primitives discuss what to serve with a birthday dinner

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x88999

Man.

It used to be that the cooking and baking forum on Skins's island was brimming, boiling, popping, with action, and one could check as much as three times a day, finding new material every single time.

Now with the mysterious evaporation of hippywife Mrs. Alfred Packer, if one checks only once a week, one's lucky to find something there.

flamin lib  (1000+ posts)        Thu Sep-01-11 02:39 PM
Original message
 
Sides for birthday dinner?

Main course is roast pork loin brined in apple juice, steamed asparagus and ?????

I'm thinking sweet potatoes; mashed? baked? or some baked recipe?

Another starch?

Garnishes? Apple sauce seems a natural but what about something spicy like jalapeno jelly?

Thoufgts?

The empressof all   (1000+ posts)        Thu Sep-01-11 03:09 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. If you like spicy...try spicy sweet potatoes

I sweat an onion in some EVOO, throw some chili powder and red pepper in the oil after the onions are almost done then plop in some diced par boiled sweets. I dump in a can of drained diced tomatoes (or you can omit the red pepper and just add a can of rotel) and let it cook on low with a cover until the potatoes are done. It's yummy on it's own with rice too.

I also think roast pork loin goes well with just plain mashed potatoes with gravy

You can also make kapusta which is drained saurkraut and shredded cabbage cooked on low with a browned onion. Add a half a cup of white wine and let it cook until it is soft.

Glassunion  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-01-11 03:58 PM
Response to Original message
 
2. If you are going the sweet potato route... It's a birthday... Go overboard. 

Bake off the sweet potatoes and allow them to cool down.

Preheat your oven to 400.

Scoop out the guts and mash them.

Add brown sugar and a little nutmeg to the mash. Keep tasting, and don't make it too sweet.

In a large separate bowl take coconut flakes and add granulated sugar. About 1/2 a cup of sugar to 1 cup of flakes.

Take a handful of the mash in your hand and make it into a ball shape(it will be goopy) and they will be about the size of a baseball.

Insert one large marshmallow into the center of the ball.

Roll the ball in the coconut sugar mixture to coat the outside.

Place on greased baking sheet. Repeat the ball making process until you are out of mash.

Place in the oven for about 15 min. ****Constantly check them. If one starts to ooze out marshmallow take them out, they are done*****

The coconut sugar mixture will put a nice crust on the outside of the balls.

Tesha  (1000+ posts)      Thu Sep-01-11 11:40 PM
Response to Original message
 
3. this sounds good...

Place the pork roast in a medium baking dish. Season red potatoes with salt and pepper, and arrange around the roast. Place sweet potatoes and cinnamon in a resealable plastic bag, and shake to coat. Arrange sweet potatoes around the roast. Place apple over the roast and potatoes. Top with butter slices. Seal baking dish tightly with foil.

Cook 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, or until the internal temperature of the pork has reached 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

trud  (1000+ posts)      Fri Sep-02-11 05:32 PM
Response to Original message
 
4. my Mom always served sauerkraut with pork. Being a vegetarian for years,I am not sure how she cooked it, but I believe it was in with the pork, so it picked up the flavor. Excuse me now while I go apologize to pigs for even discussing this...

EFerrari  (1000+ posts)        Fri Sep-02-11 07:53 PM
Response to Original message
 
5. When I make stuffed pork loin, usually serve it with reg and sweet potatoes with a bit of cranberry sauce. The fanciness of the stuffing lets me off the hook for fanciness of the sides.

grasswire  (1000+ posts)      Sat Sep-03-11 05:37 PM
Response to Original message
 
6. sweet potatoes with cream and chipotle

That's a Bobby Flay creation, and it is delicious. I'm not crazy about Bobby, but I do like this dish, as well as his sweet potato buttermilk biscuits and his grilled peaches with blue cheese and bacon smashed potatoes.

[thundley4]

My dog likes sweet potatoes. We buy one slice it thin and bake at 250 for about three hours.  She loves them and they're good for her.

[Ballygrl]

For pork I would totally make a homemade gravy, remove a lot of the juices and add them to a pan, add about 3 teabags a cup of water and bring to a boil, mix a couple of TBSP of flour into a cup of water and stir it, add it to the boiling mixture with the teabags, add sauerkraut to it, yum, and it tastes great on mashed potatoes.

[GOBUCKS]

diced par boiled sweets.

That's just unnecessary. (puke)

[Skul]

flamin lib  (1000+ posts)        Thu Sep-01-11 02:39 PM
Original message
 
Sides for birthday dinner?
>snip<
Thoufgts?

Beer.

[BlueStateSaint]

Beer.

It goes with everything!