INA’S COMPANY POT ROAST aka  My Fancy Pot Roast

Servings: 8

Here I go again, ANOTHER delicous Ina Garten recipe! I was looking for something fancy to serve for a family dinner and while looking through Ina’s collection I found this and well with all the delicious ingredients in this pot roast, I thought “how bad can it be?”   I was not dissapointed! I served it with a Ina’s baked potatoe recipe that will follow! Enjoy!

*Ina calls for the use of a dutchoven, since I do not have one yet I used my handy dandy slow cooker instead! *

INGREDIENTS:

1 [4-5lb] boneless beef chuck roast, tied

4 carrots

2 yellow onions

4 celery stalks

2 leeks

5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 cups red wine

1 [28oz] can whole plum tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock

1 chicken bullion cube

3 branches fresh thyme

2 branches fresh rosemary

1 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature

all purpose flour

salt and pepper

olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Rough chop carrots, onions, celery,  and leeks [white and light green parts only].

3.  Pat beef dry with paper towel. Season roast all over with salt + pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends.

4. In a large  pot,  heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add roast and sear each side for about 4 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove roast to a large plate.

5. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pot. Add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks and garlic, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned.

6.  Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot.  Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover.

7.  Transfer the roast with all the veggie goodness to a warmed 5 qt. slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or on slow for 8 hours, basically until meat hits 160 degrees.

8.  Remove the roast to a cutting board. Remove the herb bundle and discard.

9. We’re making sauce! Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the puree back into the slow cooker pot, on low heat and return the sauce to a simmer. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings.

10. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.

CHILI MAC

Servings: 4

CHILI MAC is an all American one pot hearty meal that will satisfy even the pickiest eater out there! Its hearty enough to serve alone but also pairs well with a big green salad or steamed green beans.

Ingredients:

1lb. ground beef *

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 [14.5oz can] stewed tomatoes

1 1/4 cup canned tomato sauce

3 tbsp canned green chili peppers

3 tsp chili seasoning

2 cups of whole-wheat elbow macaroni*

1 [150z] can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Optional Garnish:

sour cream

sliced scallions

shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a large skillet cook beef, onion, and garlic until meat is brown, about 15 minutes.

2.  Stir in undrained stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili peppers, chili seasoning; bring to a boil.

3. Stir in uncooked macaroni and kidney beans. Return to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Garnish with sour cream, scallions and cheese!

* This super easy recipe is pretty much just a template that can be modified with what you’ve got in the fridge and pantry. For example you could ground chicken instead of meat and white pasta shells instead of the whole-wheat elbow macaroni. Cooking is not an exact science, roll with what you’ve got and remember to taste as you cook!

MEXICAN CHICKEN SOUP aka “Tortilla Soup”

Servings: 6- 8

This hearty soup recipe is adapted from  Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten.

INGREDIENTS:

2 whole chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

2 oninos

2 white squash

2 celery stalks

4 carrots

4 large garlic cloves

1 [16oz] can corn

2.5 liters chicken stock

1 [28oz.] can crushed tomatoes in puree

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander seed

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 small cilantro bunch

6 [6in.] white corn tortillas

For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese and tortilla chips*

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Prepare Chicken:

• Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan.
• Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done.
• When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and cut into cubes.
• Cover and set aside.

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3. Chop vegetables in large bite size pieces and drain water from corn.

4. Start Soup:

• Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven
• Add the onions, white squash, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown
• Add the garlic and corn: cook for 30 seconds.
• Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro.

5. Continue Soup:

• Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup.
• Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Add the cubed chicken and season to taste.

6.  Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips*.

* Tired of greasy tortilla chips? Try our ez baked tortilla recipe instead!

LENTIL SOUP 

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

8 bacon strips 

1/2 cup lentils (any variety)

1/4 cup tomato sauce 

1/4 onion 

2 garlic cloves

1 ltr. water 

1 medium cilantro bunch 

2 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. cumin 

2 tsp .  smoked paprika

salt

1. COOK BACON:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; arrange bacon on baking sheet in a single layer with the edges touching or slightly overlapping
• Bake in preheated oven to desired degree of doneness, 10 to 15 minutes
• Remove bacon from the baking sheet with tongs or a fork, and drain on a paper towel-lined plate
• Chop bacon intp bite size pieces

2. COOK LENTILS:

• Rinse lentils in cold water several times before adding to cooking pot. 
• In a medium-size cooking pot, add lentils, onion, garlic, oil and water; boil for about 30 minutes
• Add tomato sauce, cumin, paprika, cilantro, bacon and salt to taste; simmer on low for another 15 minutes
• Take out garlic and onions before serving

3. ENJOY!