Roast Pork with Quick Mashed Potatoes and Tomato-and-Onion Salad

If your family or guests don't like mashed potatoes with the peel intact, you can always peel the potatoes before boiling them. Leaving the red peeling on the potatoes, however, creates a more colorful side dish.

Roast Pork Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 6-pound pork shoulder roast
• 1/2 can of Cola soda
• 2 large onions
• 5 green onions
• 2 teaspoons of wet minced garlic
• 1 28-ounce can of stewed tomatoes

Roast Pork Directions

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Peel the onions and then chop them and place them into a large bowl. Wash the green onions and, with a pair of kitchen shears, cut them into tiny pieces into the bowl with the onions. Use the whole green onion, green stems, and all. Add the garlic. This recipe uses the wet kind that you can buy in a glass jar. Drain the tomatoes in a colander and add them to the bowl, and stir all of the ingredients t3 or 4 times to combine. Using a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and place the roast in the skillet. Brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Place the roast into a large roasting pan and pour the contents of the bowl over the top and arrange around the sides. Pour 1/2 can of the soda over everything and bake covered for 4 hours. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake an additional 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes. Allow the roast to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Quick Mashed Potatoes Ingredients

• 15 small red potatoes
• 3 tablespoons of water
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 3 tablespoons of margarine

Quick Mashed Potatoes Directions

Wash the potatoes and then quarter them, unpeeled, into a large glass bowl. Add the water and cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate. Cook on high for 5 minutes and then test with a fork to see if they are tender enough to mash. If not, cook another 3 minutes. When the potatoes are tender enough to mash, turn them out into a colander and drain the water. Return them to the bowl and slightly mash them with a potato. Add the broth, sour cream, and margarine and stir them until the potatoes absorb all of the liquid. Serve them right away.

Tomato-and-Onion Salad Ingredients

• 6 large tomatoes
• 2 large onions
• 1 bottle of Italian salad dressing

Tomato-and-Onion Salad Directions

Wash the tomatoes and then quarter them into a glass bowl. Peel the onions, and then slice into thin strips with the tomatoes. Shake the Italian dressing well and pour the entire bottle over the tomatoes and onions, and toss gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and then serve.