Monday's Menu--Sunday Edition

I know I skipped trying a new recipe last week, so I have to double up this week.  We had a crazy busy week last week and we didn't have dinner at home as a family AT ALL.  I don't like that!  Anyway, my goal is to try a new recipe every week, so I figure I can average out over the course of the year, right?

We have been watching a lot of the Food Network and HGTV since downgrading our cable (more on that another time), and I saw this recipe from Sandra Lee.  She's not my favorite cook, but this just looked delicious and was actually more homemade than my normal pot roast because I typically use a seasoning packet for the slow cooker.  I like how she cooks the majority of the vegetables separately because I have a small crock pot, so this allowed me to actually get a larger chuck of meat (3 lbs).  I am also excited to cook with some winter root vegetables--yay for seasonal cooking!

Here's what I am making today:

Pot Roast with Roasted Root Vegetables: Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Prep Time:10 min Cook Time: 8 hr 0 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

Pot Roast:

• 1 1/2 pounds beef bottom round roast
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 (15-ounce) can beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme

Roasted Root Vegetables:

• 2 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 2 russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 pound turnips, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon each fresh rosemary and fresh thyme leaves
• 1 red onion, sliced

Directions

For Pot Roast:

Season the beef with salt and pepper and lightly coat with flour. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat and brown the meat on all sides. Remove to a platter and set aside. Arrange the carrots, celery and onion in bottom of slow cooker and top with the seared beef. Add the broth, water, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme, and set the cooker on low for 8 hours. When finished, remove the meat to a serving platter. Let the vegetables and broth cool for about 5 minutes, then add to a blender. Slowly blend until smooth and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve the gravy with the pot roast and roasted root vegetables.

For Roasted Root Vegetables:

One hour before the pot roast is done cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add all the vegetables to a large bowl and add the canola oil, rosemary, thyme, and onion. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and arrange on a sheet tray. Roast for 30 minutes, then toss and roast another 30 minutes. Arrange on a serving platter and serve.

Use the leftovers to make Roasted Root Vegetable Pasta Salad or Southwestern Beef and Black Bean Chili.

Monday's Menu-- Results Edition

Two weeks into my new blog and I have fallen behind...what can I say?  This past Monday was a holiday (Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday) so we had a three day weekend and I've been off kilter the rest of the week!

Regardless, I did end up making last week's menu this weekend, with a few variations, of course.  I ended up using chicken from a rotisserie chicken ($4.99 at Costco...you can't beat that!) and some frozen vegetables and I put it all in the crockpot, rather than using the stove top.  At the last minute I decided to throw some egg noddles in because I had an open bag in the pantry. 

Here's what I started with:

I ended up leaving out the canned tomatoes, because I ran out of  room in the crockpot.  I also added 2 cups of water in addition to the chicken broth.  As the soup cooked, I began to think that adding the noodles was a complete mistake.  They completely dissolved into mush and tasted pretty gross.  I let the soup continue to cook, though and was prepared to make something else for dinner.   However, the noodley-mush ended up making the soup really thick and we all found it to be quite delicious.  While I was envisioning a classic chicken noodle, vegetable soup this one turned out A-ok. 

Monday's Menu-- Results Edition

This salmon recipe was a huge success, but I definitely had some changes that I made along the way. First of all, don't make it if you are counting your calories! This salmon is bakes with a 'crust' made from butter and bread crumbs--not diet friendly, but it was certainly delicious.

I used three small fillets of salmon, rather than the whole fish as the recipe suggests. I ended up halving all the ingredients, except the old bay spice, and I still ended up with a tub of the butter mixture that I am saving for the next time I use this recipe. If I were doing it again, I might actually do 1/4 of the original recipe. Here is what I did based on the contents that I actually had in my fridge:

2 sticks of butter, whipped until fluffy

Added 2 T. garlic paste (equivalent of 6-7 cloves according to the jar), 2 T. spicy brown mustard (that was all that I had), 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1 T. lime juice, 1 tbsp., 2 T. Old Bay, dashes of salt/pepper to taste (I used unsalted butter, so added more salt that I normally do)
Stir in the mixer
Add in 1 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs and stir.

Smear the butter/panko mixture onto the fish fillets in a really thick layer. Think 'crust'.

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes.

I served this with corn and sweet potato puree (again, this is what I had in the fridge...) but it probably would have been better served over risotto or wild rice, and with some crunchy green beans.

This is definitely a re-do recipe, and I actually wish I had made more last night because I could have eaten a second helping. To quote Zar (with a mouthful of food) "I think this is the best cooking you've ever done". Success.

Of course, the evening ended with a Dance Party. Tonight's music was provided by KDHX Community Radio. Monday night's show is called Soul Selector with Papa Ray.

Monday's Menu

In one attempt at taking better care of myself and family, I plan to try a new recipe out each week and post the results.  I normally hate trying new recipes because I have a two year old who is becoming quite a picky eater, and a husband who is not always home for dinner, so cooking for just myself can be a frustrating experience.  However, I really want to learn to cook new things and I know that the more foods you introduce to kids, the more likely they are to expand their pallet.

So, this week and I am going to try:

Odyssey's Mustard Crusted Side of Salmon

Prep Time:25 min

Cook Time:10 min

Level: Intermediate

Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Baked Salmon:

• 1 pound butter
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 1 cup whole grain mustard
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups panko bread crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs) Do not substitute regular bread crumbs
• 1 (3 to 4 pound) side of salmon, skin on, pin bones removed

Directions

Whip butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the garlic, mustard, thyme, lemon juice, Old Bay, salt, pepper, and panko, and mix well. Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper or waxed paper and lay salmon, skin side down, on pan. Blot salmon with paper towels to remove any moisture. "Crust" the salmon while the butter is still soft, allowing a 1/4-inch crust. At this point, the salmon may be refrigerated (cover with plastic wrap after butter has hardened).

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes for a still slightly pink fish. Use 2 long flat spatulas, coming in from either end, to lift the salmon off the paper and transfer to a serving platter.

Chefs Note: Use your imagination, substitute dill for the thyme, horseradish for the mustard, substitute crushed potato chips for the Panko (try different flavors of chips or use pretzels or tortilla chips). This dish can also be prepared for individual portions.