Here's a simple and delicious recipe for a pot roast in a crockpot:

 

Ingredients:

- 3-4 pounds (1.4-1.8 kg) beef chuck roast

- 1 onion, sliced

- 4-5 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

- 3-4 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

- 3 cloves of garlic, minced

- 2 cups (480 ml) beef broth

- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce

- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste

- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) balsamic vinegar

- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried thyme

- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried rosemary

- Salt and pepper to taste

- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Season the beef chuck roast generously with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until browned. This helps seal in the flavors.

3. Transfer the roast to the crockpot.

4. In the same skillet, add the sliced onions and minced garlic. Sauté until the onions are softened and translucent.

5. Add the sautéed onions and garlic to the crockpot, placing them on top of the roast.

6. In a bowl, mix together the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. Pour this mixture over the roast.

7. Add the carrots and potatoes to the crockpot, arranging them around the roast.

8. Cover the crockpot and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or on high heat for 4-6 hours, or until the meat is tender and easily shreds with a fork.

9. Once cooked, remove the roast and let it rest for a few minutes. Slice it against the grain into thick slices.

10. Serve the sliced roast with the vegetables and drizzle some of the cooking liquid over the top as a flavorful gravy.

Enjoy your delicious pot roast!

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Hot-and-Sour Peanutty Noodles With Bok Choy

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz whole-wheat spaghetti
• 2 1/4 teaspoons tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon canola or sunflower oil
• 1 large shallot, sliced
• 1 piece (about 1 inch) ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 lb baby bok choy, leaves and stems separated, roughly chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable stock or water
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

PREPARATION

1. Cook pasta as directed on package with 2 tsp salt until just tender. Drain and rinse pasta with cool water. In a large nonstick skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Cook shallot and ginger, stirring, until just brown, 1 minute. Add bok choy stems, bell pepper and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until peppers are crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer contents of skillet to a plate. To same skillet, add bok choy leaves, stock, soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar. Cook, stirring, until leaves are soft and bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Add bell pepper mixture, pasta, peanuts and pepper flakes to pan. Toss to combine; serve.

The skinny

408 calories per serving, 17 g fat (2 g saturated), 55 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 16 g protein

*Recipe and photo from Self Magazine

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Roasted Beet and Winter Squash Salad With Walnuts

2 pounds kabocha or butternut squash

1 bunch beets, with greens

2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 small garlic clove, minced or put through a press

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons walnut oil

3 tablespoons chopped walnuts (about 1 1/2 ounces)

2 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, mint, tarragon, chives 

1. Roast the beets. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the greens off of the beets, leaving about 1/2 inch of the stems attached. Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish or ovenproof casserole. Add about 1/4 inch water to the dish. Cover tightly with a lid or foil, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the beets are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. If not using right away, refrigerate in a covered bowl.

2. Line another roasting pan with foil or parchment and brush with olive oil. Peel the squash and cut in 1/2-inch thick slices. Toss with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and salt to taste and place on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until lightly browned and tender. You can do this at the same time that you roast the beets, but watch carefully if you need to put the baking sheet on a lower shelf. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem and wash the greens. Add salt to the water, and blanch the greens for 1 minute or until tender. Transfer the greens to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out the water. Chop coarsely. 

4. Mix together the vinegars, garlic, salt, pepper, the remaining olive oil and the walnut oil. When the beets are cool enough to handle, trim the ends off, slip off their skins, cut in half, then slice into half-moon shapes. Toss with half the salad dressing. In a separate bowl, toss the roasted squash with the remaining dressing. 

5. Place the greens on a platter, leaving a space in the middle. Arrange the beets and squash in alternating rows in the middle of the platter. Sprinkle on the fresh herbs and the walnuts. If desired, sprinkle on crumbled feta. Serve. 

Yield: 6 servings.

Advance preparation: Roasted beets and squash will keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Cooked beet greens will keep for about 3 days, and can be reheated. The salad will hold in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, but it’s prettiest when served right away.

Nutritional information per serving (6 servings): 248 calories; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 26 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 88 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 4 grams protein 

Martha Rose Shulman is the author of “The Very Best of Recipes for Health.”

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ORIENTAL MUSSELS RECIPE

Ingredients: 1 kg. fresh cleaned mussels, 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, 1 tsp. chopped garlic, 1 tsp. finely chopped ginger, 1 cup sliced celery, 1 Tbsp. chopped onion, 1/3 cup diced multicolor peppers, 1/3 cup diced tomatoes, 1 Tbsp. sliced scallions, 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce, 1/2 cup chicken soup base, 1 tsp. chopped cilantro, 50 ml. white wine.

Recipe: Heat the oil in a large skillet over high temperature and saute the garlic, onion, ginger and diced vegetables for 3-4 minutes. Add the mussels and when they start opening, deglaze with the white wine. Add the chicken base and oyster sauce two minutes later and cook for another 3-4 minutes to reduce the sauce. At the end remove any unopened mussels and add the fresh cilantro. Serve the oriental mussels in a bowl and pour the sauce over them. Pin It Now!

Lime and Honey Glazed Salmon with Warm Black Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 English (seedless) cucumber
• 2 small plum tomatoes
• 1 shallot or 1/4 red onion, finely chopped, divided
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus a drizzle
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
• Seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay brand

Preparation

On a cutting board, dice the cucumber into quarter-inch pieces – to peel or not to peel is up to you. Seed and dice the tomatoes into quarter-inch pieces. Combine the cucumber, tomatoes and half of the shallot or red onion in a bowl and reserve.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, sugar and white wine vinegar and the remaining half of the shallots. Stream in the EVOO while continuing to whisk. Stir in the dill and season the dressing with salt and pepper, to taste.

Season the salmon with seafood seasoning and a little black pepper. Heat a nonstick skillet with a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Place the salmon rounded side down and cook until golden and a little crispy at the edges, 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 minutes more for a pink center, or 4 minutes for opaque fish.
Transfer the salmon to dinner or serving plates; top with the cucumber-tomato relish and cover with a liberal amount of dill dressing. Pin It Now!

Skillet Kielbasa Sausage & Cabbage

Skillet Kielbasa Sausage & Cabbage

pack of kielbasa sausage
1 head of green cabbage
1 clove garlic
1 white onion
vegetable oil
salt
pepper

Pour vegetable oil into a large frying pan.
Once oil is ready, add sausage to the frying pan. Heat to medium high.
Cook until brown. Do not drain!
Add garlic clove and onion to the drippings cook until somewhat soft.
Cut the cabbage into slices 2 inches thick and stir into sausage.
Salt and pepper to taste.
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Mediterranean Bean and Bacon Soup

Ingredients

3 tablespoons EVOO, plus more for drizzling
5 ounces pancetta, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 to 3 small stalks celery, finely diced
2 medium carrots, finely diced
1 large fresh bay leaf
1 onion, finely diced
Herb bundle of fresh parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme tied with kitchen string
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups chicken stock
Two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans
1 small bunch Tuscan kale, stems and ribs removed and leaves finely shredded or chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 rind from a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano
Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

Heat the EVOO in a Dutch oven or medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crisp. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, bay leaf, onions and herb bundle and season with a little salt and more pepper. Cook until soft, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Deglaze with the wine, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Stir for 1 minute more. Add the stock and bring to a low boil.

Add a few ladles of the soup to a food processor along with 1 can of beans and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the soup and stir to combine. Add the remaining can of beans and the kale and cook until the kale is wilted. Season with a hint of nutmeg. Add the cheese rind and simmer for 15 minutes at a low bubble to let the flavors combine. Adjust the seasonings.

Remove the cheese rind, herb bundle and bay leaf from the soup. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and top with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and a drizzle of EVOO. Serve with bread for mopping.

Cook's Note: The soup can be covered and refrigerated for a make-ahead meal. Reheat over medium heat, partially covered. Add about 1 cup water if the soup becomes too thick to ladle.

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