French Roasted Pork and Root Vegetables
~adapted from The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook~
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Line a 9″ x 13″ roasting pan with foil and center a roasting rack in it.
Place a 2-pound Pork Loin in the rack.
In a small bowl, blend:
1 teaspoon Salt
3/4 teaspoon dried Thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground Cloves
Rub spice mix into pork loin, turning to coat both sides.
In a large bowl, stir together:
2 small Sweet Potatoes, cubed
4 each red and white baby Potatoes, quartered
4 Carrots, cut into sticks
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
Toss to coat and scatter in the roasting pan.
Bake for 1 hour.
Remove roast from rack and cover with foil.
Place vegetables in a vegetable dish and cover with the lid.
In a small saucepan, boil:
Pan Drippings
1 cup White Wine
2/3 cup Chicken Broth
Bring to a boil, and continue to boil for 2 minutes.
Pour into a small pitcher, and serve with meat and vegetables.
Slice roast and plate with vegetables.
Slice roast and plate with vegetables.
Garlicky Crumb-coated Broccoli
Although we liked this recipe and it was easy to make, I doubt we’ll make it again. There’s nothing wrong with it, but living in Southern California, we eat fresh steamed vegetables all the time with a spritz of lemon, a sprinkling of herbs, or a dollop of butter, and that’s good enough.
Strawberry Banana Cake
Unbelievably, I searched the internet for a Strawberry Banana Cake recipe made from scratch. I found everything from Strawberry Cake mixes, to Banana-Strawberry Jell-o, to Bisquick, but no truly home-made cakes, so I created this one by taking bits and pieces from several others. It can be baked as a 2-layer cake, or in a 9″ x 13″ pan – which is what I made. It has a dense, moist crumb that is so delicious and pretty that you’ll want it on your table for Easter dinner.
For the cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, puree:
2 pints fresh Strawberries
2 ripe Bananas
You should have about 4 cups. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle beater, blend:
1 cup Butter
1 cups Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
for about 3 minutes until light & fluffy.
Add 3 Eggs, one at a time, blending thoroughly after each addition.
Scrape down the sides of the Pour in 3 cups of Strawberry Banana puree, and mix until thoroughly combined – the batter may look curdled at this point, but it will smooth out when you add the dry ingredients.
Scrape batter down, again, and add:
2 1/4 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Blend until thoroughly combined.
Pour batter into 2-8″ of 9″ round cake pans, or 1-9″ x 13″ pan, sprayed with baking spray, or buttered and floured.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
For the Frosting
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle beater, blend:
8 ounces Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
until light and fluffy.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then blend in 1/2 cup Strawberry Banana Puree.
When thoroughly combined, scrape bowl down, again.
Add:
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3 1/2 – 4 cups Powdered Sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until icing reaches desired consistency.
Let cake cool completely before icing it. Store in refrigerator.
You’ll have some fruit puree left over that would be wonderful mixed with yogurt and ice in a blender.

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I always love visiting your blog, Susan…getting 3 great recipes/ideas in one post! Your pork looks fabulous…and our FFwD broccoli was the perfect side…yum.
Thanks, Lizzy! That’s the idea – how to put a whole meal together. Sometimes my passion for baking sneaks in with a single recipe.
I love your menu and the strawberry cake, let’s face it, is way more exciting than broccoli, at least in my opinion;-)
OK, I’ve been on the D*))#)#$% cleanse all week and your post has put me over the edge. I think I have to eat some real food…and I think I need to come to your house to do it. Everything looks great!
Love the cake – my girl wanted a strawberry cake for her birthday last year & everything used a box mix. The closest I was ever able to find was a cake from scratch that used a box of jello to flavor it (Major Yucko in my book, but she loved it…)
Susan, I love your plated dinners, and desserts… The banana stawberry cake looks heavenly, I’ll try it as soon as the local Quebec strawberries are available.
Wow, that is some menu. I agree with Steph, I’d like to eat at your
house too. i just bookmarked your recipes for future reference,
and maybe Tricia and I can try them sometime soon. Great
job. Wonderful photos.
Your dinner looks fabulous! I am really looking forward to trying this broccoli! I had to skip this week, I’m visiting my daughter for the week-end! Enjoy yours!
The pork and roasted root vegetables look great. I already have a roasted root veggie recipe that I love, but I’ll have to try this one with the pork. And yes, I’m jealous of all of you Californians with your seemingly endless supply of fresh, in season veggies.
The pork roast looks a great main dish for the broccoli. I served with Chicken Marengo and Braised Artichoke Hearts. So jealous of your SoCal weather. My daffodils might bloom this week, if I’m lucky.
The cake definitely stole the broccoli’s thunder. What a great idea! I admire people who can put together cake recipes like that – baking is definitely not my strong suit. Another lovely meal – thanks!
Yes, you do always create amazing meals! Very beautiful dinner and the color of the broccoli adds so much to the plate. Looks very tasty and inviting.
The strawberry cake looks yummy but what I really love is your green and white dishes…wow. I have dish envy.
Love everything you made, especially the banana strawberry cake. Yum!
That is a fantastic menu. As I’ve been reading through the entries, I’ve been thinking that this dish is even better suited as part of a tapas buffet than a side dish.