spiced lentils w/carrots

Spiced lentils, made by Dear Friend and super tasty.   

• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 carrots, chopped 
• 1 tsp grated garlic
• cumin, cinnamon, allspice, crushed red pepper, garam masala, etc. 
• 1 cup brown or green lentils
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 c dried fruit
• 3 cup veg broth

Saute onion, garlic, ginger, and carrots in a healthy amount of olive oil.

Add spices.

Add rest of ingredients, stir, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  

Jacob's lentil stew with barley from Bob's Red Mill

 Barley from Bob's REd Mill was on an end cap at my favorite grocery store and I picked it up because of this recipe on the back.  It's very tasty!  Definitely worth making again.  Just looked it up and see it's based on ancient cooking which is pretty cool, and Jacob is THAT Jacob of the Bible, and this is THAT stew.  Different seasonings can be used such as sumac and hyssop.  Not sure it's worth trading my inheritance for (not that I have an inheritance, ha!) but definitely adding to the rotation.  Excellent fiber and protein and vegetables and nutrients and all that.  

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Oil
• 1 ½ cups Onion diced (about 1 large)
• 1 cup Carrot diced (about 2)
• ½ cup Celery diced (about 2 stalks)
• ½ tsp Garlic minced (about 1 clove) - or more 
• 2 cups Red Lentils
• ½ cup pearl barley 
• 1 ½ tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp dried Parsley
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 8 cups Vegetable Broth (don't do less - I tried and it needed the full amount)
• ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice 

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté until soft and beginning to caramelize, 7–10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1–2 minutes.
2. Add lentils and barley, cumin, parsley, bay leaf, vegetable broth and cilantro. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until barley is soft, about 60 minutes (or less - it was good at 45 minutes, and it was burning on the bottom).
3. Remove from heat, discard bay leaf and finish with lemon juice.

 

 

white bean vegetable soup

 Isn't it great when you have all the ingredients for what you're craving?  Score!  Celery to use up, an onion about to turn, canned tomatoes I need to start using, a tub of "baby" greens to start working on. Idea from here. 

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 carrots, chopped
• 2-3 celery stalks, chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp thyme
• fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried
• 1 jar of canned tomatoes
• 2 jars of white beans or cooked equivalent - if from a can, rinse and drain
• 2-4 cups broth 
  
• salt & pepper
• bay leaf
• a few handfuls of chopped greens 
  
• parmesan
• parsley (optional)
  

Process

• Heat olive oil, saute onion, carrot, celery for several minutes until softened.
• Add garlic a minute, then add herbs.
• When aromatic, add tomatoes and beans.
• Add broth (less if tomatoes with juice, less if bean liquid included).  
• Cook about 20 minutes.
• Stir in the greens and cook a couple of minutes.
• Stir in parmesan.
  
• Top with parsley if desired.
  
• Add
  

farro white beans roasted and green vegetables salad

I just made a huge salad based on this, with a lot of modification, and it's very good.  And it's really huge so I'll be sharing a lot.  I'll eat it for breakfast throughout the week.  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup farro, cooked
• 2 large carrots cut into matchsticks
• 2 large leeks in1/4" slices 
• crushed red peppers
• olive oil
• small head radicchio, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper chopped (I used roasted red pepper)
• 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (I used sundried tomatoes, maybe 1/4 cup)
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• fresh parsley
• fresh thyme (or dried)
• juice of 1 lemon  
• salt and pepper
  
• 3 cup salad greens (I used erba stella)
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta 
• nuts for serving 
  

Cook farro.  Toss carrots and leeks with 1 T oil and some red peppers, roast at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. 

Into large bowl: radicchio, pepper, tomatoes, beans.  Add roasted vegetable and farro.

Into small bowl: lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, thyme.  Stir into vegetables.  Add greens and cheese. 

I sprinkled with some pistachios, will also be good with chopped almonds or pecans.

carrot and apple muffins

 These carrot and apple muffins would probably also be great with zucchini or other vegetables/fruits.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup nuts or dried fruit
• 1/4 cup (coconut) oil
• 1 1/4 cups (white) whole wheat flour
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup grated carrot (about 1 large carrot)
• 3/4 cup grated apple (1 small apple will be more than enough; no need to peel it)
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt at room temperature
• 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Instructions

- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 baking cups with paper liners or lightly coat with nonstick spray. Set aside. If using nuts for the mix-ins, toast them in the oven now: Spread the nuts into an even layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 12 minutes (for pecan or walnut halves), until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer the nuts immediately to a cutting board; roughly chop and set aside. 

- If using coconut oil: Place the coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave just until melted (about 30 seconds on high). Set aside to cool to room temperature.

- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Add the grated carrot and apple and fold to combine.

- To the bowl with the oil, add the eggs, Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. If the coconut oil resolidifies, warm it in the microwave in 15-second bursts, and stop as soon as you can stir the mixture back together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the nuts or any other mix-ins.

- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.  Place the pan on a wire rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 4 minutes. Gently transfer the muffins to the rack to finish cooling completely.

pickled carrots

 I took the recipe from pickled carrots from here (adding bay leaf) and here but I think I should be able to figure it out in the future without dirtying every bowl and pan in my house.  I cleared my garden beds to move them to the backyard - they were always just intended to be temporary (I reused old fence boards with planter blocks) and they look awful in the front yard.  Now that my driveway is finally fixed I can fix the landscaping in the area so to the back these go, where I don't care if they look bad because they produce nourishment.  If I can get them set up next weekend in backyard I'll plant anther run of beets, daikon, and carrots, but mostly I'm getting these deeper beds prepped for sweet potatoes. Anyway, I had about 4# of carrots so I made a batch of pickled carrots with about 2.75# (the amounts worked out well - I did three pint jars and two random small pickle jars) and the rest of the carrots (and daikon) will go into sauerkraut I'll make next weekend with cabbage from the garden.

Ingredients

    ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
    2 cups white wine vinegar
    2 cups water
    2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
    2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano (or dried oregano)
    ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, lightly crushed
    1 small red onion, peeled and cut into ⅛-inch slices
    2 to 4 jalapeño chiles, quartered (seeded for less heat)
    2¾ pounds carrots, peeled and cut on a bias ½ inch thick
    8 garlic cloves, peeled

    bay leaf (1 per jar)
    4 small dried red chiles (optional)

Directions

   Sterilize jars. In a large, deep pot, add 4 pint jars and their lids. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Use tongs to remove the pint jars and lids from the hot water. Turn the jars upside down onto a kitchen towel to drain.

   Toast cumin seeds.  In a small skillet set over medium-high heat, add the cumin seeds and toast, stirring often, until the seeds are golden and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small plate to cool.

 Make liquid. To a medium saucepan, add the vinegar, water, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the salt, the oregano and crushed peppercorns and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the onion and jalapeños and turn off the heat. - NOTE: since I water bath these and it was kind of a mess and difficult to distribute the spices, next time I'll just add oregano and peppercorns to the jars directly.

 Cook carrots. Bring a large saucepan of water and the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add the carrots and simmer until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain the carrots in a colander and immediately transfer them to the saucepan with the vinegar and onions. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then turn off the heat.
 

Jar it up. Divide the toasted cumin seeds, bay leaves, garlic cloves, and red chiles (if using) among the 4 jars. Using a slotted spoon, divide the carrots and onions among the jars. Top with the hot vinegar, leaving ½ inch of headspace at the top of the jar. Fasten the tops onto the jars and refrigerate for up to 1 month. 

 Water bath carrots. For longer storage, hot-water-process the pickles: Transfer the jars back to a pot of water, making sure the lids are tightly secured and that the jars are covered by at least a few inches of water, and boil for 10 minutes. Use tongs to transfer the jars to a kitchen-towel-lined surface and cool completely at room temperature. Store in a cool, dry, dark space.

Moroccan carrots

  From here.  Note: with this amount of dressing and herbs, I increased the carrots to all that I had (about 1 3/4#).  I really enjoyed this dish.

Ingredients

• 1 pound peeled carrots
• 1⁄4 cup oil
• 1⁄4 cup lemon juice
• 1/8 cup freshly crushed garlic (about 8 cloves)
• 1⁄4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1⁄4 cup chopped parsley
• 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of black pepper

Preparation

1. Simmer carrots for 10 minutes. Drain, cool, and slice into 1⁄2 inch coins. (Note: I had the water boiling before putting the carrots in, and I really liked their texture at 10 minutes.)

2. In a small bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients and then pour dressing over carrots. 

Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.  (I like this at room temperature)

farmers market breakfast bread

This is pretty tasty!

Farmers Market Breakfast Bread

Makes 1 (9-inch) loaf

Prep time 15 minutes

Cook time 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (120 grams)
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• spices (cinnamon, cardamom, etc.
• 1/2 cup sugar (or less)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons oil (plus for pan)
• 1/2 cup whole-milk plain yogurt
• 2 cups shredded vegetables (one or combo - beets, carrots, summer squash)  - I made it with an apple and a couple of carrots; may try some sauerkraut next time.
  

Instructions

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Generously coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil; set aside.

2. Whisk the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

3. Whisk the sugar and eggs together in a large bowl until pale and shiny, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the oil and yogurt. Pour in the flour mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the vegetables, stirring just enough to distribute vegetables evenly throughout.

4. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan. Pick up the pan and gently tap it on the counter three times to dislodge any bubbles. Bake until the top is golden-brown, the bread is pulling away from the sides, and a tester inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 60 to 70 minutes.

5. Let the bread cool in the pan 20 minutes. Flip the bread out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

red flannel hash

From a Facebook group, which I plan to try:

Boiled potatoes, beets, and carrots leftovers from a boiled dinner perhaps. Just a bit of turnip if you please, and a diced raw onion.

Grease a cast iron skillet with several pieces of salt pork. Drop the vegetables into the hot pan and with a biscuit cutter or a soup can (top and bottom removed) cut, dice the vegetables until all that's left is this uniform rich red panful of tiny pieces of unidentifiable stuff.

Serve it like home fries with eggs and such. Or make a side dish for a meat and greens meal.

Spectacular, sweet and bold adventure.

garbanzo cabbage peanut salad

This is pretty tasty!  From here.

Mix dressing in a large bowl:
2 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp sambal oelek or sriracha
1 Tbsp fish sauce (up to, optional; I couldn't find mine so used some oyster sauce)
1 tsp soy sauce (up to, optional, if it could use some more salt)
salt, pepper
honey or maple syrup to taste
water

Whisk together and add water for the right texture.  Taste and adjust.

Then add in:
a jar of chickpeas, drained
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 red cabbage, chopped finely

Top with
chopped peanuts
cilantro
green onions

roasted carrots with chervil

My local farmer usually sells the carrots quite small, which is perfect for this.  From here.

Chervil Carrots

serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound/454 grams Chantenay carrots
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil, divided (substitute parsley if chervil is unavailable)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F/205 degrees C.


2. Toss the carrots with the olive oil, 1 tablespoon chervil, and salt and pepper. Be somewhat liberal with the salt, to counteract the sweetness in the carrots. Spread the dressed carrots on a baking sheet, and roast for 20 minutes.


3. While still hot, toss with the remaining tablespoon of chervil, the butter, and a bit more salt and pepper. Serve!

carrot top pesto

It delights me to use up every little bit of the fabulous locally grown produce that I get almost every week.  

I made another version of this carrot top pesto but it was too lemony.  This one though was very lovely, probably due to parmesan and pine nuts. 

It doesn't make a huge amount so needn't be frozen so no need to worry about the cheese in it. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups carrot tops, chopped (I used from 1 bunch)
• ⅓ cup pine nuts (roast at 350 degrees for 7-11 minutes, stirring occasionally)
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Add carrot tops, pine nuts, and garlic cloves to food processor and pulse until chopped. Slowly add in oil and continue pulsing until well combined, but not smooth.
2. Add parmesan, salt, and pepper and pulse a few more times until combined.
3. Use as a sauce with your favorite pasta, vegetables, meat, seafood, or dip.  Stores about a week in fridge.

savory cabbage pancakes

I love cabbage.  I eat it so many different ways and I am always happy because it's such a fantastic vegetable.  While I've had some misses with other foods, things I've made that I didn't really want to finish up, I can't think of a single time that has happened to me with cabbage. 

I got a beautiful head of locally grown cabbage yesterday which meant I needed to use up the old cabbage in my crisper drawer.  Because one of the things that I love about cabbage is that I can store it for a long time - use half for something and then wait even weeks to use up the other half.

I've been eating zucchini and scrambled eggs for breakfast and I'm liking starting my day with vegetables, so I was thinking of some kind of cabbage pancake when I came across this from Budget Bytes.

Oh. My. Goodness.  These aren't just good, they are FANTASTIC.  My only regret is that the sriracha mayo is so tasty that I want it, but it's so spicy that it sort of masks some of the other flavors.

I just followed the recipe as it is, so I'll just copy it. (Usually I make some changes based on what I have in my fridge and cupboard, but this was just straightforward and SO GOOD.)  I may sometime do some more research to find more authentic recipes.

Savory Cabbage Pancakes (Okonomiyaki-influenced)

Ingredients
2 extra large eggs
1/2 cup water
1.5 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
3/4 to 1 cup all-purpose flour
4-5 cups shredded green cabbage
1 carrot
3 green onions
2 Tbsp oil for frying

Toppings
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp sriracha
1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 green onions

Instructions

• Remove any wilted leaves from the outside of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Thinly slice or shred half of the cabbage, or until you have 4-5 cups shredded cabbage. Peel the carrot and shred it using a large-holed cheese grater. Slice the green onions.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, soy sauce, and sesame oil until smooth. Begin whisking in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until it forms a thick, smooth batter (about 3/4 to1 cup total flour).
• Add the cabbage, carrots, and green onion to the batter and stir until the vegetables are mixed and everything is evenly coated in batter.
• Heat 1/2 Tbsp oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 3/4 cup of the vegetable and batter mixture. Press it down into the hot skillet to form a circle, about 6 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Place a cover on the skillet to hold in the steam, which will help the cabbage soften as it cooks. Cook the pancake until golden brown on the bottom (3-5 minutes), then flip and cook until golden brown on the second side. Pile the cooked pancakes on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm until ready to eat. Add more oil to the skillet as needed as you cook the pancakes.
• To prepare the sriracha mayo, mix together 1/4 cup mayonnaise and 2 Tbsp sriracha in a small bowl. Drizzle the sriracha mayo over the pancakes just before serving, followed with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onion.

 

fantastic carrot salad

I've been trying to make fantastic carrot salads since I had some great ones in France, and somehow it was never quite just right.  And this one probably is nothing like what I remember, but it was so good that I do not care.  I'm running through foods in the fridge and this used up an orange with a soft spot, some green onions that I caught on sale, chervil looking like bolting, and various such things.

Dressing:
-an orange peeled and sliced into small, juicy pieces
-chervil (all that I had growing, probably only about 2 T chopped)
-salt and pepper
-apple cider vinegar
-olive oil
-a little honey

Add to grated carrots (I put in three but it'd be good with up to five probably) and sliced green onions.

I'm going to go plant more chervil.  So, so good. 

shepherd's pie

Or is it cottage pie?  I'm not sure.  Anyway this shepherd's pie is good with leftover roast.  I made some last week or a couple weeks ago and froze it, and then made this from here. 

It took quite a while; next time I would consider just using frozen vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds cooked beef roast, chopped up
• 2 cups sliced, cooked carrots (I simmered them about 8 minutes)
• 2 cups green beans (I used my other recipe for green beans)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 pounds of potatoes (about 3 to 4 large potatoes)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• (1 cup shredded cheddar) - I don't use

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Grease a baking dish and add the beef in an even layer.
3. Cover with the carrots, then the green beans.
4. Set aside.
5. Melt the 1/4 cup butter in a heavy frying pan.
6. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly until it is a golden color, about 2 minutes.
7. Whisk in the milk and simmer until the gravy is smooth and thick.
8. Pour over the meat and vegetables.
9. Set aside.
10. Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks.
11. Boil them in salted water until they are very tender.
12. Mash them with the 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup butter.
13. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
14. Spoon over the meat and vegetables and sprinkle the cheddar over the top.
15. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the cheese it bubbly and the dish is heated all the way through.

minestrone with kale

This recipe for minestrone with kale is from the Weight Watchers website (minor modifications made).  It is super yummy!!

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 carrots, chopped

2+ cups kale (I used almost a whole bunch from the supermarket)

2 leeks, washed and chopped

2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick

28 oz canned crushed tomatoes with basil

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

salt

pepper

4 cup broth (vegetable or chicken)

15 oz can white beans (such as Great Northern)

1 cup cooked whole wheat pasta, such as orzo

grated parmesan

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots; sauté over high heat until onion is transparent, about 7 minutes. Add kale and leeks; sauté until wilted, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add zucchini, diced tomatoes, broth, herbs and beans. Simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in cooked orzo, salt and pepper.
• To serve, pour into bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Yields about 1 cup of soup and 1 1/2 tablespoons of cheese per serving.

chicken soup to cure malaria

Well, that's the hope.

Stock:
chicken carcass, most good meat removed
2 small onions, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
(celery would be great but there's none here; would have put in celery seed if I could find it)
(I threw in 5 small very hot peppers. Next time I'd try it with 1-2.)
Herbes de provence (about 1 T)
basil (about 1 T)
salt
pepper

Boil that all for a few hours, until it tastes like chicken stock. Then drain it, pick meat off the bones, and discard the solids.

Soup:
Take the broth and add:
5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
seasoning to taste (more pepper and salt)
chopped chicken meat

Cook until carrots are soft (about half an hour).

Add frozen vegetables (I put in peas, beans, and broccoli) and egg noodles, cooking 8 minutes until noodles are tender.

(It's better to cook the noodles separately, otherwise they get too mushy with reheating. But I really didn't want to wash another pot.)

Carrot, Cucumber, Onion Salad with Lime Dressing

from Aarti!

1 c grated carrots
1 cucumber, peeled & diced
1/4 onion, minced
1/4 green pepper, diced
4 T lime juice
1 tsp sugar
salt & pepper to taste
chopped fresh cilantro
chopped peanuts to garnish (optional)

Add carrots, cucumber, onions, and pepper to bowl.

In another bowl mix together the lime juice, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Add vegetables and toss. Garnish with chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro.

roast in a crockpot

(Yeah, the meat is there, hidden under the mushrooms.)

(When first cooked, it was fall apart tender. A night in the 'fridge firmed it right up [above].)



*roast (I used sirloin tri tip because it was on sale; I read chuck is good); mine was about 2.5 pounds (can use larger)
*vegetables (I used: 4 carrots, 1 onion, 2 stalks celery, 7 cloves garlic, 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms) (potatoes would also be good, or other sturdy vegetables)
*liquid (I used 1 c tomato juice and 1 c chicken stock from freezer, then added probably two more cups of water and a vegetable bouillon cube - and that was TOO MUCH LIQUID)
*herbs/spices (salt, pepper, bay leaves, oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme - or whatever you like!)

***
Sear the roast. Heat up a pan to pretty high heat with a high heat point oil such as peanut oil. Roll the roast in flour and kosher salt & freshly ground pepper. Place roast in heated oil until you can smell it browned, then turn over and repeat for all sides.

While searing, chop vegetables in chunks (I usually chop quite finely, but I leave in larger chunks for the crockpot - so they don't lose all shape). Place in bottom of crockpot. However, don't put in more delicate ones - the mushrooms I added later.

Place seared roast on top of vegetables.

Deglaze pan. Pour some of the liquid into the hot pan and use it to scrape up the flavorful bits from the bottom (the "fond"). I then added all liquid to heat to boiling to speed along the cooking process.

Pour heated liquid into crock and add herbs/spices.

Cook on low for about 5 hours (meat thermometer about 160 degrees for medium). (see below)

Add mushrooms and other delicates the last hour or so.

****
I'm on a big marjoram kick lately and think I should probably get a plant. I find it blends so well with so many things. I also am liking thyme, and still have some fresh sprigs so tossed those in.

For liquid, a lot of people use wine but I really do not like the taste of meat cooked in wine. Blech. And yes, I've tried a variety of wines and I always feel like I've just wasted perfectly good food by doing that. I also am not loving Worcestershire sauce, though that could be a nice addition. I think that most people would not put tomato sauce/juice/paste into a roast, but I like the mild acid and the flavor richness it adds (and if not using it, I would add some apple cider vinegar). Of course a lot of people would throw in onion soup mix and cream of mushroom soup, but I am most assuredly NOT those people. (You will NEVER see me cook with cream of anything soup because they most assuredly taste like crap. Trust me - I grew up in a household that went through cases of the stuff.) I'm trying to wean myself off bouillon, but as far as evils go the one bouillon cube for all that food - I'm not worried.

When I added all that liquid, I erred on the side of caution, and it ended up looking very much like soup. I will probably save the broth to cook rice with because it's very flavorful - but it is A LOT.

When figuring out how to cook a roast (never done it before in my life), I chanced upon a java roast recipe. It sounded intriguing, but my organic fair trade coffee is pretty expensive and I didn't want to waste it - plus, the idea of putting cream cheese into a saturated fat extravaganza of red meat - well, not really my thing. But if I have some extra coffee lying around in the future I might try it.

Regarding time: I guessed I would need more time than I really did. My roast was pretty small and my crockpot runs hot and I started it with boiling liquid - but when I checked it at 5 1/2 hours, the meat was well over 200 degrees. The vegetables were great texture then, carrots still a little firm. Didn't add mushrooms at end - will saute them tomorrow to accompany.

It turned out very tender, but a little on the dry side (probably because it was quite lean).

Would be awesome with mashed potatoes & gravy! Would also be good with a green salad or something fresh to balance this long-cooked food. I wanted to accompany it with roasted beets and sweet potatoes, but with the timing so off those will be dessert.

Yeah, since I didn't add the mushrooms to the roast because it cooked a lot faster than I expected, the next day I sauteed them and and then added some broth and let them cook down. YUM!!