Savory Pork Roast with Pince-nez on the Side

 

Growing up on the farm, Sunday dinner at noon was always a feast, many times with Aunt Jessie, Aunt Lucy and Ronnie joining us at the table.   

I remember it all with good memories, except this one time:

Aunt Jessie, actually Dad’s aunt, my great aunt, was a tiny proper little lady, who wore pince-nez glasses…

Neither one Aunt Jessie, but the glasses are similar

On this particular day, Mom made roasted pork for our Sunday meal, and I got to sit at the dinner table beside Aunt Jessie.  I liked to talk a lot, and this one time I became more than a little animated in the story I was telling.  I swung my hand with a fork in it, right up to Aunt Jessie's glasses ~ hooked the side of them ~ and hurled her pince-nez glasses clear across the table.  

Not a good moment, but then I was probably only around 7 or 8 years old.

Mom always went the limit with meals of fried chicken, roast beef or roast pork like this.

I carried the Sunday dinner tradition on until the boys got older, and life carried on, ball games, etc.

This pork roast is delicious, with the simple blend of seasonings flavoring it, particularly the pungent taste of ground mustard to complement the pork.

It’s juicy and tender on the inside with good crunchy meat on the outside.

Easy, peasy and good eating for Sunday dinner or anytime!

Savory Pork Roast

Ingredients:

1 (2-3 pounds) pork loin roast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon dried oregano

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine seasonings in a small bowl.
Liberally pat seasonings onto roast.
Place meat on a rack in roasting pan.
Bake, uncovered, 2 to 2½ hours, until thermometer registers 155°.
Allow pork to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Serve
Printable recipe



Enjoy!

Lemony Parmesan Broccoli

Whenever Aunt Lucy was at my house for dinner, I was sure to serve a broccoli dish.  If I didn’t serve a dark green veggie, especially broccoli, I would’ve heard, “Green veggies, Pam, green!”  With Dad’s gardens, there was an abundance of fresh vegetables when I was growing up, and Dad was also a firm believer in the power of fresh vegetables.

Here’s why broccoli on your dinner table is healthy and beneficial for you and your family: 

• Broccoli provides a high amount of vitamin C, which aids iron absorption in the body, prevents the development of cataracts, and also eases the symptoms of the common cold.

• The potassium in broccoli aids those battling high blood pressure, while a large amount of calcium helps combat osteoporosis.

• The vegetable is also fiber-rich, which enhances the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, as well as aims to reduce blood cholesterol levels.

• Broccoli contains glucoraphanin, which with the body processes into the anti-cancer compound sulforaphane. This compound rids the body H. pylori, a bacterium found to highly increase the risk of gastric cancer. Furthermore, broccoli contains indole-3-carbinol, a powerful antioxidant compound and anti-carcinogen found to not only hinder the growth of breast, cervical and prostate cancer, but also boosts liver function.

• Additionally, the health benefits of broccoli have been linked to preventing and controlling the following medical concerns: Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, calcium deficiencies, stomach and colon cancer, malignant tumors, lung cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and even the aging process.

• Broccoli is rich in skin vitamins that gives glow and shine to your skin and hair. It also helps repair skin damage and revives skin tissues so you can have smooth skin all over.

I’ve always liked broccoli, whether raw, steamed, boiled or stir-fried.  This recipe is simple, but big on taste with the tang of lemon and the nutty flavor of Parmesan to compliment the broccoli.  Aunt Lucy was right all those years ago ~ broccoli is probably one of the healthiest foods in the world and it’s packed with flavor too!  So, eat your broccoli!!!

Lemony Parmesan Broccoli

Ingredients:

12 ounces broccoli florets (5 cups raw)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons shaved fresh Parmesan

Method:

Boil broccoli in salted water until crisp-tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Place in a large bowl.

Pour olive oil into a small skillet over medium-high heat.

Add shallot and garlic; cook 2 minutes.

Add oil mixture, rind, juice and salt and pepper to broccoli; toss well.

Sprinkle broccoli with cheese.

ENJOY!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips on Tuesday’s and good and easy recipes every Friday!

Aunt Lucy’s Mexican Corn Pudding

Aunt Lucy, 1978

Aunt Lucy was Dad’s sister.  They were born on the same day, March 20^th, 5 years apart; she in 1906 and Dad in 1911.  She had a daughter, Polly, who died from a disease when a toddler.  Incidentally, in 30 days, on March 20^th, our younger son, Matt, will be getting married to Kathy!

Here's one of my many memories of her:  Without fail, at a young age, when I jumped into her car, she insisted that I scoot over to sit right beside her while she drove.  I was told in no uncertain terms, to not touch the car door, much less lean against it as we very slowly cruised the roads.  While driving, she would check the mirror countless times to make sure her lipstick was still bright red and not escaping the lines of her mouth and that every hair was in place.

That was just Aunt Lucy!  She was truly great!  We had many good times together!  She instilled her love of music (and Dad also with music!), genealogy and reading in me.  I loved her dearly and she doted on me. 

Darwin, her husband was the founder of the electric cooperative in their area of Ohio, bringing electricity into the areas homes in the late 1930's.  She had the great distinction of demonstrating to homemakers, in her kitchen, the art of cooking on an electric range.

This Mexican Corn Pudding is one of the very few recipes of hers that I have.  It is really very good and is a perfect comfort food.  Give it a try!

Aunt Lucy’s Mexican Corn Pudding

Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow corn meal

½ cup oil

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 small can green chilies

2 cans creamed corn

1 medium onion, sliced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

½ cup Parmesan cheese

Method:

Mix all ingredients together, except for the peppers and cheese.

Pour one-half of the mixture into a greased 2 quart baking dish.

Sprinkle half of cheese and peppers over top.

Add rest of corn mixture.

Spread remaining cheese and peppers over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until knife a inserted in the center comes out clean.

¡Mexican corn pudding es delicioso! 

Here’s to you, Aunt Lucy!