Spicy Honey Pork Medallions

Yields: 8 Servings

Printable Recipe

This is a great comes together quickly meal, but doesn't feel like it.  This is definitely something I can do after work, but I would definitely make for company too.  Pork Tenderloin is another really versatile meat and is pretty quick cooking.  Slicing the tenderloin into medallions give it even more surface area to take on flavor.  This is a variation on a recipe in America's Test Kitchen's Healthy family cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 2 pork tenderloins 
• 1 Cup Honey
• 1/2 Cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)
• 4 Teaspoons minced chipotle in adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons ground cumin
• Salt & Pepper 
• Olive Oil

Slice pork into medallions and season with salt & pepper.

Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat.  When pan is heated, place pork medallions in pan and brown on each side 2-3 minutes.  Just enough to get a bit of a crust on it.  If all medallions don't fit, brown in batches. 

Remove browned medallions from pan.  Combine honey, lime juice, chipotle & cumin in same pan and let it cook down, scraping up brown bits.  After 1-2 minutes when the mixture is more of a glaze consistency, add the pork medallions back to pan and reduce heat to low.

Yum!

We had this as a roasted pork tenderloin with a glaze.  I decided to try it this way and it did not disappoint.  I enjoyed it more and it came together fast!  I would definitely mince the chipotles finer than we did, especially if you do not like heat.  This is one of Hubs favorite meals.

Meal Plan 10.15.11

We started off the week with an overnight guest from the Saturday night and I wanted to make my pal a good breakfast to start her week off right! This week is mostly at home nights, the Bruins are on the road, but I'm going to Chicago at the end of the week to see the Bruins on the road.  Hubs is staying behind for this trip, giving him an opportunity to have some fish and help my sister move (he's kind of great like that)
Also, since every new recipe I made last week was not to my satisfaction, I hope that there is better luck this week so I can share some recipes with you.

It's worth noting that I had every ingredient on hand this week - so there was no need to grocery shop - also worth noting that I was wasn't wowed by coupons or the grocery flyer - so this week's food bill is $0.00! Stocking up can really pay off!

This week's meal plan & ingredient list

Sunday:
Breakfast: Pumpkin Pancakes
Lunch: Meatballs & Sauce
Dinner: Soy Ginger London Broil, Quinoa & Peas

Monday:
Breakfast: Antioxidant Smoothie
Lunch: Soy Ginger London Broil, Quinoa & Peas
Dinner: Spicy Honey Pork Medallions, Brown Rice & Corn

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Coffee & Cereal

Lunch: Spicy Honey Pork Medallions, Brown Rice & Corn

Dinner: Turkey Cutlets & Israeli Coucous with Spinach

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Raspberry Oat Smoothie

Lunch: Turkey Cutlets & Israel Couscous with Spinach

Dinner: Pasta & Meatballs

Thursday:

Breakfast: Coffee & Cereal

Lunch: Pasta & Meatballs

Dinner: Turkey Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries

Friday:

Breakfast: Vitamin C Smoothie

Lunch: Out

Dinner: Tilapia, Quinoa w/Spinach

Saturday: 

Breakfast: Pumpkin Pancakes

Lunch: Out

Dinner: Out

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

So usually when boneless skinless chicken breast is on sale for $1.99, I jump at it.  $1.99/lb is the price for packages of 3 lbs or more.  Again it's just the two of us, so it's a great opportunity to stock up.  When we were looking through our freezer to see what we had on hand, I realized we were low on chicken.  We had NONE!  That's not a situation I like to be in.  Chicken cooks up quickly and is versatile and it's a lean protein.   I always buy at least 1 package at that price....this week I bought three.
It's worth noting that this is never a price I would get at BJ's and I just need to stock up when it's on sale at Stop & Shop

What was I thinking?

I was thinking - you can't beat that price and there's room in my freezer.

The first thing I did when I got these home was to get out my freezer bags and my kitchen sharpie marker.  But I'm from the Boston Area...so you can just imagine how I say "SHAHPEE" Also my trusty kitchen scale.  I love this thing and use it often, but moreso on days I stock up on meat.

I had nearly 10lbs of chicken.

I diced 1.5 lbs for the dinner I was making in the crockpot on Sunday.
I diced 1.5 lbs and marinated it for Tuesday's dinner
I cut up 2 lbs into 8 portions of chicken breast and bagged them in portions of 4 each (great for grilling, marinating or baking)
I sliced up 1 lb into small strips for an appetizer I intend to make soon
I sliced up 1 lb into 4 cutlets (great for chicken parmesan or any breaded cutlet)
I diced the remaining 3 lbs and bagged them in 3 1lb portions (great for simmer sauce meals or casseroles)

It looked a little something like this:

And for $21.66 and about 30 minute with a knife, cutting board, my freezer bags, sharpie marker & my trusty kitchen scale....I have 18 meals worth of chicken portioned out along with portion for a fun app next time I have friends over.

Totally worth it.

Saturday Shopping 10/1

So this week, not bad 36% savings

My sale list:

Sorrento Ricotta Cheese 2/$6.00
Baby Peeled Carrots 3/$5.00

Ricotta Cheese - with winter coming, it'll be more lasagnas or skillet pasta dishes
Baby Peeled Carrots - I will eat these as a snack, obviously healthier than any cookies or other snacks I bring along to work

My meal plan list:
Boneless Skinless Chicken $1.99/lb
Fat Free Plain Yogurt 2/$3.00
Limes 2/$1.50 (not on sale)
Bananas .47 (not on sale)
White Bread .99
Fiber One Hamburger Rolls $3.29 (.50 in store self scan savings)
Tomato Sauce .30
Chickpeas .67
5 lb Russet Potatoes $3.99(not on sale)
2 lb Yellow Onion $2.49 (should have been free, missed that at checkout)
Spinach (10oz) $1.99 (not on sale)
Cilantro $2.49 (not on sale)
Sweet Onion $1.49/lb

Bigger list, with more produce, which is harder to get on sale

Just while I was in the neighborhood items (all on sale or on sale paired with coupon)
Al Fresco Chicken Sausage $3.99
Ghirdelli Chocolate Chips $2.99
Nestle Dark Chocolate Chips 2/$5.00 ($1.00 off 2)
Bumblee Bee Tuna .80
Center Cut Bacon 3/$10.00
Del Monte Superfruit Cups 10/$10.00

Chicken Sausage - love this stuff, its great to cook into pasta for a quick meal
Ghirdelli Chocolate Chips - I don't skimp on ingredients for baking, so if I see that these are on sale I pick some up.
Nestle Dark Chocolate Chips - picked up 2 bags, these are new and I have another coupon and they're on sale through the holidays, so I will likely be getting more after I try them out
Tuna - Hubs enjoys tunafish, I hate it and I require to be out of the house when it's made (I know, makes me sound high maintenance, but I really hate it) since I'll be traveling soon, it'll be good for him to have around
Bacon - I normally buy turkey bacon and typically at BJ's since it's usually below the regular price at the grocery store and typically I find a coupon for it.  However I'm looking for the good stuff for an appetizer I'm making soon, so I picked this up on sale and into the freezer it goes
Del Monte Superfruit Cups - again in an effort to eat healthier, we decided to give these a try since the price was good a BJ's but it was a better deal at the grocery store.

All and all, not bad, but I'm still impressed at how much I had on hand for my list.  Also I had a $1.00 off my grocery bill from a checkout coupon (don't leave those behind) And always take the credit for the reusable bag!

October Trip to BJ's

So typically I try to make a trip to BJ's at the beginning of the month, so I can straddle the previous month coupon book and the current month.  Just helps to maximize the savings.  Sometimes anyway, this month I did notice a man double fisting his coupon books as well, so I'm guessing I'm not crazy.

We pay $40.00 a year for our BJ's membership, it's totally worth it for us, because we know what we're buying there and what's a better deal somewhere else.

So typically once a month we go and pick up items we use on a regular basis.

Some items of note this month

3 pk of Swanson's Chicken Broth (boxes) $6.99 - $2.00 off BJ's coupon - brings it down to about $1.67/box.  I usually try to get chicken broth in the box (easier to use & store in fridge) and typically pay about $2.00, if I can get it lower I stock up.  Unfortunately I haven't seen it lower - but with the holidays coming, there should be good coupons.

Frozen Tilapia Filets  $10.99 - I don't eat fish, but Hubs enjoys it and with me going out of town for the weekend, it's a perfect time for him to get his fish on and it's something he can prepare easily and it's frozen individually, we figured we'd give this a shot.

Skim Milk $2.75 - Gas isn't the only thing that's gotten more expensive by the gallon.  We always pick up a gallon of milk at BJ's, it's much cheaper than the grocery store and then typically the rest of the month we pick up half gallons to get us through with coupons & sale match ups

Pork Tenderloin $2.99/lb - This is my buy price if it's on sale at the grocery store, but it rarely has been lately for that price, so I typically just pick up a couple and they go straight to the freezer.