I love comfort food. With a chilly drizzle outside, a fire in the fireplace and good smells from the kitchen, it’s hard to imagine anything better.

Roasted Pork with Asparagus
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 tsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. rosemary, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 lbs. pork loin
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the first 7 ingredients together to make a marinade for the meat and the asparagus. Using about 2 Tbsp. of the marinade, coat the asparagus in either a shallow dish or sandwich bag.

Slather the rest over the pork loin and lay on a wire rack in a roasting pan.
Put the roast in the oven and reduce the heat to 325 degrees. I checked the roast an hour later and the internal temperature was 155 degrees. I was looking for 160-165, but it was the perfect time to add asparagus spears to the pan. They should roast for 15 minutes while the pork finishes cooking.

When done, remove the pork to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Cover the asparagus to keep warm. Slice the pork and serve with the asparagus over smashed garlic potatoes.

The next night we came in late after working in the barn all day. Quick, easy and yummy Cuban sandwiches with the leftover pork loin made a satisfying dinner.

Cuban Sandwiches
4 ciabatta buns or focaccia bread
8 slices provolone cheese
8 thick slices of ham lunch meat
leftover pork loin slices
dill pickle slices
1 onion, sliced, pickled or sautéed
mustard

Slice open the buns and spread mustard on both halves. Then layer cheese, ham, onion, pork, pickles, ham and cheese between the bread. Using a panini press or a frying pan with a weight, sear the sandwiches on both sides. Makes 4 sandwiches.

I usually form a paste of rosemary, garlic and olive oil when roasting pork loin, but I really liked the Dijon and lemon used in this week’s recipe. It is lighter and works great with vegetables too.

Search on pork loin and/or smashed potatoes to find those recipes.