Barbecue Pot Roast

 

This is a recipe that I can't wait to share! When you have something that you just loved to make and eat, it's really fun to run and tell everyone about it in hopes that they can then enjoy it like you did. Mr. Max and I have simply not been very creative with meals lately. We've had a lot of repeats or easy meals like salads, or simple fish and chicken breasts with roasted veggies. Blame that partially on a whirlwind event schedule and needing the ease, and maybe partially on trying to eat very basic because of the wedding that is approaching.

I can't say that I've been a dieting bride necessarily. I know how to eat well and I know what's good and what is not so good for me. I've just become a little more diligent on those what's good with more veggies and protein, and really strict on the consumption of the not so good like unneeded sugars, excess carbs or salty foods.

Well.... all that is fine and great but sometimes you just need some comfort food! Feeling slightly under the weather and having just one of those weeks, I decided that a pot roast seemed appropriate because it gave me a perfect reason to make a cauliflower and potato puree - mmm potatoes! Pinspired by the fabulous Plain Chicken blog, I used this for reference but made my own version based on what I had in the fridge.

Nutritional facts can be found here, and they were surprisingly not as bad as I thought; this is 8 WW points per serving.

Grocery List:
Recipe yields six servings

• 2 lb rump roast, trimmed (rump is leaner than chuck roast)
• Garlic salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. BBQ sauce (I used our favorite, Austin's Own, Medium Heat)
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. Sriracha
• 2 cups carrots
• 1 cup celery (optional)
• 1/2 cup water (optional)

To start, sprinkle your roast with the garlic salt and pepper, then place in the crock pot. Surround with the celery, then the carrots. I thought I got most of what Plain Chicken used but come to find, I did not. I didn't have a Coke, and didn't want to use one, so I subbed the taste of apple cider vinegar for a little bit of tang and to help compensate for the missing liquid. I decided to start with just 1/4 cup so that it didn't over power and could somewhat keep sugars low, and that amount was perfect. In a bowl, mix the chili sauce, apple cider vinegar, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire and sriracha together until blended. At this point, I looked at it and thought I needed to "water" it up more so that is when I added the water.

 

Once mixed, pour the sauce over the contents in the crock pot, put the top on and walk away. If you are cooking for over 6 hours, cook on low-medium heat. If you are cooking for under 6 hours, cook on high heat.

When you come back, test the roast to see if it falls apart at the touch and move the contents around to get everything a little saucy.

When the roast is ready, scoop the meat and veggies into a bowl, top with some extra sauce and serve! 

 Served with cauliflower-potato mash

Kate's Easy Cauliflower-Potato Mash

Boil 1 large Yukon gold potato, cut in on inch cubes 

and 2 cups of cauliflower florets.

When soft, drain and add 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt,

with 1 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tsp. butter.

Use electric beaters to mash until smooth and creamy

Serves 3-4

Tastefully yours,

Port Wine Demi-Glace

  

Our favorite special occasion meat is steak, but not any kind of steak, beef tenderloin steak. It's where the filet mignon cut comes from and is just melt-in-your-mouth when cooked to perfection. This Valentine's Day, we decided to change it up by simply making a new sauce to serve with it. Our favorite has been a Madeira sauce, but Mr. Max bought a 2006 Viognier Port wine as the result of a final stop on a Napa wine tour, and we've never opened it. Since then, we've learned through other tasting opportunities, we aren't very fond of the sweetness of Port wine by itself. Instead of drinking it as a dessert wine, we decided to cook with it, creating a delicious and decadent sauce - more simple than you think! With only a handful of ingredients, about 15 minutes of your time, you will transform ordinary into awesome.

Click here for my recipe's nutritional information calculated at SparkRecipes.com. Serving size is equivalent to 1 tbsp.

Grocery List:

• 1/4 cup shallot, minced
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 3/4 cup Port wine
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 oz. Demi-Glace (veal or beef flavored)
• 5 oz. water

In a sauce pan, add your butter and let melt, then on medium heat, saute your shallots for about 5 minutes.

Now, meet the Port.

 

Add the Port to de-glaze the pan and let reduce by half, staying on medium heat. Add in the thyme sprigs so that they may permeate flavor into the reduction. This will take about 10 minutes.

 

 

The key to a perfect steak sauce is the demi-glace. You can find them in small packages like this, they are typically located in the same isle as oils and marinades and are around $4 but oh so worth it. Add the contents of the demi-glace to the reduction and turn up the heat just a bit.

 

Whisk until blended.

At this point, your sauce will be nice and thick. I decided to add in some water to dilute just a bit and make it more saucy. This worked like a charm and didn't add any unneeded calories. Keep on low heat until you are ready to serve. Spoon over steak and enjoy!

Tastefully yours,

Cider-Ginger Brisket

I picked up this recipe card at Whole Foods nearly a year ago, however, I misplaced it and recently came across it in my recipe binder. It's recipes like this that remind me why I should use my crock pot more often! The preparation process takes no time at all and when you get home at the end of the day, your home smells absolutely divine and the contents of the slow cooker tastes even better than they smell. Embrace the colder weather and give yourself a break with a crock pot meal this simple and hearty!

We absolutely loved the flavor of this meal and it was our first time to try parsnips. After the week of Thanksgivings, I needed a break from potatoes so I readily accepted the recipe suggestion. This was a perfect substitute and a new root vegetable that we both enjoyed. I decided to do a little google comparison between parsnips and potatoes and came to find that they are much lower in calories and contain more fiber and folic acid than potatoes. I'm considering a new type of mash to replace potatoes!

Moving along... this took 15 minutes to prepare before work one morning. I let it cook on low heat in the crock pot for 8.5 hours, which was the longest I've left my crock pot unattended but it worked out just fine. The result was an incredibly tender brisket with soft veggies in a tangy cider-vinegar broth.

Nutritional facts include: 400 calories, 15g fat, 24g carbs, 4g fiber, 10g sugar and 40g protein per serving.
Recipe yields 2 servings. 

Grocery List:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1.5 lbs. beef brisket
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp. minced ginger
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar (for a more subtle taste, use regular apple cider)
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 3 parsnips, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

 To start, you want to season the meat with salt and pepper, then sear each side of the brisket in a little oil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the ginger and apple cider vinegar. In a crock pot, add the onions, parsnips, carrots, brisket and garlic, top with the beef broth. 

Add the vinegar and ginger mix, followed by the parsley. Cover and let cook for at least 6 hours on low heat. For a faster result, you can cook on high heat for 4 hours. 

When you return, your kitchen will smell incredible. Remove the lid and test a veggie or the brisket itself for a sneak peak of your dinner. The meat will fall apart at the slightest touch!

When you are ready to serve, break the meat apart and ladle into bowls, topping with the broth for more flavor. I look forward to making this one again... enjoy!!

Served with simple sauteed haricot verts

Tastefully yours,

Make a Meal: Greek Steak Roulade and Roasted Potatoes with Peppers

This was a fun meal that presented a new challenge yet surprisingly simple to make on a busy week night. I've seen steak pinwheels on display at the meat counter but haven't ever had one. I came across this steak roulade in Cooking Light's 5 Ingredient, 15 Minute Recipes magazine and decided to give it a try. The steak absorbs a lot of flavor from the stuffing, but I would recommend letting it marinate in Worcestershire or Dale's marinade for at least 30 minutes prior to preparing.

Nutritional facts include 320 calories, 28g protein, 4g carbs, 1g fiber, 22g fat and 169mg sodium.

Grocery List:
for Greek Steak Pinwheels

•  1 lb. flank steak
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped
• 1/4 cup low-fat feta cheese

for Roasted Potatoes:

• 4 red potatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

The most time-consuming part of this meal is preparing the potatoes so we are going to start with that. I opted for chunks of onion and red bell pepper that were already cut into thick chops to save some time. Seek this out in your local grocery store, it makes all the difference when you are trying to make a week night meal and looking for that one thing in particular: time. Toss the potatoes, onions and bell peppers in olive oil and then sprinkle with dried thyme, rosemary and parsley.

Place on aluminum foil in a roasting pan or cooking sheet and roast in the oven for 25 minutes.

Once those go in, we start the Greek mixture for the steak. Simple, simple. In a bowl, mix your chopped spinach, minced garlic, feta crumbles and ground pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper.

Using a sharp paring knife, lightly score the flank steak on just one side, going against the grain. These shallow cuts will help allow you to tightly wrap the meat, giving it a little more elasticity. Spoon the mixture across one side and then horizontally roll the steak, as tight as you can, into a log.

For best results when cooking tbis, use kitchen twine to hold the roll together. Did I have kitchen twine? Why yes, I did because I asked the butcher for some when I was buying my meat at the grocery store! I highly recommend you do this, from bamboo skewers for kabobs to twine for meat stuffing, they are always very helpful.

Add this to the oven to join the potatoes for 15-18 minutes and let cook until a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 135 for medium rare, 150 for medium, 155 for well-done. Check on the potatoes and remove when their timer goes off, followed by the steak if it has reached the desired inner temperature.

After you remove the twine, slice carefully and serve! These beautiful steak rolls are packed with protein and flavor. The roasted potatoes and peppers are a delicious side for a well-rounded, delicious AND nutritious meal.

Sweet and Spicy Beef Fajitas

These fajitas didn't involve anything too innovative or crazy, just an answer to my personal question "how can I make some delicious, summer tasting fajitas with contents of my fridge?", resulting in exactly what I was craving. This is an easy-to-follow recipe that will make your taste buds sing! I chose to use a crock pot because I wasn't in a hurry to have dinner prepared by a certain time, I also felt it allowed the veggies to reach prime fajita form.

The inception of the recipe went something like this.... I wanted to use up some mango I had in my fridge, mango is tropical and when I think of beef and fruit, I feel like soy sauce should be involved. Then, I still wanted to keep it Texican so I had a tomato I added to the mix and the bell peppers and onions were a must. I didn't want to saute them, I wanted them to slowly cook and soften to perfection so crock pot it was! I prefer beef tenderloin (fillet) as my steak of choice so I thought, why not see how it fares as fajita meat? Then, I needed some heat in the flavor so I called on my handy ancho-chile powder to do the trick. Using a little garlic here, a little left over fresh lime and cilantro there, and veggie stock to help those onions and peppers reach the perfect state, this recipe was born.

Grocery List:

• 8 - 10 oz. beef tenderloin, trimmed to 1/4 inch thick strips
• 1 red, yellow AND orange bell pepper, chopped into strips
• 1/2 of a sweet onion, cut into rings
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. ancho-chile powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp. Soy sauce
• Olive Oil
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup of mango, diced
• 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced

Additional:

• Sour cream
• Tortillas
• Shredded cheese
• Avocado (I wish I had some!)

With your crock pot setting on high, add the vegetable stock, onions, bell peppers and garlic to begin slow cooking.

Take your strips of beef in a bowl and add the lime, Worcestershire, cumin and ancho-chile powder. Let marinade for about 20 minutes, while your crock pot veggies are cooking.

In a skillet, saute your tomatoes in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

As you wait, check in on your crock pot veggies and give them a stir.

Add your mango in with the tomatoes and saute together for another 3-5 minutes. If I had more mango, I would have used more, just for your reference if you want to include additional chunks!

Now, add your steak and soy sauce - keep the stove on medium heat, the steak strips will cook too fast if on high heat.

Now add the cilantro to the meat mix and stir in to combine.

Once the steak is cooked to your desired perfection, add the contents of the skillet to the crock pot with the other veggies. Let sit on low/warm heat until you are ready to serve!

To serve, take a tortilla (I prefer whole wheat), top with a dash of sour cream then lay your onion and bell peppers....

Followed by strips of tasty steak....

And finally, what's a fajita without some shredded Mexi-blend cheese?

The mango and lime juice adds a fruity compliment to the natural sweet tastes of the yellow and orange bell peppers, while the beef has just a touch of heated spice for a combined sweet and spicy beef fajita. Roll it up and indulge!

Southwest Avocado Burgers

This meal comes from Cara's Cravings blog, my own spin on her guest post recipe. I decided to use 1 part ground turkey and 3 parts lean ground beef, adding Worcestershire sauce to the burger mix. If you like kick, I would suggest using Pepper Jack cheese to really complement the flavor, though I used Monterrey Jack because I already had it on hand. This is my new favorite summer burger!

Nutritional facts include 334 calories, 25.4g total fat, 85.1mg cholesterol, 405.5mg potassium, 6.6g carbs, 21g protein, 1.4g fiber per serving (serving size = 1 burger, not including whole wheat bun)

Grocery List:

• 1/4 lb ground turkey breast
• 3/4 lb 96% lean, grass fed organic ground beef
• 2 tbsp. minced onion
• 2 tbsp. ketchup
• 2 tbsp. mustard
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. Southwest or Cajun Seasoning (of course, I used Tony's)
• 1 avocado cut into thin slices
• Monterrey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
• Head of lettuce (1 large leaf per burger)
• Beefsteak tomato cut into slices
• Garlic Roasted Salsa
• Whole Wheat Buns

First, heat your grilling surface - I used the flat side of my griddle pan and coated it with cooking spray. If you have an outdoor grill, brush the grate with oil and heat it up. Now we will prepare our meat! Add the ground beef, ground turkey, minced onion, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning of choice into a large bowl.

I worked the meat mix together with a wooden spoon at first, while the meat absorbed the liquids, then I rolled up my sleeves and got my hands dirty, making sure it was evenly combined.

I took a 1/4 measuring cup and scooped 4 balls of meat into patties, flattening as much as I could. Top two with thin slices of avocado.

Next, take your other two patties and affix them over top the avocado, stacking over top the other patty. This is why we try to make them very thin, so you do not have too much meat or too high of a stacked burger. I did not do a good job at this, but I would suggest, trying to press down on the sides of the meat, concealing the avocado and forming more into one piece of meat.

Once your grilling surface is ready, add the burger patties cooking for about 4-5 minutes per side, carefully flipping as needed.

To help them cook more evenly, we covered with a casserole dish to provide a grilling cover. After flipping the second time, you can top with cheese to melt nicely over top the meat.

Build your burger using the buns, fresh lettuce, slice of tomato and then top your burger with a chunky salsa (I used a garlic-cilantro roasted salsa). Served with chipotle sweet potato fries and fresh fruit!