Roasted Pork Tenderloin with pear gravy, grilled zucchini, and roasted butternut squash basmati rice with cranberries

Whew! What a mouthful that title was! We had two friends over for dinner (last minute) and I threw together a meal with only needing a few essentials from the store.... sort-of. I had planned to make the pork tenderloin dish when my parents were in town (it's mom's favorite) but we didn't get home until late both nights! So I had the tenderloin in the freezer and pear nectar in the fridge (but who doesn't have pear nectar on hand? jk - but it was only about $1-2 from Peapod.)  The pork I adapted from Epicurious, as usual, the rest was my own creation...

I only took photos of the finished product (sorry!!) because I was trying to get the meal out in a hurry.  As it was, it was a late, late dinner!


Roasted Butternut Squash Basmati Rice with Cranberries
I was tired of plain old rice, so I decided to roast half a butternut squash while the pork was in the oven and mix it into basmati rice.  I added a few cranberries for some additional fall flavor.  Next time I'd add sage or rosemary and some chopped walnuts. Yum!
Peel a butternut squash (you can just use your vegetable peeler) and cut up the butternut squash.  This will probably take you the longest of anything, but not if you are using your knife properly! Squash is really hard to cut if you are holding your knife straight out.  If you cut at a 45 degree angle, a sharp knife should go right through the squash.  Cut in half, scoop out the inside, and dice the squash.  Put in an ovensafe baking dish and pop in the oven for about 30 min until roasted.  Stir halfway through the cooking time.
Prepare the rice according to package directions (including a bit of butter and salt) and then add the roasted squash and cranberries, stirring to incorporate.

For the pork:
3 TB olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp chopped thyme
a 2 lb pork tenderloin
3 large shallots, peeled and cut into wedges
3 unpeeled pears, quartered and cored
4 tsp butter, room temp
2 tsp flour
1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
3/4 cup pear nectar

Preheat oven to 475.  Mix the olive oil with the garlic and thyme and rub all over the pork. Have a roasting pan or baking sheet ready but sear the pork in a skillet over high heat along with the shallots.  Make sure you heat the pan up before you try to sear the meat so that it browns up well! Sear on all sides (should take about 5 min total) and place in the pork in your roasting pan.  Place the shallots on a platter. Put the pork in the oven and cook for 10-20 min, depending on the size of your tenderloin.  A meat thermometer should read 145 degrees.

[Side note: if you do not have a meat thermometer, it is well worth the splurge.  I have the Cuisinart one that you put in the meat, put the meat in the oven and the dial sits on your counter and beeps when it's done.]

Meanwhile, add the pears to your skillet and brown.  My pears were not quite ripe, so I should have added a bit of water to the pan, put a lid on, and let them steam a bit to soften.  This generally works anytime something is not cooking as quickly as you'd like (veggies, fish, etc) and / or if the pan is getting too browned.  (For veggies or fish I usually add a little white wine instead of the water.  Serves the double purpose of deglazing the pan so it's easier to clean.) Anyway, once the pears are browned up, add them to the platter with your shallots.

Mix the butter and flour in a small cup and add to the pan along with the pear nectar and chicken broth.  Boil this until the sauce thickens up, making sure you scrape up all the delicious bits left on the pan.  This gravy is the best part!!

When the pork is done, let it rest for 5 min before you slice.  Slice and add to the platter with the pears and shallots (I accidentally roasted my shallots with the pork and they got a bit.... crispy... so I discarded.)  It was delicious!

Grilled Zuchinni

Could not be easier.  I cut three zucchinis on the diagonal (for 4 people) and put them in a bowl.  Coat with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.  I had the hubby do the grilling so I could do everything else. Get a grill pan nice and hot and grill as though it's a real grill.

Grill marks and everything!