Hi Pat, that sounds like a fun exam! The cream of onion soup sounds like a real winner.

Since simple is the order of the day why not oven roasted baby potatoes w/olive oil...sea salt and fresh pepper..maybe with some slivered garlic. Roasted carrots or brussels sprouts would be good too. Not fancy but would compliment the pork very well IMHO.

Good luck!

Duane

This is delicious, simple, yet not plain and would look good on the plate. I'm sure you would want to decrease the amount of asparagus.

Mustard-Dressed Asparagus

From Cooking Light

4 pounds asparagus
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon mustard seeds

Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in an 8 quart stockpot. Add half of asparagus, cook three minutes. Rinse with cold water; drain and pat dry. Repeat procedure with remaining asparagus.

Combine the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add mustard seeds, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add asparagus and mustard mixture, and cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 8 servings

Duane - Voila! Brussels sprouts! Maybe just caramelized?

Beverly - Thanks for the asparagus suggestion. Since asparagus is generally a spring-vegetable, I ruled it out. My pork dish just screams autumn to me. Plus it has mustard in the sauce too.

Here's a great veggie-and unique, plus would compliment your pork.

Delux Lima Beans
****************
1 pkg of Fordhook Limas
1 small diced onion
1 small jar of pimentos
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of room temp sour cream

Cook your limas per directions. While they're cooking..
Melt butter in a saute pan, add onions & diced pimentos-cook until tender. Remove from heat. Drain beans, return to their pot, add the onion mix(butter & all), then gently fold in the sour cream. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately. DELISH!!!

Ooops Pat, I didn't think about that. BTW, your choices so far sound delicious.

Beverly

I think the creamed onion soup and pork loin sound fabulous together and just roasted brussel sprouts with EVOO/butter/salt/pepper.

But you need something red on the plate for visual appeal and balance. Could you garnish the sprouts with sweet red pepper?

Michelle

how exciting! but i can't believe you're already up to the first practical exam--yikes! how is it going for you? is it what you expected?

i don't know how basic you want to get, but how about some roasted radishes? very pretty and it might be a nice foil to the sweetness of the pork. on the other hand, i might start playing with the sweet but peppery flavor of parsnips, julienned and dipped in egg white and panko and quickly pan-fried in a little mound or something...will you be able to take pics of your work? i'll bet we'd love to see what you come up with--good luck!

How bout whipped sweet potatoes - nice contrast and light.

Pat - your in FL? MY BIL is a culinary professor at FIU in Miami and has a big part in the South Beach Food & Wine show a long with my SIL.

Here he is if your interested!

Here is a link that might be useful: BIL

San, I usually roast brussel sprouts with radishes and we just love the radishes. I did not mention it because I've mentioned the roasted radishes so much and no one ever responds so I thought either no one was interested or they did not sound appetizing. LOL!! Oh well............

Michelle

Brussels sprouts would get my vote or maybe something with kale. Sweet potatoes would add color, but that pork recipe already has enough sweet in it. The vegetable should be something more salty or savory to balance it.

Great, now I'm jonsing for roasted brussels sprouts for dinner. This forum induces cravigns, I swear it does.

I made this last week - can't wait to make it again - it is easy and very delicious!!! I did not measure anything, I used less BS, used onions instead of shallots salted butter & omitted the salt & forgot to add the lemon juice - so I'd say it will be perfect for your exam. Looks pretty also.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH WALNUTS
Emirel, 2001
episode# EMSP25

2 lbs Brussels sprouts, base & outer leaves trimmed and halved.
8 T butter unsalted
1/4 c thinly sliced shallots
2 T minced garlic
3/4 c rough chopped walnuts
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp feshly ground pepper
1/2 c finely grated Parmesan

Bring medium pot of salted water to a boil - add BS
Cook until crisp tnder - approx 5 mins
Drain
In a large saucepan ( I used a heavy skillet)melt 6T of butter over med- high heat.
Add shallots and garlic - cook for 1 min
Add BS in one layer and cook until golden brown - about 5 mins.
Remove from pan.
Add remaining 2T butter of butter, and when melted, add the walnuts and cook, stirring, until golden and fragrant, about 2 mins.
Add the lemon juice salt & pepper and stir well to coat and warm through.
Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Serve immediately.

Obviously you know not to over cook the BS or you get that yukky sulpher taste - and don't burn the garlic. I also prefer smallish BS -the same size.

This will be delicious with the Pork and Cream of Onion Soup.
Good Luck on your exam.

Michelle - roasted radishes have never sounded appealing to me, LOL, but last night I tried radishes sauteed in butter (out at a restaurant) and they were delicious so now I have a very different opinion - and I think they'd be great with brussels sprouts - can you please post your recipe (if you have one) or do you just roast 'til done' ?

Yes, yes, yes - please post the roasted radish method/recipe. The color would be GREAT!!!

School is wonderful - way better than I ever expected it to be. You know how they say time flies when you're having fun - well it's true.

Those Brussels sprouts with walnuts sound GREAT - no promise of whether walnuts will be available though. Wonder how it would be if I just left them out? May have to try this for Thanksgiving and see what my family thinks.

Sorry if I'm scatterbrained today - my sweetie got in from Iraq yesterday (he's been gone 4 months) and I'm sort of caught up in the moment.

Thanks to you ALL for your ideas/recipes/opinions. Your continued support helps a lot!

Here's a link to my blog again just in case you all are interested.

Here is a link that might be useful: A Culinary Interlude

Here's one that's gotten great reviews.

BRUSSELS SPROUT HASH WITH CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS
Bon Appétit : November 2007

Thinly sliced brussels sprouts are sauteed with shallots in this comforting hash. Makes 8 to 10 servings - Molly Stevens

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided
1/2 pound shallots, thinly sliced
Coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup water

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Saute until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Stir until brown and glazed, about 3 minutes.

Halve brussels sprouts lengthwise. Cut lengthwise into thin (1/8-inch) slices. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until brown at edges, 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons butter. Saute until most of water evaporates and sprouts are tender but still bright green, 3 minutes. Add shallots; season with salt and pepper.

I always roast brussel sprouts and radishes together and we have it at least once a week and love it! So easy and so GOOD! BTW, radishes are fabulous in tempura!

Try to find small radishes because then you will not have to cut them in 2 as takes longer to cook the radishes then the sprouts. This time of the year most of the radishes seem to be large. And I've tried different varieties of radishes too but all seem about the same.

Clean the radishes and if they are more then say 1" long you will have to cut them in 2 as they take longer to cook then the Sprouts. Just trim the stem end of the Sprouts but do not cut in half as it will ruin the visual appeal. I try to choose Sprouts uniform in size but it really does not seem to matter as they cook quickly. Put the sprouts and radishes in a large bowl and drizzle with EVOO and about 2-3 T. of melted butter and fresh ground pepper. I add a small amount of salt after roasting. Mix well and put in a shallow baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. When the Sprouts start getting black, and the blacker the better, the dish is done.

The purple cauliflower is very nice in this dish as it turns a deep royal purple when roasted.

I've tried potatoes and beets in this dish too, but they seem like filler and really can not compete with the flavor of the Sprouts and Radishes.

This is a very colorful dish! The Sprouts do loose a bit of the fresh green color but are still green with some black from roasting. And the radishes retain their red and white.

Good luck and I hope this helps!!

Michelle

Michelle, you're describing two of DH's favorite veggies. I'll have to try your recipe!
Pat, no real comments to add, except that your meal plan sounds wonderful AND you are an entertaining writer too! I really enjoy your blog!
I'm so happy for you that your sweetie has returned from Iraq, I hope he doesn't have to return soon, enjoy all the time you have together!

Pat - give your sweetie a big THANK YOU hug from me & Welcome Home! I will read your blog.
I used walnuts in a bsg - bought in the nut aisle of grocery store - think "easy & simple"
Michele - I will be trying the roasted radish and BS! DH loves Radishes and althou I serve them in a soup recipe, I never thought to roast them. I roast alot of veggies or cook out on the grill. It is nice to have different combinations. I also use the roasted veggies leftover cold in wraps - you only need a little bit. No one ever figures out the "secret ingredients" lol

No suggestions, just take good care of your sweetie!

Cathy

I don't think this qualifies as a vinaigrette but it's good:

Caper Salad

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, pressed
½ tablespoon whole grain mustard
½ lemon, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
Pinch salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head Boston lettuce, cleaned
2 tablespoons capers
Combine the mayonnaise, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a resealable plastic container. Put the lid on the container and shake until contents are well combined. Or use stick blender.
Break the lettuce into leaves and place on 4 plates. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with capers.

I love the idea of roasting the BS and radishes together. It sounds so easy and will definitely add a splash of color to my plate.

Cathy - nope, that doesn't qualify as a vinaigrette - we're doing the classic one with oil and vinegar (no mayo!). I'm going for the easy one: EVOO with balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and dijon mustard. It doesn't get any easier and it's always good.

Sweetie is still jet-lagged after a 30-hour+ trip home. He was hassled in the Paris airport and said the guy had body odor so bad he had to step back 2 paces. GROSS!

He's only here until the 30th and has to go back. We're trying to fit a LOT into a little bit of time. Unfortunately, my practical exam falls right dead in the middle of it. We had our choice of having it on the 26th or the 28th. Sweetie's birthday is the 27th, so I chose the 26th. I won't have class on the 28th, so we can go out and enjoy ourselves for his birthday.

He brought me a beautiful 18kt. gold necklace as an "I missed you" gift. Everbody, all together now......... "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!"