinner and I wanted to share it with you all today. It was delicious, quick and healthy. I definitely will be making this in my own kitchen soon.

Pork over Couscous with Pistachio-Lemon Vinaigrette from Cooking Light

Pork over Couscous with Pistachio-Lemon Vinaigrette from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons pistachios, finely ground
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked couscous 
• 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick) 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. 1. Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, pistachios, and next 5 ingredients (through mustard) in a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon garlic and 1/8 teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk.
2. 2. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and couscous. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
3. 3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Rub pork with remaining 1 teaspoon garlic. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan; keep warm. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil and tomatoes to pan; cook 5 minutes or until skins blister, shaking pan occasionally. Sprinkle with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir tomatoes and parsley into couscous; divide couscous mixture evenly among 4 plates. Top each serving with 1 pork chop and about 2 tablespoons vinaigrette.