Snowy Day Pot Roast and Brownies!! Ultimate Comfort Food.

So yesterday was a snow day here in the DC area.  The hubby and I were as excited as school children!  Everyone, kids and adults alike, got a snow day.  You know what that means????  Time to cook some comfort food and pot roast and brownies definitely fit that bill.

We do not have pot roast often in our house, since my husband prefers foods that are not all cooked in one pot.  For this reason I make him pan roasted potatoes on the side, this way he has something that is not soft and slow cooked.  I personally like buttered noodles with mine...any excuse to eat pasta! 

Since all the stores in the area were closed, it is a very good thing that I happened to have a chuck roast in my fridge and I always have ingredients to make brownies or cookies in the house.  I don't generally buy cookies or goodies.  My deal with myself is, if I want them bad enough, I have to make them myself.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, that is never a problem.  If you too are in the mood for some simple soul warming comfort foods, look no further!






   





Chewy Brownies

1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder (you could use regular if you wanted also)
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (again, you could use milk chocolate if you prefer)
1/2 cup butter (salted)
1 1/8 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs at room temp (can be quickly done by putting in warm--not scalding hot water for a minute or 2)
1/2 cup of pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)
13x9 inch pan
cooking spray

Melt butter and chocolate chips together in microwave by doing 30-45 second intervals until it is mostly melted, whisk to combine them.  Be careful not to keep them in the microwave too long; chocolate can seize up very easily.  Whisk sugar, eggs and vanilla into chocolate mixture, set aside.  In a separate medium bowl whisk together flour, salt and cocoa powder.  Slowly stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture until just combined.  Do not over mix or you will not end up with a chewy brownie.  Pour into a pregreased or sprayed 13x9 inch pan.  If desired add the chopped nuts on top.  Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until slightly puffed all over.  They will appear to look sort of spongy and cakey, but they will fall and become chewy as they cool--if you have not overcooked them!  Cool for at least 30 minutes.  YUM!!!


Pot Roast time....

 

 

 

 Nanna's Pot Roast

***Precursor:  This pot roast is more my ode to Nanna, than Nanna's actual recipe,  just putting that out their for my family who may read this and have comments.  Pot roast just reminds me of Nanna because she always made the best!  Unfortunately, I never asked her how she made hers before she passed away, but this is how I will imagine her to make it.  So please don't burst my bubble, ok? 

1 decent size chuck roast
1 large onion roughly diced or a few handfuls of pearl onions fresh or frozen if you have them
2 carrots large rough chop
2 celery stalks large rough chop
3 cloves garlic whole, just whacked with the back of a knife to peel off skin
3 thick cut or 6 thin cut strips of bacon
3/4 of a decent quality beer (why, because I drank the other 1/4)
1 cup beef stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
Generous sprinkle of kosher salt and ground black pepper for the roast, and more to taste
4 small sprigs of thyme (if you do not have fresh you can use 1/2 tsp of dried)

Season both sides of the roast liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, set aside.  In a large pot cook bacon just until it begins to crisp and fat is rendered, remove to a plate and set aside keeping pot on stove. Place roast in hot pot with rendered bacon fat and sear for about 2 minutes per side, until nicely browned.  Remove roast to plate with bacon, set aside.  Add the diced onion, carrot, celery and garlic into the hot pot and cook for about 3 minutes.  **Make sure not to allow the bottom of the pan to burn up, if this begins to happen, just pour the beer and liquids in early***  Pour in the beer, beef stock, tomato paste, and worcestershire, stir.  Nestle the roast down into pot with the stock and veggies and top with the thyme sprigs.  Bring to a boil then, cover and turn heat down to low to simmer. After about 2 hours of simmering, stir liquid and taste to check seasoning keeping in mind it will reduce a bit further and flavors will become a bit stronger, if needed salt and pepper to taste (maybe a 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper).  Simmer an additional 1 to 2 hours (so a total of 3 to 4 hours simmer time) or until meat is very tender when pierced with a fork.  If it is not tender, it is not done.  Serve with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles or pan browns (this is my family's way of saying roasted potatoes). Quick pan brown recipe follows. 
 
Garlic Parmesan Pan Browns (only pictured on plate with next to carrots)

6 large yukon gold or red skinned potatoes medium diced
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic finely minced
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Toss all ingredients together and dump out onto a cookie sheet.  Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked though.

Valentines Day

 

 
 
So Valentines day is around the corner.  We celebrated early this year in our house due to an upcoming business trip, which worked out ok, turns out, so I can share the menu with you. Just in the event that you left everything until the last minute and you need some ideas. :)  Even if you are spending Valentines solo, there is no reason why you can not treat yourself to a good meal. 

I kept the table pretty simple with a few candles and some dried pomegranates that I already had.  Then I made it special by placing a photo of my husband and I on our wedding day on the table, it looks really cute if you have a nice frame and it gives you something to laugh and reminisce about.  Decorate with what you have laying around, and use candles.  If you have nothing else a simple table cloth, a candle, and some low lights will give you the feel that you are in a cute little restaurant.  Make sure you set the table ahead of time, that way you are not scrambling at the last minute to get it done.

On the menu is baked shrimp scampi with warm crusty baguette and a salad, followed by homemade tiramisu and chocolates.  You could quite easily make some angel hair pasta to go with this as well, this recipe makes plenty of garlic butter sauce to pour over.  This shrimp scampi is the same way they serve it in all the restaurants in France and Belgium.  You will think you have died and gone to heaven.  Drop your diet for the night.  You can start again in the morning.  And I promise to post some light recipes soon!
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
                                   
 


















Tiramisu
 
1  8 oz package of mascarpone cheese
1/2 of an 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of whipping cream very cold (chill bowl and beaters or whisk in freezer for 15 minutes)
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups of strong coffee, with 1 tablespoon sugar, cooled
6 oz of fresh lady fingers from bakery section of supermarket or the crunchy ones from the international section of your grocery store (either works)
1/8 cup of cocoa powder for dusting the top
heart or other cut out for stencil from scrap paper (if you wish)
medium sized trifle mold or medium glass pie dish

Beat cream in chilled bowl with chilled beaters or whisk until fluffy, do not over beat or you will make butter!  Set aside.  Beat egg yolks and sugar together until smooth, pale and ribbons form when beater or whisk is lifted from mixture.  Beat in cream cheese, mascarpone and vanilla.  Gently fold in whipping cream.  In the glass dish that you are making the tiramisu, place a single layer of lady fingers covering the entire bottom, then slowly pour the coffee over the fingers until soaked through.  You can tell they are soaked through when they just begin to slow at absorbing the coffee.  If there is any that does not absorb, tilt the dish and turn until it flows around and gets absorbed.  Then, layer half of the marscapone mixture over, covering the lady fingers completely.  Layer one more layer of lady fingers and pour more coffee over them, again slowly (you may not use all of the coffee).  Layer last layer of marscapone cream, cover and place in fridge for at least 3 hours, up to overnight (may be made the night before you plan to eat it).  Once the tiramisu has chilled thoroughly, remove plastic wrap and place stencil where you want it.  Dust on cocoa powder through fine mesh sieve or powdered sugar shaker.  Carefully remove stencil.  Serve.
 

 

 
 

 

 

 

Baked Shrimp Scampi

1 to 1 1/2 pounds of large shrimp, deveined
5 tablespoons of butter cut into pats
4 large or 8 small cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 lemon, 1/2 zested and then cut into wedges
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, optional
Baguette and/or  1/2 pound of cooked angel hair to serve
medium sized glass baking dish

Preheat oven to 550 degrees or as hot as yours will go, but not above 550.  Butterfly shrimp by slitting just enough so they will lay more flat in baking dish (see picture above).  In a medium sized baking dish place garlic on bottom.  Add shrimp with the cut side down so they lay semi flat.  Sprinkle over salt, pepper and lemon zest.  Place pats of butter on top. Place in oven for 10 minutes or until all shrimp are pink and butter is completely melted and bubbling.  Top with parsley, serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top and crusty bread or angel hair and a simple green salad. Voila!