Roast Beast

This is my "go to" meal when I want to serve something yummy and more than a casserole. I actually thought I had already posted this, so here goes.

MENU
Roast Beef
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Veggie Choice

INGRED'S
Roast Beef
1/2 cup Newman's Lite Balsamic salad dressing
Kosher Salt
Ground Pepper
Refrigerator Basil
Red Potatoes
@ 1/2 cup Buttermilk
1 32-oz carton of low sodium beef broth
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 stick unsalted butter
Wondra
Kitchen Bouquet

Either a day ahead of time or at least 3 hours before cooking: salt, pepper and basil your roast. Place it in a Ziploc with the Lite Balsamic and refrigerate. Rotate/shake as you think about it.

Preheat oven to 350. 30 minutes before you want to cook it (and it will take 1.5 hours at least), put roast on counter to sit at room temp. Place beef in roast pan, lower oven temp to 325 and bake for 1 hour. When timer rings, take temp and continue to cook until meat is at 150 for rare or 160 for medium.

When the 1 hour timer rings, bring large pot of water to boil. When water is a rolling boil, add desired amount of red potatoes, halved. Bring to boil and cook til tender, about 20 minutes but check at 15. You don't want soggy potos. It's okay if they are done earlier than the meat, just drain and mash with enough buttermilk to your desired consistency, then cover.

The gravy takes about 15 minutes. Place the cubes of beef bouillon and the stick of butter in a large skillet on medium. Cook til butter is melted. Bring to boil. Whisk in Wondra, 1 TBSP at a time, til butter is absorbed. (About 2-3 TBSP) Boil about 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the beef broth. Add some pepper, some salt, and some Kitchen Bouquet if you'd like the gravy more brown. Bring to boil again for 60 seconds, then simmer until everything else is ready.

We use a version of this gravy with all kinds of menus. If chicken, the cubes and broth are...chicken! Wondra is our gravy friend. You could also add drippings from what you're cooking to the gravy. Just promise you won't use canned gravy anymore.

Leftovers? Try this! Slice chilled Roast Beast on a wooden platter with Tuscan bread, Brie Cheese (or Cream Cheese) and make mini sandwiches. Throw in a sliced cucumber or sprouts. Serve with Tomato Soup.

Spot was not near the kitchen tonight, so NO PAWS. :( She was busy plotting ways to meet the neighbors by pacing underneath a window. Go figure.

Almost Home-Made Spaghetti

This recipe has bloomed over the years on nights when we want a yummy dinner but don't want to spend the night in the kitchen. Based on Classico Spaghetti Sauce, we personalize it with sautéed onions and mushrooms. It even passes the diet test, that is if you are on one and control your portions. Our recipe serves two teen boys, one man and one mom, so adjust as needed. It was especially good on our (finally) cold winter's night in Minnesota (now, if we just had snow...)

MENU
Meaty Spaghetti
Cheesy Tuscan Bread

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs lean ground beef (or turkey)
2 jars Classico Spaghetti Sauce (we use Four Cheese)
1 package frozen spinach, microwaved for 4 minutes
1 red onion, diced
1 pkg fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pkg spaghetti noodles
1/2 loaf sliced Tuscan bread from Target
1 container or pkg shredded parmesan cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil
fresh or refrigerator basil

Prepare cheesy bread first. Melt stick of butter in microwave. Add enough shredded parmesan cheese to make thick paste. Spread on one side of Tuscan bread. Wrap in foil and bake at 375 for 65 minutes. (If you want to make this GARLIC, add a good 5 cloves, smooshed up well.)

In large skillet, sauté onion in 2 TBSP olive oil. When onions are partially done, add mushrooms and cook until tender. Add more olive oil as needed, just don't get it soggy. While skillet-ing, go ahead and nuke the spinach. Combine spinach with skillet items, stir well, then put contents on dinner plate. Use same skillet to brown meat, adding basil to taste.
Add Classico sauces and onion mixture. Stir well, bring to boil. Cover and simmer while you cook the pasta.

Easy, healthy and full of good stuff! We like to sprinkle more fresh parmesan on top once we've plated. In fact, we pretty much like to put some form of cheese on anything.

Spot was just underfoot the whole time! Must be a 4 paw-er.

Incognito Spinach Potatoes

So the other night when I made our good ol' Roast Beast, I thought I'd jazz up our mashed potatoes. Mostly because I meant to make Cauli Mashed Potos, but didn't have any cauliflower. Ahhh, but I did have frozen spinach! Rachel Ray says that frozen spinach has even more spinach in it because of how much it takes to get one package. Not well summarized, but basically it's more nutritious. The cool thing about putting spinach in the potatoes is that you have a hidden vegetable that gives texture. There are lots of things I've been hiding spinach in... but back to these potatoes:

INGREDIENTS
Red potatoes
1 pkg frozen spinach
1/4 to 1/2 cup buttermilk
Kosher salt
ground pepper


Boil potatoes, drain and cover back in pot. Microwave spinach about 5 minutes. Squeeze out all moisture using paper towels. Add spinach to potatoes. When combined, slowly add buttermilk until potatoes reach desired texture. Salt and pepper to taste.

These potatoes would go well with any meat, chicken or fish dish.

Spot gave 4 paws for the Roast we had, but was not really interested in anything to do with spinach.

Drink This!

This salad dressing is so good, you will think about drinking it! I have been so full since my Fondue Marathon last week that I have not cooked much lately. Someone pop me and let in some air.

My great-aunt made this recipe about 100 years ago. Or maybe 80. If you think you like French Dressing, you will love this one.

Aunt Eda's French Salad Dressing

1 can Cream of Tomato Soup is the secret
Use can to measure 1/2 can vinegar and 1/2 can extra virgin olive oil
6 TBSP sugar
3 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp kosher salt
1 medium onion, minced

Combine the above ingredients in a large jar (I repurpose empty spaghetti sauce jars). Shake well to combine and chill. Can be made a day ahead of time and keeps 4 days. If serving the same day, make a couple of hours ahead of time. Part of the flavor is how cold it is. Serve over Iceberg lettuce along with Fondue or steak.

Spot gives this 4 paws because everything we eat along with this smells so good.

Three Day Fondue

Okay, I only title this like that because we already enjoyed this two days in a row! Yes, I make too much because I always want enough for everyone. Must be some big feeder grandma type in my ancestry? We made this for New Years, and invited a friend to join us tonite for 'leftovers'. Yikes, there is still another dinner in the fridge! My hubby loves this but doesn't know if "he can take another night of this". Me? I just smile, pat my head and rub my belly. This would work for a large table of guests, or you can eat it three days in a row like we did.

Menu:
Sirloin and Chicken Breast Fondue (marinate in Balsamic Vinegar and Lite Soy Sauce overnight, or 3 hours)
Dipping Sauces (See below and drool)
Onion Rings with the best Batter ever (2 large white onions, sliced and separated into rings will feed me)
Bib Lettuce and homemade French Dressing with homemade croutons (Recipe to come... maybe... (it's an old fam secret)
Tasty Mini Baked and Stuffed Red Potatoes
A1 and Heinz 57 too

Tasty Mini Baked and Stuffed Red Potos
8-10 large red potatoes, baked 60 minutes at 380
3/4 pkg frozen, steam-able broccoli,micro'd 5 minutes
2 small pkg of reduced fat Feta OR Blue Cheese, crumbled
Lemon juice
Kosher Salt
Ground Pepper

After potos are baked, slice the "top" 1/8 off, discard. Using small (melon ball) scoop, cut out 1-2 scoops from each potato and place in medium bowl. Microwave broccoli, chop finely and add to bowl. Add salt, pepper, 4 generous squeezes of lemon juice, and cheese. Mash well. Repack ingredients from bowl into potatoes using scoop. Cover with foil and keep in oven on warm until ready to feast.

Fondue Dipping Sauces


Japanese Steakhouse White Sauce (not my own creation)

INGREDIENTS:
1 ¼ cups Hellman’s Mayo
¼ cup water
1 tsp tomato paste
1 TBSP melted butter
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp paprika
dash pepper

Whisk all ingredients together til well mixed and sauce is smooth. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. Bring to room temp before serving.


Sour Cream Dip

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sour cream
2 TBSP finely chopped onion
Salt and Pepper
(try adding chives)


Garlic Lemon Dip

INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ cups mayo
1 ½ TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP crushed garlic
½ tsp Tabasco Sauce
Salt and Pepper
(try adding chives)


Onion Ring Batter

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups flour
2 TBSP Wondra
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 ½ TBSP EVOO
2 eggs
1 beer
salt
3-4 onions, sliced and separated into rings

Mix all ingredients except beer, in large bowl. Add beer and stir til lump free. Add more Wondra if needed to thicken. Dip rings in batter and fry til golden (3-4 min.). Drain on paper towels. Salt. 


Spot gave ALL of the above 4 paws. Not only did she enjoy hovering under our feet while we prepped, she even sang some songs while we slowly dined and loved each bite.