pork loin with pesto mashed potatoes

i like meat, especially pork. pork loin is lean and easy to prepare. i really should eat it more often. as for the potatoes, i had a bunch of basil left over from something, and i wanted to get rid of it before it spoiled. so, here's what i did.

pork loin

pork loin

coarse grain mustard

salt and pepper the pork loin. in a hot pan, sear the loin on both sides for a minute or two - trapping in the juices. place in an oven-safe dish and coat with coarse grain mustard. bake for about 30 minutes at 350-degrees. the cooking time will vary depending on the size of your pork-loin.

red-wine shallot compote

1 shallot

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup of red wine

in the same pan that you used to sear the pork loin, add butter and a diced shallot - cook briefly. add the 1/2 cup of wine and allow to boil. allow the liquid to reduce by about half, then set aside.

pesto mashed potatoes

3 medium sized potatoes - diced

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup chopped basil

1 cup whole milk

1-2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

cook the potatoes in boiling water (peel if you don't want skins in your mashed potatoes). in a blender, combine garlic, put the garlic, milk, basil, and parmesan into a blender (and blend). mash the potatoes with butter, then add the basil-milk mixture and stir. salt and pepper to taste.

garlic infused green beans

fresh green beans

2-3 garlic cloves (cut into thirds)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

boil the green beans, then strain. in the hot pot, place olive oil and garlic into the pan and allow to soften. return the green beans to the pan, add the lemon juice, and toss. salt and pepper to taste.