Since I started this site, I have made this pork tenderloin multiple times on camera and have never put it out. Which is a shame because it’s one the better things I have learned to cook.
I didn’t realize until writing out the recipe, the different types of fat that went into the cauliflower, mushroom, marsala… puree. No wonder it tasted so good. And it was, really good.
Nothing special with chicken thighs and spaghetti squash, I’ve done them before. But when you find something that works, they become staples in your meal prep rotation.
Pork Tenderloin
Olive oil, salt, Montreal steak seasoning
Avocado oil
The idea with these is pretty much a reverse sear. Cook it all the way through at a low temperature (275 degrees) then cook in a hot skillet to give it a nice crust.
To start, I lightly covered the pork with olive oil (optional, I did it to help the seasoning stick). Then coated in salt and Montreal steak seasoning.
Wrapped it tightly in aluminum foil and placed into the oven at 275 degrees. I used a probe thermometer to take it out at 130.
Then, at high heat, put some avocado oil in a skillet. Made sure to sear all sides of the tenderloin (couple minutes per side). Depending on who you ask, pork should be cooked to 145-160 degrees, higher being on the safer side.
After letting the pork rest 5-10 minutes, it was ready to cut up and place into containers.
Cauliflower “Marsala”
Mushrooms (sliced)
Cauliflower (cut up)
Avocado oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder
Butter (1-2 tbsp)
White cooking wine (1/4 cup) – Marsala cooking wine has carbs, while white does not. Using either is fine, it’s only a few per serving
Olive oil (2 tbsp)
Heavy cream (1/2 cup)
Red pepper flakes (to taste)
In a pan over medium heat with avocado oil, I began to sauté the mushrooms.
After about ten minutes (or when the mushrooms begin to brown and soften) I added in the cut-up cauliflower as well as some pepper and garlic powder.
I let that cook for another 10 minutes, mixing every few minutes to make sure nothing stuck. Then added in the white cooking wine, as well as the butter.
After another 10 minutes, the cauliflower was ready to be blended to make the puree. I added everything to a food processor along with the olive oil and red pepper flakes.
Chicken Thighs
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper
I always like to peel the skin back to a corner so I can season the chicken thigh itself, and not just the skin.
After seasoning the chicken, it went into the oven uncovered at 375 for an hour. Because the pork tenderloin was in the oven at 275, I kept the chicken in for a little longer after taking out the pork and raising the temperature.
Spaghetti Squash
Olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder
If any of you know the proper way to cut a squash in half, please let me know. I know that it should definitely be at room temperature, and not straight out the fridge.
But anyway, after I managed to get two halves, coated the interior with olive oil and seasoned with salt pepper and garlic powder.
Placed it face down onto a parchment paper lined baking tray, and into the oven. The oven was changing temperatures, between 275 and 375 because of the pork and chicken. So, it was in the oven for about 40 minutes.
Using a fork, I scrapped the inside of the squash until I had spaghetti.
