Down Home Pot Roast with Broccoli Medley & ...

Pot Roast is one of my husband's favorite foods. This is just the perfect dish for this rainy and damp weather we got today. A comfort food at its best. With its simple, but unique marinade, this roast is quite robust and bursting with flavor. Traditionally, this roast is always served with a creamy and buttery mashed potatoes. But since we've been cutting down on carbohydrates, fat and sugar, I decided to make this with a heavenly sweet potato casserole and a side of crunchy broccoli medley. This meal will definitely take you home and will make you want to snuggle up with your honey right after dinner...hehehe :-)

Ingredients:
2 lb. Roast Beef
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/8 cup Cabernet Vinegar (B.R. Cohn)
1/8 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette with Maple Syrup (Bittersweet Herb Farm)
Olive Oil
Garlic
Salt and Pepper

Gravy:
Juices from the roast
Flour
1 cup Water
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1 Tbsp of Honey
Salt and Pepper

Broccoli Medley:
Broccoli Crowns (1 Large or 2 Small Crowns)
1 cup Carrots, julienne
1 cup Celery, chopped
Onions, chopped
Garlic, minced
Olive Oil
Raspberry Champagne Vinegar (B.R. Cohn)

Directions:
Season beef with salt and pepper. Marinate beef in a cast iron roasting pan with Worcestershire sauce, Cabernet vinegar, balsamic vinaigrette (Maple Syrup flavored) and garlic for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. Remove roast from the marinade. Lightly flour it. Heat frying pan with a little bit of olive oil. Brown roast on all sides. Return roast into the cast iron pan with the marinade sauce. Place roast in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees. Bake for 1 hr and 30 minutes, uncovered. Baste with juices often. When cooked, remove roast from the pan and place it in a carving board. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Save marinade for the gravy.

Place the pot with the marinade/juices on the stove top at medium heat. Meanwhile, add a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch in a cup of cold water. Mix well and add it into the marinade/juices. Add honey. Stir until it thickens. Remove from heat. Strain gravy for a smoother sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.


Broccoli Medley:
In a large pan, heat olive oil. Saute onions and garlic. Toss all the vegetables together. Add a splash of Raspberry Champagne Vinegar. Cook for a few minutes. Since I like my vegetables with a little crunch, I don't overcooked my vegetables. I like to retain its natural color and keep all the vitamins and minerals intact :-)