Sometimes the best posts are the ones you don't write

I was truly struggling last night to write a post on the pork mediallions in brandy cream sauce and just slammed dead on into a brick wall. I had tried some new medication for RLS and the result was me sleeping not only most of the day, but most of the night too.

There's nothing more irritating when you have things you want to get done than to be so tired your hubby finds you asleep on the couch and recommends bed and it's not even 8:30.

So I guess that medication is not in my future.

Meanwhile, pork medallions in cream sauce turned out fairly well, even if the recipe does need the cook to be fully awake the next time.

The recipe comes from Taste of Home's Italian Cookbook so you know the recipes are not going to be complicated and they've been well used by the cook who makes it for their family.

I made a few substitutions using canned mushrooms for fresh, adding red pepper rings and halved grape tomatoes. And I made a few fixable errors. Somehow I ended up with more black pepper than intended. I also cut the cream too short and therefore ended up a bit bunchy instead of creamy.

Being one of those dishes that my younger son actually ate without weeding things out of, I'm not unhappy. My husband actually had two healthy portions when he finally arrived from work. I'd be willing to bet there are not too many leftovers for lunch.

Pork Medallions with Brandy Cream Sauce
as printed in Taste of Home Italian Cookbook
12 ounces uncooked linguine
1 pork tenderloin (1 lb.) cut into 1-inch slices
1/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp butter, divided
1 3/4 cups sliced baby portobello mushrooms
5 green onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
Cook linguine per package directions.
Meanwhile, flatten pork slices to 1/4 inch thickness. Place flour in a large resealable plastic bag. Add pork, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.
In a large skilled over med.-high heat, cook pork in oil and 2 Tbsp butter in batches for 3-4 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Set aside and keep warm.
In the same skillet, saute mushrooms and onions in remaining butter until tender. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Add the cream, brandy, thyme, mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil, cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 8 minutes.
Drain linquine. Stir tomatoes into sauce mixture; add pork and heat through. Serve with linguine, sprinkle with cheese.

I can tell just how tired I was last night just by looking at the pictures.

The sauce looks grainy to me, suggesting that it overcooked and needed more tweeking before adding tomatoes and pork. Since the meal was definitely gobbled up, I know this is a keeper recipe and that I can definitely do better the next time around.

I also know I could reduced this a bit as with just 1 lb. of meat, I felt there were enough pork pieces for two meals. I used six slices of a larger tenderloin, 1 inch thick. For this recipe, I cut them in half before pound them 1/4 inch thick. When you cut the tenderloin slices, be sure you do cut an inch or they won't be thick enough to pound flat. Using a piece of parchment paper to cover helps keep the pork from sticking to the glass I used to pound mine.

I cut mini red peppers into 1/4 inch slices after seeding them and added them with the green onion, sauteing them until tender before adding the cream and seasonings. I used a little hickory smoke instead of cayenne. And then used half a box of grape tomatoes halved instead of plum tomatoes.

Now to decide what to make for dinner tonight.
Laura