A Perfect Pot Roast

It was just one of those pot roast days. The rains and the winds came pelting down, stinging and drenching us the minute we stepped out from our shelter. The weather was not kind and today was one of those bone-chilling days when nothing you do, save for a long and luxurious bath, will warm you. Today was one of those days where you needed food to nurture your heart and soul. A simple, tender aromatic pot roast with a side of buttered and salted egg noodles hit the spot!

What I love about pot roast is that save for the actual time browning the meat, it's a meal that cooks itself so all you have to do is let it simmer away on the stove while you tend to whatever needs your attention, or crawl under a blanket with a good book in front of a fire or curl up in front of a good old movie... Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas or The Bells of St. Mary's would be perfectly appropriate!

Ingredients:

1 3-4 lb roast, trimmed of excess fat and seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder
Olive oil
1 lg can of crushed tomatoes
2 cups of beef broth
2 bay leaves
4 cloves of garlic
6 - 8 carrots peeled and cut in half
2 tbs Herbes de Provence
1 1/2 - 2 packages of mushrooms, washed, stems removed and sliced
1onion sliced (thick slices are fine)

Pour enough olive oil to thinly cover the bottom of a dutch oven or large and deep pot.
Place roast in the middle and brown each side until a nice crust is achieved.
Add tomatoes and broth
Add seasonings and vegetables.
Cover and let simmer about 3 hours.

After 3 hours removed pot roast and place on cutting board to cool.
Remove bay leaves and discard.
Remove carrots and slice. (If I toss them in sliced I find they get too mushy. By slicing them after then have cooked, the carrots are soft but not overcooked.)
Placed sliced carrots back into the pot.
If you feel that too much of the liquid has evaporated add a cup or so more of the beef broth.

Cut pot roast in to thin slices, cutting with the grain.

Place meat on a large plate. Spoon out some of the sauce and vegetables and place on top of the meat. This helps to ensure that the meat is soft and has all the flavors of the wonderful herb and vegetable-infused gravy.

Plave the rest in a serving bowl.


Serve with roasted potatoes, or our favorite buttered egg noodles!

A Perfectly Roasted Chicken

I love nothing more than the smell of roasting chicken... (Ok, I love it the same as I like the smell of baking pies and cookies!) Roasting a chicken is really very easy, and requires only a few simple ingredients and some time.

I like to buy organic chickens. And if possible those with the little pop-up indicator thingies. I do use and rely on a good meat thermometer as well.

For your perfectly roasted chicken you will need:

1/4 Cup of Herbes de Provence, Italian Seasoning or Williams-Sonoma Turkey Seasoning
1 tbs of salt
2 lemons, thinly sliced

Preheat your oven to 375 (if using a conventional oven)
If using a convection oven your oven may convert the temperature automatically, otherwise you will need to see what the recommended temperature is for your convection oven.

Directions:

*Take your chicken and remove everything from the cavity.
*Rinse thoroughly under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
*Using your hands gently, slowly separate the skin from the meat on the breast as well as the legs. Your bird will be much more flavorful if you season the meat underneath the skin.
*Take some of the herbs and rub them against the meat, under the skin. Be generous!
*Repeat on the drumstick and thigh.
*Take the lemon wedges and carefully place them between the skin and the meat, where you had placed your herbs. You should have roughly 1 sliced lemon left over

If your chicken seems to have fallen apart slightly from separating the skin from the meat, simply tie the legs together using kitchen string/rope.

*If you have a roasting pan, place the roasting rack inside the pan, and place the extra lemon wedges on top of the rack.

*Place the chicken, breast side up, on top of the lemon slices.

The leftover meat, bones and drippings will make The Best Chicken Broth Ever. Do NOT discard. (Recipe to follow)

We served the chicken with wide, buttered egg noodles and

Garlic Sesame Asparagus

1 to 2 bunches of asparagus, ends trimmed
Garlic powder
Sea salt
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs olive oil

*In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
*Immerse asparagus in water and cook until vibrant green, 3 to 5 minutes.
*You want the asparagus to still be crunchy. Remove asparagus from the water.
*Remove water from the pan and pat dry with paper towel.
*Pour in the oils, and bring to high heat.
*Add the asparagus -- it should sizzle as it hits the hot oil. Turn heat to low and sprinkle desired amount of garlic powder and salt.
*Turn heat off. The asparagus will continue to cook. Turn and toss to make sure that asparagus is well coated. Keep in pan until ready to serve, but not more than 5 minutes.