Perfect Pot Roast

Ingredients

1 onion, sliced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 (2 1/2 pound) boneless beef chuck roast

1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 package dry beef gravy mix

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix

1/2 cup water, or as needed

5 whole peeled carrots (optional)

Directions

1.Spray the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Spread the onion slices out into the bottom of the cooker.

2.Spread the flour out onto a work surface. Sprinkle the chuck roast with salt and black pepper, and roll the roast in the flour to coat all sides. Using the edge of a small, sturdy plate, pound the flour into the meat. Place the floured roast into the cooker on top of the onions. Whisk together beef gravy mix, ranch dressing mix, and Italian dressing mix in a bowl, and whisk the mixes with water until smooth. Pour over the chuck roast. Distribute carrots around the meat.

3.Cover the cooker, set to Low, and cook until the roast is tender and the gravy has thickened, about 8 hours.

The last meal of 2009

Peanut Butter Beef Stew!

It can't get any easier than this.

1 cup of chunky peanut butter (I only had creamy)
5 cups of stew meat (I used tenderloin)
1 tsp. of allspice
cinnamon
rosemary (oops, forgot this)
2 cups of beef broth
1/4 cup apple juice
 
In a large pot over medium low heat melt down the peanut butter and then add in the apple juice.  In a skillet brown the meat and add into the peanut mixture.  Stir and pour in beef broth and seasonings.  Simmer for 1hr or until meat is tender.

Last meal of 2008

Last night I made a baked potato and filet mignon. Here is the sauce I poured over the filet mignon:

splash of red wine (less than 1/4 c)
splash of worcestershire sauce

Let the above simmer for a while. It will start to slightly reduce.

I added a squirt of dijon mustard and a tad of milk and kept it on heat and kept stirring.

I should have used cream if anything. The dijon mustard kind of separated - never really got rid of the bits and blobs look. It tasted pretty good though!

Farmer's Markets - rites of summer

Red Pepper, Olive Oil
Originally uploaded by Skyhawk Flyer

It's been quite a while since I posted anything. Travel, work, hobbies, they all get in the way of learning to cook. Cooking isn't a hobby yet, although I will say having a blog (a neglected blog) at least gets me to think about cooking!

I've visited farmer's markets twice now this summer. We have one every Thursday in the park next to my office, and a few weeks ago I picked up some steak rubs and also dip mix from a gent who makes them from scratch. Here is his link:

http://www.gypsyhillfoods.com/

I pan-seared and then broiled a filet mignon using one of his rubs a week or so ago. I'm going to add that to the "recipes made" for 2008 even though that was ridiculously easy. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I also made his tomato-chipotle dip which I used with some fresh veggies (not purchased at a farmer's market, alas).

Another recipe I made from my friend Paige was roasted red peppers! Slice a red pepper (core it, and all that) and then douse it with olive oil. A little salt and pepper, and then pop it under the broiler. Keep an eye on it, and turn the pepper slices every so often. Delicious!

Yesterday I went to another farmer's market and bought a massive cucumber. I've already eaten half of it (yes, it's that big - only half). Cucumbers and tomatoes, swimming in olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar and of course salt and pepper. I'm a simple eater, what can I say.