Day 361: "Italian" Pork Chops

I'm not a huge fan of pork chops, and I don't like onions.  But these onion-smothered pork chops are good!  (Okay, I didn't eat all the onions.)  But I've learned that I can actually eat caramelized onions and like the flavor they give whatever they're eaten with.  We don't have pork often, but I would never completely take it off my repertoire.  It's cheap.  Randy really likes pork (and loves onions) and I want my kids to have broad palettes.  That means introducing them to a wide variety of food, even if I don't particularly like what we're having.  I also get just as much, if not more pleasure out of cooking food as I do eating it, so it really doesn't bother me to make something I'm not anxious to eat.  I still enjoy the cooking process!
This recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis.  She says that it's her "Italian" take on the American classic of pork chops with applesauce.  I guess the sweet, caramelized onions represent the applesauce. 

Italian Pork Chops
Warning: You must start this recipe 2 hours before you want to eat.  The "marmellatta" needs to cook for 2 hours and the pork chops need to sit in the fridge seasoned a good couple hours before you cook them.

Marmellata
4 onions, thinly sliced
1 TB rosemary, chopped
1 TB thyme, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup orange marmalade (I actually used apricot preserves because it's what I had on hand)
salt, pepper
1 TB sugar
2 TB balsamic vinegar

Pork Chops 
4 thick pork chops (I used bone-in, but you can easily use boneless)
1 TB chopped rosemary
1 TB chopped thyme
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt, pepper
olive oil

In a large pan on medium-high heat, combine the olive oil, onions, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add the marmalade, sugar, and balsamic vinegar and cook on low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to scrape the bottom of the pan.
Combine the rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper and rub the mixture on each pork chop, both sides.  Cover the pork chops with plastic wrap and refrigerator for 90 minutes or so.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat and drizzle with olive oil.  Place the pork chops in the pan and turn after about 5 minutes.  Be sure to only flip them once so they don't get too tough.  If you need to finish them in the oven, that's fine.  Top with the onion marmellatta and serve.

Seasoned Roasted Potatoes
This is kind of my idea of a winter potato salad.  I used some of the same flavors in a summer provencal potato salad, but roasted the potatoes and served them hot.

1 bag small, boiling potatoes
1 shallot, chopped
olive oil
salt, pepper
dried parsley
dried oregano
white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400*.  Cut the potatoes in halves or quarters.  Place on a baking sheet and drizzle generously with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, dried parsley, and dried oregano.  Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.  Place in a bowl with the chopped shallot and drizzle with a little more olive oil and some white wine vinegar to taste.

Spiced Blackberry Sour
Our grown-up time special treat.  Serves 2.

Muddle 4-5 blackberries in a cocktail shaker.  Juice 3-4 limes into the shaker.  Add equal parts vodka and spiced rum (about 2 oz each).  Then add some simple syrup (about 1 oz).  Add ice and shake.  Strain into chilled glasses.

Days 310 & 311: Marinated Pork Tenderloin & Homemade Cinnamon Buns!

Normally I would be crawling back into bed about now (5:45 a.m.) but I have a blog to work on, so here I am--sipping my coffee with peppermint mocha creamer, wrapped in one of my mother's homemade lap quilts (we need more, Mom! ;) ), typing away.  I was up early this morning as I am every year around Thanksgiving and Christmas to make my "famous" homemade cinnamon buns.  I come from a very tradition-oriented family, so naturally, when Randy and I got married, I wanted to create a few traditions that would be just ours, but that would carry on for a long time.  I'm sure more will unfold as our kids become more active participants in our family, but one tradition I started right away was making homemade cinnamon buns every year on Thanksgiving morning and then again on Christmas morning.  Since I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year, I kind of need the oven for the turkey tomorrow, so we're having cinnamon buns a day early.  We can let it slide. ;)  It's a pretty labor-intensive job; not difficult, just a lot to do--making these buns.  It involves starting the night before, at least 1 hour and 30 minutes before you plan to go to bed, and involves you waking up early the next morning to form the buns and let them rise yet again.  But it's worth it!  It's oh, so worth it!  I'll get into the details of this recipe later.  First, let me tell you about our delicious pork dinner we had last night!

Dijon-Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Ever since I gave birth to my daughter, Abby, about 3 years ago, I haven't liked pork very much.  This is the one taste that seems to have taken a permanent change since pregnancy.  But Randy loves it, I can tolerate it, and it's an affordable meat, so I still make it on occasion.  This is an easy recipe that turns out a very flavorful meat and can feed a lot of people!  I got the recipe (or I should say, the list of ingredients--who knows if it's still exactly the same) from a friend of mine a few years ago and I enjoy making it on a semi-regular basis ever since.  

1 pork tenderloin (the one I bought from the store this time was actually 2 smaller pieces of meat rolled into 1 package--I'd never seen it like that before)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine
2 TB dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 TB fresh chopped rosemary
salt, pepper

Whisk together all of the ingredients from the olive oil to adding a dash of salt and pepper.  Place the tenderloin into a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade in with it.  Seal the bag and then massage the meat a little from outside the bag, trying to get the marinade to cover the whole piece of meat and penetrate it as much as possible.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, and up to a day.  When you're ready to roast it, preheat the oven to 400*.  Place the tenderloin on a rack on top of a roasting pan.  Roast in the oven for about 45-50 minutes, or  until cooked through.  Let the meat rest for 5 minutes when out of the oven.  Slice and serve.
I served this meat with "cheesy" rice, as Abby calls it, and green beans.

Homemade Cinnamon Buns
These are almost sinful.  I used to think it was such a treat to have the Pillsbury cinnamon buns.  HA! HA!  Not even close to how good these sticky buns are!  If you're not afraid of a little work, you must try this recipe!!!  

Dough:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup melted butter (plus more for the bowl)*
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Filling:
1/3 cup sugar
2 TB cinnamon
3/4 cup soft butter (plus more for the pan)*
chopped pecans (optional)
Glaze:
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup melted butter*
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp cinnamon

*I always use UNsalted butter--in all my recipes!!!  I wasn't sure if I had mentioned that, yet! :)

Begin the night before you want to serve these.  Combine the water and milk in a small saucpan and warm over low heat until it is about 100* F.  (You can test it by putting your finger in--it should just feel warm, not very hot.)  Remove from heat and sprinkle the yeast over the liquid.  Sprinkle a pinch of sugar on top and set aside without stirring until foamy, about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt the butter and allow to cool a bit.  In a small bowl, combine the butter, vanilla, and egg yolk.  When the yeast is ready, you can pour the butter mixture into the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 6 minutes.  Shape into a ball.  Wash out your bowl and then coat it with soft butter.  Roll the dough in the bowl so it is covered with butter.  Cover, and let rise for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Lightly knead the dough again to let out any excess air.  Recover, and let the dough "proof" in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
To form the rolls, the morning you want to serve, start by buttering a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the filling, and make sure the butter is soft and spreadable.  Roll out the dough on a floured surface.  Try to form a 10 x 18-inch rectangle with the dough.  Spread the softened butter across the dough, getting as close to the edges as possible.  Sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the butter.  Sprinkle on chopped pecans if desired. 

Tightly roll the dough into a cylinder.  Brush the outside edge with water so it will stick to the rest of the dough and form a nice seam.  Cut off the ends of the cylinder, so there are smooth edges and you can see the filling inside.  Carefully divide the cylinder into 12 sections, cutting with a knife. 

Place the 12 sections in the prepared baking pan with room between them to rise more.  Cover and set aside to let double in size, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. 

Before...

...After they've risen about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Bake the buns until golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, whisk the sugar, condensed milk, butter, and lemon juice to make a smooth, loose icing.  Add the vanilla and cinnamon.  Drizzle the icing over the warm buns.  Sprinkle again with chopped pecans if desired.  Serve.  Eat.  Nap. :)

This, right here.  This is worth getting out of bed for!

Days 269-270: Some old and some new...

So yesterday my poor wedding ring finger took a beating in the kitchen.  While slicing onions, I sliced the finger's tip, and then while removing an apple pie from the baking sheet it was sitting on, I burned the same finger right above my rings.  I definitely won't be getting those off for a while--at least not until the swelling goes down!  So please excuse my slow typing... ;) (I crack myself up!)

Around this time of year, I start bringing back recipes we haven't had since last winter.  Some are served almost exactly the same, others have different side pairings, and others are changed even more.  These two dinners are repeaters with a twist...

Day 269: Stromboli & Antipasto
Here is the original recipe when it first appeared on my blog: http://bethanysmeals365.blogspot.com/2014/04/day-83-easy-stromboli.html

That recipe was a simple cheese, pepperoni, and crust recipe.  This time, I followed the same guidelines with the crust, but I added a layer of my homemade sauce inside the stromboli.  I also made it long enough that I could change the filling every 3rd section.  I left 1/3 of the stromboli with just sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.  The next 1/3, I added diced green peppers into the mix.  And the final 1/3 (Randy's 1/3) included all the previous ingredients, plus chopped onions and olives.  I baked it the same (400*, 10-15 minutes) and served it alongside a nice, big antipasto.  Buon appetito!

Day 270: Apple & Thyme Stuffed Pork, Butternut Squash Risotto, Asparagus, Apple Sauce

The original recipe for just the pork portion of the dish can be found here.  In that post, I combined the whole meal into one "recipe" and gave instructions for cooking the meal as a whole, with the sides and all so it would come out at the same time.  Here, I'll break down the pork recipe by itself, and then show the side recipes separate.  I served this meal with my homemade applesauce, which will be featured in a different post.

Apple & Thyme Stuffed Pork

4 pork chops
1/2-1 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2-1 small apple, chopped
combo of fresh and dried thyme leaves (about 1/4-1/2 tsp each)
1/2 cup apple juice or cider
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
olive oil, salt, pepper

Preheat the oven to 350*.  In a small saucepan, drizzle a little olive oil and start sauteing the onion and garlic.  When the onion is translucent, add the apple and thyme and cook a little more.  Pour in the apple juice and breadcrumbs and turn off the heat.  Stir everything so a nice, sticky stuffing forms.  If it seems too dry, add more juice.  If it seems to wet, add more breadcrumbs.
Pound out the pork chops and place a couple tablespoons of the stuffing in the middle of each chop and roll the meat around the stuffing.  Use toothpicks to secure them shut and place on a baking sheet seam-side down.  Drizzle the pork rolls with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through.

Butternut Squash Risotto

1 cup arborio rice
1 cup small cubed butternut squash
1 TB chopped fresh rosemary
3 cups good chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
olive oil, salt, pepper

Warm the 3 cups of chicken stock in a saucepan on low.  In another, larger saucepan, drizzle olive oil and start the onion, rosemary, and garlic cooking over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.  When the onion is translucent, add the rice and squash.  Pour in the white wine and cook until the liquid is mostly evaporated.  Start ladling in the warm chicken stock 1-2 ladlefuls at a time.  Once you've added 1 or 2 ladlefuls, stir the rice and squash vigorously to release the starches.  Then let it sit for a while until the liquid evaporates.  Once it evaporates, add more liquid and repeat the process until the rice is cooked through.  Add the parmesan cheese at the end and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Asparagus
Wash the trim the asparagus.  Lay out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.  Sprinkle on either garlic powder or 1 clove of finely minced garlic.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and roast in a 400* oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked to desired texture.

Day 189: Crockpot Pork Ribs, Mashed Potatoes, Corn on the Cob

After the kids go to bed tonight, I will be planning my next week of recipes and my goal is have them all be prepared in the Crockpot.  Fingers crossed that we are moving this week, which means the kitchen needs to be all packed up as well.  I've finally come to the point where pretty much all of the non-essentials are packed.  It's now time to start packing things we use on a regular basis.  So tonight will start my week of Crockpot meals--"one-pot-wonders", if you will. :) Although the side dishes of this meal are prepared on the stove, I'm hoping that won't be the case for the rest of the week.

We all like to think of the Crockpot as perfect for winter meals--pot roasts, hearty soups and stews; and also perfect for working days when we don't have time to be in the kitchen preparing supper.  But they are also great in the summer when you don't WANT to be in the kitchen preparing supper.  If you get the flavors right, the Crockpot can be the perfect place to prepare a summer meal!

Crockpot Pork Ribs
I used Tastefully Simple's BBQ rub for these ribs, but I've made my own rub several times.  I just combine equal parts of salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Then I add 2-3x the amount of dark brown sugar.  (If I used 1 TB of everything else, then 2-3 TB of sugar.)

family pack of pork ribs
BBQ rub (Tastefully Simple or make your own--you'll need about 1/3 cup worth, give or take)
BBQ sauce
1/2 bottle of dark beer

Rub the seasoning into both sides of the ribs and place in the Crockpot.  Drizzle with BBQ sauce on all sides.  Pour in the beer and turn the Crockpot to "low" and cook for about 6 hours.  Really, that's it.  The meat should be falling off the bone when done!  Serve with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob.

***Day 188 (yesterday) we went out for dinner with my folks to Five Guys Burgers & Fries and then for frozen yogurt at Orange Leaf.  Delish!

Pulled Pork, S'Mores Cookies, and salad! (Days 167,168,169,170)

While this year's 4th of July was a bit of a wash-out, the rest of the weekend turned out quite nice!  On the 5th of July, we hit the beach with my parents--fantastic time!  Then after getting cleaned up, went to their church for an outdoor picnic, live music, and a great view of the Worcester fireworks.  It was a great day and night and our kids enjoyed every second!  Meanwhile, at home, I had a huge pork butt slow-cooking in the crock-pot for our church's picnic the following day.  I love pulled pork, and it's so easy to make!  Everyone makes it different, but I like it spicy.  I don't put too much barbeque sauce in it while it's cooking, I save that for the buns when making the sandwich.  Instead, I use spices to bring out the flavor of the pork and let it cook for 10 hours or more so that when it's done, the meat literally falls off the bone with one touch.  Amazing!  And so incredibly good!  Here's my recipe:

So after the beach, I figured, "I'm already hot and sticky, might as well go for a run before my shower."  After the run I thought, "Well, I'm already hot, sticky, sweaty, and smelly, might as well pull the pork before I take a shower." :)

Spicy Pulled Pork
Let me first admit that I've had to "dull" this recipe down.  It used to be quite spicy, even intolerable for some.  I do love spicy food, but as a cook, I don't want my food to be a turn-off.  I feel like people can take this recipe and add in the spice if they want.  I've made my recipe a bit more user-friendly over the years and am happy with the way it turned out!

1 pork butt or shoulder, bone in or out, however you prefer

1 TB salt
1 TB pepper
1 TB paprika
1 TB garlic powder
1 TB Tastefully Simple's bbq spice OR a combination of cayenne, more paprika, more garlic powder, and chipotle chili powder
2 TB brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbeque sauce

Combine the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and other seasonings to form a rub.  Massage the spices into the pork and let sit overnight.
The next morning, place the pork in the slow-cooker and add the brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup, and barbeque sauce and cook on low for 10 hours or so.  Pull the pork apart with a fork.  Serve on bulkie rolls with extra barbeque sauce.

S'Mores Cookies
I recently posted a recipe for s'mores bars, courtesy of a good friend of mine.  Our church has a 4th of July picnic each year and has started having cookie baking contests.  I wanted to enter the contest with an original recipe, and it had to be a genuine cookie.  So I re-wrote the recipe for the bars to make them into cookies.  Here are the results:

2 sticks of butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup mini marshmallows
12 oz chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix.  Add the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt.  Stir until well combined.  Add the marshmallows and chocolate chips and stir.  Plop a heaping tablespoon down on a greased cookie sheet and fill the sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes and set on a cooling rack to cool completely when done.

While both of these recipes were prepared on Saturday (Day 167), they were enjoyed on Sunday (Day 168) with leftovers on Monday (Day 169).  Tuesday's dinner (Day 170) was a little lighter.  I whipped together a quick salad with grilled chicken, nuts, apples, cheese, and cranberries.  Even Abby loves a good salad!

Day 58: Pulled Pork Ragu over Fettuccine, Bruschetta, Salad, Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Tonight I had the privilege of dining with a dear friend and her family!  I brought them supper because her husband is traveling for work and I know it can be difficult to be home alone with kids in the evenings and to think about supper, dishes, baths, etc.  People have done similar things for me since Randy is away a lot with work (and before it was school + work) so it was nice to be able to "pay it forward."  Isn't that what the body of Christ is supposed to be doing for each other anyway?  It was a treat for me, too, because I got a break from my own nightly routine--sometimes you just need that one night "off" to kind of break up the monotony.  My own family had cheddar corn chowder from the freezer for dinner.

For the meal, I wanted to bring something "kid-friendly" but also something an adult could appreciate, too.  I remember seeing a recipe for a slow-cooker pork ragu in a magazine once.  I think I even tried it, and it was just OK.  I didn't care much for the sauce recipe it had.  I think it was supposed to be a very "simple" sauce for an easy dish.  But I thought, I love my own spaghetti sauce recipe, and I always have some in the freezer, why not just use that?  (Don't mess with perfection, right?)  So I simply bought a pork roast and threw it in the slow-cooker this morning.  I covered it with spaghetti sauce and cooked it on low all day.  When I got home, the house smelled delicious!  I feel like I'm always gambling with hunks of pork on how tender they will be, so I usually prepare for the worst.  I got out my largest knife and fork to attack the meat on the cutting board when I removed it from the slow-cooker.  But I was pleasantly surprised when I touched it and just fell apart!  I put my knife away and got out 2 dinner forks and easily shred the meat and returned it to the sauce.

 I served it with lots of parmesan cheese and salad.

Bruschetta
I love bruschetta and so does Randy!  And for us, the more garlic, the better!!!  I usually say 1 large clove of the garlic per plum tomato used.  Tonight I used 2 of each.  This recipe decently covered 6 slices of bread.

6 thick slices of French bread
2 plum tomatoes, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4-5 basil leaves, chopped
1-2 TB balsamic vinegar
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (1 slice per slice of bread)
salt, pepper

Mix the tomatoes, garlic, basil, and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Spoon mixture evenly onto the slices of bread, on a baking sheet.  Place the slices of cheese on top and put under the broiler until the cheese melts.  Be careful not to burn the bread! :)

Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Peanut Butter Frosting (Ina Garten)
12 TB room temperature unsalted butter

2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream (plain Greek yogurt)
2 TB brewed coffee
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350* and prepare the muffin tin with liners.  Cream together the butter and sugars.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix.
Mix together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee.  In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Add the milk mixture and the dry ingredients alternatively into the butter/sugar mixture and stir until it's all incorporated.
Divide the batter into the liners.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely before icing.

Peanut Butter Icing
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup peanut butter
5 TB unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Combine all ingredients and beat with a hand mixer until light, fluffy, and smooth!

Day 18: Apple-Thyme Stuffed Pork, Oven-Roasted Asparagus, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Sauteed Apple Slices

Another one of Randy's favorites.  I used to like this dish a lot more than I do now, but somewhere during or after my first pregnancy, I developed a strong disdain for pork--I just don't care for the flavor that much anymore.  But I make this dish on occasion because Randy REALLY loves it.  That's his plate pictured there--he always gets the extra stuffing.
This is another simple dish, about 30 minutes to prepare, give or take 5 minutes.  But that time is spent prepping and cooking in the kitchen, so get comfortable!  (I had my chai tea next to me tonight.)

Apply-Thyme Stuffed Pork, Asparagus, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Apple Slices
4 pork chops
1/2-1 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2-1 small apple, chopped
combo of fresh and dried thyme leaves (about 1/4-1/2 tsp each)
1/2 cup apple juice or cider

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
olive oil, butter, salt, pepper
5 red potatoes
butter
sour cream
garlic powder
parmesan cheese
milk
asparagus
garlic powder
juice of 1/2 lemon
parmesan cheese
breadcrumbs
olive oil, salt, pepper
2 apples, cored & sliced
1 TB butter
2 TB brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Start with the stuffing.  Chop the onion and apple and garlic.  Start with about a tablespoon of butter and some olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onions over medium-high heat.  Add the fresh and dried thyme.  Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic and apple.  Cook about 1 minute.  Add the apple juice and breadcrumbs.  Adjust to desired thickness.  Turn off heat.  Pound out the pork chops so they are thin.  Scoop the stuffing onto a chop and roll it.  Place the meat on a sheet pan, seam side down.  Continue with the rest of the chops.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place in the oven.
Clean out the stuffing pan and fill with water.  Clean and chop the potatoes and add to the water.  Get the potatoes cooking.
Clean the asparagus and cut off the ends.  Place on a sheet pan.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Sprinkle some parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and a bit of breadcrumbs on the asparagus.  Add the lemon juice.  Set aside.
Slice the apples and set aside.  When the potatoes seem tender, turn off the heat.  Turn the oven up to 400* and place the asparagus on the top rack.  (Leave the pork in the oven!)  Start the apples sauteing in a small skillet with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Drain the potatoes and add some butter, sour cream, garlic powder, parmesan cheese and milk to taste.  Mash by hand.  Remove asparagus and pork from oven, and serve everything together nice and hot!