WFD? Perfect Pot Roast

So a weird thing happens to me when I get pregnant.  I go from a veggie loving (I could be a vegetarian, no problem) diner to a ravenous meat eating fiend.

I can't explain it.  But it's one of the ways I know I'm expecting.  And no, I'm not iron deficient.  My nutrients are in check...all is well.  It's just a craving I get.

Like with my first pregnancy....I decided, randomly, that for dinner one night I needed to hit up a Mongolian grill and loaded that to go box up with meat and noodles.  I didn't know I was pregnant at the time, but yeah, I should have known something was up then.

Anyway, this time around, I knew better.  So when I had an insatiable craving for pot roast for WEEKS....I decided maybe it was time to break out the EPT....and you know the rest of the story...

So anyways, POT ROAST!  I craved pot roast in the first trimester.  Mamma needed it bad y'all.  So I made it.... like 8 times.....tweaking it as I go.  I needed it to be perfect pot roast.  Not just any pot roast....perfect pot roast is all that would do.

It's pretty traditional.  Kinda like my mom would make.  But here it is.  My perfect pot roast... :)



Ali's Perfect Pot Roast

3-5 lb boneless chuck roast
1 Tbsp olive oil
Adam's House Seasoning
2 small onions, cut into wedges
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cups 99% fat free beef broth (low sodium)
1 cup tasty pinot noir (plus a glass for yourself if your not preggo like me)
1 pkt Lipton Onion Soup mix
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 bay leaves
2 tsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1 lb yellow or red baby potatoes, cut in half
2 cups baby carrots
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup 99% fat free beef broth (low sodium)

Trim roast of excess fat.  Season with Adam's.  Heat olive oil in a large pan over med-high.  Brown all sides of roast.  Move roast to crock pot.  In pan, saute onions, celery and garlic till slightly softened (couple of minutes).  Add tomato paste and stir.  Add broth, wine and seasonings (Lipton Soup mix through thyme).  Bring to a boil over medium and simmer 5-10 minutes.  Pour over roast in crock pot.  Cook on low for 3 hours.  Add potatoes and carrots.  Cook on high for another 3 hours.  Remove roast and vegetables from crock pot and put in a serving dish.  Combine flour and 1/2 cup broth.  Add to remaining liquid in crock pot and stir to create a gravy.  Pour the gravy through a sieve (if you wish, this is optional) and serve the gravy with your perfect pot roast.

EAT!

Now, here's an option that I thought of just now but I haven't tried so I would be interested to know how it works.  My mother in law likes her pot roast with a little kick and it's good.  Try adding some jarred spicy peppers or pepper juice to the mix.  Just for kick.  And if it works, tell me.  :)

Now we're in the second trimester and the incurable craving for meat has passed and been replaced with the all too familiar sweet tooth.  Cravings second trimester are less sophisticated, and consist mostly of hot chocolate and chocolate covered cherries.  Or anything chocolate...cheesecake....strangely not ice cream.

But I'm only halfway through... there's still time.