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I whipped this up in less than a half hour, and it was quite good. I got the idea after watching “The Taste,” a TV show on ABC. One of the cook-contestants prepared a winning dish that she described as “braised pork in cream with lemon zest and sage.” All the judges loved it, so I thought that I might try to create a dish using leftover slow-cooked pork with cream, lemon zest and sage. Since I am always trying to come up with ways to use smaller portions of meat with lots of vegetables, I pulled out what I had in the fridge: broccoli, a carrot, a zucchini, a red pepper. I figured that the pork that was braised in cream on the TV show had lots of flavor coming from the pork cooking in the cream. Since I was starting with pork that was already cooked, I didn’t have the juice that comes out from meat that is cooking and can flavor a sauce so nicely. So I thought that if I started the dish with a sauteed onion, that could offer some flavor to the sauce. The other vegetables also offer flavor. This dish might not be as good as what people were eating on the TV show–I would not say it is “to die for”–but for a quick weeknight meal that is nicely palatable, I recommend it to you. Everyone in my family enjoyed it. It goes nicely with a glass of Oregon Pinot Gris!
1 onion, chopped
1 TBS coconut oil
1 carrot, cut lengthwise into 2” matchstick pieces
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 2” pieces
¼ red pepper, cut into 2” strips
1 c. chopped broccoli
¼ c. orange juice
2 TBS fresh sage leaves, chopped
grated zest from 1 lemon
½ pint heavy cream (possibly a little more)
2 cups cooked pork (such as leftovers from slow-cooked pork shoulder)
salt and pepper to taste
Heat coconut oil in large skillet over medium heat. Saute chopped onion until translucent. Add carrot pieces and zucchini pieces and continue to sauté. Meanwhile, microwave chopped broccoli and orange juice together in a glass bowl, covered, for a minute. After carrots and zucchini have cooked for a couple of minutes, add red pepper, fresh sage and grated lemon zest and stir. Pour in heavy cream and turn heat to high. Boil, stirring occasionally, until cream becomes thick, then spoon out microwaved broccoli and add it to the pan, along with the cooked pork. Add a little more cream if it seems to need more sauce. Stir until pork is heated and all meat and vegetables are coated with cream sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over couscous, rice, or another simple grain. Serves 4.