Pork Tenderloin, Blackened Eggplant, Squash, and Zucchini with Couscous and Harissa

Harissa is the North African cousin to the roasted red pepper sauce that we make that goes so well with pesto. You can turn down the heat by using less hot peppers or go crazy with them and really turn it up!

This recipe is a random creation that we dreamt up and turned out DELICIOUS. For this particular recipe we grilled a pork tenderloin, but we’ve since gone sans-meat. The grilled squashes and harissa are more than enough to make this a full meal.

Ingredients:

Pork Tenderloin
Curry Powder
Cardamom
Eggplant
Zucchini
Squash
Handful of Fresno Chili’s (or other red chili with heat)
1 package Cherry Tomtatos
2-3 Red Bell peppers
Handful of Garlic Cloves
Cumin
Caraway Seeds
2 Lemons
Couscous

Step 1: Prepare the Squash

Cut the Eggplant, Zucchini, and Squash into inch thick slices. Brush them each with olive oil and dust liberally with salt and black pepper. Let them rest about 30 minutes to draw the moisture out.

Step 2: Roast the Good Stuff

Pre-heat the oven to 375°. Cut each of the peppers in half and remove all the seeds. Place the peppers in a roasting pan along with a few handfuls of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, cumin, and the caraway seeds. Roast in the oven until the peppers start turning black (usually about 30 minutes).

Step 3: Grill

Coat the tenderloin in olive oil, curry powder, and cardamom. Grill at a high heat until the tenderloin is slightly firm and a nice crust forms. Grill the eggplant, zucchini, and squash over direct heat. The fire should be hot in order to char the veggies on the outside, while getting the inside cooked just right. If the heat is too low, the veggies will get squishy and won’t get those nice grill marks.

Step 4: Make the couscous

Couscous generally cooks fairly quick, so starting it later ensures it doesn’t sit around and dry out. Just follow the directions on your box.

Step 4: Will it Blend?

Take everything from the roasting pan and put it in a blender. Add the juice of 1 lemon. Blend. If it needs a little more acidity, add that second lemon or some white wine vinegar.

Step 5: Put it together

Cut the eggplant, squash, and zucchini into inch cubes and mix with couscous. Layer that in a bowl with slices of pork and top it off with the Harissa.