#TOLAHCHEFS4: Crusted Pork Tenderloin with a Butternut Squash Medley

I am all for making really quick and easy but super tasty meals. This week I bring you something really quick and tasty dish and oh ladies (and gents)…since summer bodies are made in winter…we might as well hop onto that bandwagon….

P.S. After being on TOLAH, I can never hear the word butternut without my mind racing to think of more than just the veggies *side eyes LufunoJJ*

Ingredients 

boneless pork loin                                  2 cups cubed butternut squash
1 lemon, zested and juiced                    ½ tsp ground cinnamon 
3 tablespoons olive oil                            1 Tbsp soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced                            ½ cup applesauce
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves            handful of baby spinach leaves
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard                                ½ cup dry white wine
 Coarse sea salt                                                      1 large onion

freshly ground black pepper                   ½ cup brown sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 Degrees Celsius. Combine lemon juice, part olive oil (leave some to brown the pork), minced garlic and thyme leaves and marinate pork overnight. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the pork loin on all sides in the hot oil, about 10 minutes total. Remove the pork loin from the pan and bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour. Pour in the white wine into the skillet, and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the caramelized bits in the pan. Scatter the butternut squash and onion in the skillet and stir together the applesauce, mustard, soy sauce, sugar, and cinnamon and add to the butternut mixture. Once pork loin is well cooked right through, allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy.

*Handy Hint*                                                                                                                                                 
Pork tenderloins are also often sold packaged in a marinade. Personally, I avoid these, as I would prefer to season the meat myself (and control the amount of salt and oil used). It's very quick and easy to roll pork tenderloin in some salt and spices, or to create a paste of garlic and ginger to rub all over it. Play around with herbs and spices and create your own flavours, cooking should be experimental and fun!

Regards,                                                                                                                            
La Petit Chef…

Image Credit: southernliving.com