Rosemary Pot Roast & Homemade Vegetable Broth

This is the MOST DELICIOUS roast I have ever tasted!  It is so easy!  I adapted this recipe slightly from The Pioneer Woman's blog: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008_the_year_of_the_pot_roast/.  I love her posts!  I don't always have fresh herbs on hand... who am I kidding, I almost never have fresh herbs on hand, so this is my adaption.  I also prefer the pot roast cut of beef instead of the chuck roast.  I serve this with a large pot of mashed potatoes because this makes the BEST gravy ever! Enjoy!

1 4-5 lb beef pot roast
Salt/Pepper
2-3 TBSP olive oil
2 small onions, cut into 1" chunks
6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
3 C homemade vegetable broth (Recipe at bottom)
1/8 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary

Before beginning to cook, trim your roast and generously salt and pepper all sides.  Cut up your onions and carrots too because once your oil is ready, you won't have time to do these things.

In a large copper bottom pot(the pot matters--a non stick pan won't give the same effect) with a lid, heat 2 TBSP olive oil(I never measure exactly). Sauté the onions until somewhat translucent and lightly browned(about 5 minutes). 

Remove the onions, and add the carrots into the pot.  Sauté about 2 minutes.  Then Remove to a plate with the onions.

Add another TBSP of olive oil.  And brown all sides of your roast.  This only takes a couple minutes per side. 

Once the roast is nicely browned on all sides, remove it from the pan to a plate.  Do you see all those nice brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan?  Well, that is flavor!  Pour a couple ounces of broth into the pan, and using a wooden spoon get the brown bits loosened.  Then add your roast back into the pan.

Add the carrots and onions on top.  then add the rest of your broth to the side of the roast so that the onions and carrots will stay on top.  The broth should be to the halfway point of the roast.

Then sprinkle the thyme and rosemary on top.  Cover with the lid and bake at 285 degrees for 4 hours. 

**Remember to start cooking your mashed potatoes about a half hour before the roast is done.:)**

When done, remove the roast to a plate and cover with foil.  Let rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.  Remove carrots and onions from the broth by pouring into a fine mesh strainer over a large pot.  Put onions and carrots in a bowl and cover with foil while you make your gravy.

To make the gravy, first skim the top of the gravy to remove a little bit of the fat that rises to the top.  I usually only remove a few TBSP's.  Then warm the gravy over medium heat stirring occasionally.  When it comes to a boil, add this mixture

Gravy thickening Mixture:

1 C cold water

1/2 C flour

Whisk very well together

Gluten free option:

Use cornstarch/water combo(I would guess that 2-3TBSP cornstarch + 1/2 C cold water is a good place to start)

Slowly whisk in the thickening mixture so that the gravy is still boiling slowly.  Continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes to let this thicken.  NOTE:  this is not a "thick" gravy in the sense of packet gravies.  You are welcome to add more thickener to the gravy to your likings.;)  I always need to add more salt and pepper to the gravy.  This is the fun part because you get to test the gravy as many times as you need...wink, wink.  Be careful to blow your gravy before tasting, I have burned my tongue so many times when I don't blow it adequately enough.

Enjoy!

Homemade Vegetable Broth

Carrots-- no need to peel or cut off ends, just wash and chop up

Onions-- I like to use red and yellow onions--use the skin too

Celery- use the whole stem, just roughly chop up

4 garlic cloves--roughly chopped skin & all

1 TBSP peppercorns

1 TBSP Real Salt

Fill a REALLY large heavy bottomed pot 3/4 the way with these vegetables.  Add the garlic, peppercorns and salt.

Add cold water to fill about 4 inches from the top of the pan.  Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for about 1 hour. 

Remove vegetables, peppercorns, etc. Cool the broth in large glass bowls. I often will let this cool for about an hour on my counter, then let finish cooling in my fridge.  **This takes a lot of room in your fridge**

Once cooled, store in freezer safe containers.  I like to freeze in the quart plastic containers you can find in the canning section of your grocery store.  I freeze in 2 & 3 cup quantities.  Don't over fill your container.  As is freezes, it expands and you will have a huge mess in your freezer(I speak from experience here!) 

This is the base for all my soups and sauces.  Whenever you are using these vegetables for meals, save the scraps in the freezer for when you are ready to make a batch.

**If you don't have a really large pot, just use as big as you have, and still fill the pot up 3/4th the way with veggies, then half the garlic, peppercorns, and salt.  Then fill up with cold water.

Tomato Soup

I got the basis for this recipe from http://thedomesticgeek.com/?s=tomato+soup.  She has a great website!  And I LOVE tomato soup on a cold winter's day!  And we've had plenty this winter.  Enjoy!

2 TBSP Olive oil
1 small onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5 oz canned tomatoes (I've used stewed and petite diced- any kind is fine because you're pureeing it)
1/2 C brown sugar
4 TBSP tomato paste
4 C vegetable broth( I use homemade- the domestic geek has a great one)
1 parmesan cheese rind
salt/pepper to taste(approx. 1tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper)
1 bay leaf
1/2 C whipping cream

Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot.  Sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent.  Then add the tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes. Then add all other ingredients EXCEPT the whipping cream.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Then remove the bay leaf, and puree in batches in your blender.  Remember this is very hot, use a rag to put over the top of the blender where the hole is.  This prevents splattering all over your kitchen.  When all the soup is pureed(I use another large bowl to put it in until I can put it back into the pot), put it back into the pot. Then stir in the whipping cream.  This is so good!

Serve with Trader Joe's soup crackers!  DELISH!!

Lemon Pepper Chicken and Rice

4 tbsp. butter
2 lg chicken breasts, cut into strips
salt & pepper to taste
4 TBSP white grape juice concentrate( you can use white grape juice or wine-may need more to achieve the flavor since I use concentrate)
4 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 TBSP grated lemon zest/peel
2- 2 1/2 C whipping cream ( I don't like the heavy, just normal whipping cream)
salt & pepper to taste
3/4 C fresh grated parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a large skillet.  Place chicken pieces in the pan, salt and pepper generously, and sauté until browned. Then place on a paper towel to drain some of the butter off.  After the chicken has sat a couple minutes, place it in a 9x13 glass casserole dish.

Your pan should have very nice browned bits on the bottom.  This is where all the good flavor is, so keeping your heat on, dump the grape juice concentrate(mine is juice from garden grapes in the fall that I can) in the pan.  Watch out because you'll get a lot of steam/smoke coming up as this gets all the good stuff loosened.  Stir with a wooden spoon to get all the brown bits up.

Then add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Slowly add the cream.  stirring constantly.  Then salt and pepper your sauce generously(I wish I could be exact but I just sprinkle salt back and forth about twice, and pepper until it looks nicely even through the sauce).

When sauce is warmed through, pour over chicken in casserole dish.

Then sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Turn on broiler to LO and broil for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Then serve over your favorite kind of rice.  This sauce is so good!  Make sure you serve this with French bread or rolls, because you'll want to soak up every last drip!  Enjoy!

Raspberries and Cream Cake

This is one of my all time favorite cakes!  It is so easy, very pretty, and of course very tasty!  I hope you will enjoy making this.  One tip with this cake is that it is very important to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.  If the butter especially isn't incorporated, you will have some sinking in the top of your cake (it doesn't have eggs to stabilize it as well).  This happens to me sometimes, but it doesn't really matter because you are going to cover the cake with cream and raspberries before you serve it.  No one will ever know.  Also, with any cake, altitude and humidity play a role.  I live in the Salt Lake City valley, so this recipe works great for me. 



Ingredients

2/3 C butter, softened
1 3/4 C sugar
2 TBSP ground flaxseed + 3 TBSP water- let sit 3-5 minutes to gel
2-4 dashes of real vanilla
3 C flour- I use unbleached flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 C milk- I use 2 %

Directions:

1. Grease 9x13 pan with butter.  Then sprinkle flour around and tap pan upside down over sink to get the extra flour off. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir.  Set aside.

2. In Bosch mixer, cream butter and sugar really well.  You will need to do some scraping and pushing down on the sides and center to make sure it is creamed well.

3. Add flaxseed/water combo and vanilla.  Mix until well incorporated.  Once again scraping down the sides/center and mixing again is best.

4. Add your flour, baking powder, and salt mixture to the Bosch.  Add milk to the Bosch.  Mix on speed 1 until just combined.  This will be a thick batter.

5. Spread batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  As all ovens cook differently, check a few minutes early.

When cake is done, it should be lightly browned and have a toothpick come clean.  Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack. 

When cake is completely cooled, then put on the toppings.

Cream Layer

1 pt whipping cream
3-4 TBSP sugar

Put cream and sugar in Bosch using the whipping attachment.  I like to use a spatula and stir the sugar into the cream before I start whipping it.  Simply whip on speed 2 until stiff peaks form. 

I don't usually use all of the cream, just get a nice thick layer on, remembering you will also be adding the raspberry layer.

Raspberry Layer

3/4 package of frozen raspberries or equivalent amount of fresh
4 TBSP sugar

1. In a small sauce pan, cook raspberries on med heat and sugar until it begins to boil.  Cook about 2 minutes more.  If you don't want the seeds on your dessert, simply strain them out with a fine mesh strainer. 

Let this sauce cool COMPLETELY before putting  it on top of your cream, or your cream will melt.  I like to make this shortly after I put the cake in the oven.  If you forget and get distracted, just put it in the freezer for a few minutes.

So after the cake is cooled, add your cream layer, and then the raspberry layer.  It's beautiful.  I store this cake in the fridge until I'm ready to serve.  It's perfect for any time of the year.  I guarantee this cake will bring oohs and ahhs from even people used to eating eggs in their dessert!

Happy Baking!

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

I got this recipe from a friend.  It has been the BEST recipe ever.  I always get great compliments on this ice cream.  So, this is your basic vanilla.  It is amazing if you add some mashed fresh raspberries too!  That is always requested at family parties in the summer.  Without further ado...

6 C half and half
2 1/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract(REAL not imitation)
3 C whipping cream(not Heavy, just regular)

In a large bowl, pour half and half.  Add sugar, and stir WELL.  If you don't stir long enough to dissolve the sugar, then your ice cream will be grainy.  Then add vanilla.  Last, stir in the whipping cream.

Place in a ice cream maker.  Follow ice cream maker's directions(ie. ice/salt/time).  In about 30 minutes, for my machine, you have the most delicious ice cream.  Place immediately into containers and store in the freezer.  I like to make this a few hours before I need to serve it-especially if you are adding fresh fruit.  That way the flavors blend nicely all around.

If you have never made homemade ice cream before, please note that it melts quickly!  You can't just let it sit out on the counter for very long, or it will be a puddle.

Way Better than Store Bought!

Peach Cobbler

I grew up from age 12 living in Brigham City, Utah.  They are famous for the annual Peach Days celebration.  Therefore... I LOVE PEACHES!  And everyone has a peach cobbler recipe that is to die for.  Well, mine is no exception!  This is the perfect time of year for cobbler.  The cool air just makes my mouth crave the stuff!  I hope you enjoy!

8 medium peaches, peeled, and sliced
Sugar for sprinkling over peaches
1/2 C water

Crust layer:

1 1/3 C flour
1 1/4 C sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 Cubes of butter (3/4 C), sliced thinly

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash peaches, peel them, slice them, and place in the bottom of a 9x13 glass dish.
Sprinkle sugar over peaches.  You just need enough to lightly cover them.  Then, stir the sugar all around the peaches to get them to start releasing some of their juices.  Let stand for a few minutes(5 min) while making the crust.  Then pour the 1/2 C water over the peaches.  Using a spoon, try to make your peaches into a somewhat flat layer.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Sprinkle over peaches.  Place thin slices/pats of butter all across the top of the dish- usually 4-5 pats across the short side.  Put aluminum foil over the top of the pan, and bake for 45 minutes.  then remove foil, bake 10 more minutes uncovered.  Then to crisp up the top perfectly, turn off the oven baking and turn ON the BROIL on LOW for about 2 minutes.  Perfection!

The perfect topping for this dessert is homemade vanilla ice cream.  Check out my recipe for that.

Happy Baking!

Homemade Chicken Stock in a CrockPot

This is one essential thing that you should make for your family.  We now make all our sauces from scratch, which means that many sauces require a "base" of chicken or beef broth or stock.  I prefer chicken stock or vegetable broth.  The name "stock" is used when the bones are used to make the liquid, and not just vegetables and meat.  Today, I'll show you how I make my chicken stock in a crockpot!  This is amazing because the crockpot does most of the work!

The type of whole chicken you buy is important.  At first, I just bought any brand, whatever was on sale, but then one day I bought this organic brand, and WOW!  The stock was so much better!  So I highly recommend buying an organic brand like this one.  I purchased it at Wal-mart for not too much.

 Ingredients:

4-5 carrots, chopped in chunks
2 celery stalks, chopped in chunks
1 small onion, chopped in chunks
1/2-1 TBSP peppercorns, depending on how much you like
1 tsp Real Salt
1 TBSP parsley, dried
3-4 dashes of poultry seasoning
1 whole organic chicken, rinsed
7-8 C water



Day 1
Chop vegetables and place in bottom of crockpot.  Place seasonings on top.

 

 Then place rinsed chicken on top of veggies and seasonings.  Pour water slowly on top until it reaches about 1 inch below lid.  Put lid on, and cook on high for 1 hour, then turn down to low for 4-5 hours.  Remove chicken carefully into a 9x13 pan.  Cover with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes.  Seperate skin and meat from bones.


 Save the meat(works great for soups or a shredded chicken recipe where you are adding some flavor-a lot of the flavor of the meat is lost in the cooking phase), discard the fat/skin, and put the bones back into the crockpot.

 

 Continue cooking the bones with the broth overnight.


 Day 2
The next morning, turn off the crockpot, and strain the veggies and bones from the stock into a large glass bowl--preferably with a lid.

 

 After straining, place stock in refrigerator for at least 12 hours.  I usually leave it in all that day and take it out the next morning(day 3).  Placing it in the refrigerator will solidify the fat, thus making a nearly fat-free stock.


Day3
Take bowl of stock out of refrigerator.  You will now see the fat solidified at the top.

Simply remove this with a spoon(I always use a grapefruit spoon, but any should work), and place the fat into a small bowl.  When you have scrapped off as much as you can, stir the stock.  It should be somewhat gelatinous.  You want it to be gelatinous.  That means it has lots of good nutrients in it.

Then simply divide the stock into canning pint jars.  Use within one week in the fridge, or I like to store them in my stand alone freezer door.  Then when ready, I simply microwave the jar(with lid off) on the "fish" setting for about .6 lbs. or until it is thawed.

I use this broth for many recipes!  Keep checking back for more great recipes!