Puppy Tough Love and Our First Vegan BBQ

Donald is fitting in pretty well at the apartment. Familiarizing himself with our routines and sussing out just how much he can bother the cats before they'll swipe at him. He's also taken the time to figure out where we put our garbage and recycling.

Yeah, I was less than thrilled to come home to the above-pictured destruction. We had to scramble to clean and disinfect the place in time for our first party of the season.

Donald, for his part, quickly recognized that I was displeased with his behavior and made a beeline for his kennel, where he stayed until I was done cleaning. He was the picture of good doggy manners during the BBQ and later on worked his A-game to get back on my good side.

It totally worked. Damn him and his doggy powers...

He's been in the recycling at least once since then and we've consequently moved the bins to the front of the house.

The BBQ was the first fete of the season (thank the good lord for spring!) and after compiling the guest list BHE and I realized that we'd invited mostly vegetarians and vegans. So we decided to try our hand at an all veg-friendly menu:

To Eat:
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Tofurky Beer Brats
Tofurky Kielbasa
Seasoned Grilled "Meatballs" and Potatoes
Arugula Pasta Salad with Roasted Veggies
Apple Crisp

To Drink:
Beer (which, thank god, is always veg-friendly)
Wine
Sage Blackberry Bramble (just muddle some sage before adding the gin)

We also took a crack at black-bean burgers, but they were pretty unforgettable (read: They were that dish the Sugarhill Gang spoke of in "Rapper's Delight").

The Mac and Cheese was a tweaked version of a recipe generously shared by our buddy, Matt (I added several dashes of hot sauce and a tsp or so of mustard powder). Another pal, Mere, lent me her apple crisp recipe:

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Vegan Apple Crisp

4 c apples, sliced and peeled
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c water
Mix together and put in a greased 9" square pan

Mix:
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1/4 c oats

Cut 1/3 c vegan butter (I'm a big fan of Earth Balance) into sugar mixture and sprinkle on top of apples. Bake at 350 for 40 mins.

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The Arugula & Pasta Salad recipe came by way of Ali over at Gimme Some Oven. (Whom you really ought to check out if you haven't already.) Since BHE has a slight nut allergy, I messed around with the pesto a bit and substituted pistachio nuts, which worked out well for us.

Overall, the food was a hit! Particularly the meatballs and potatoes, which I adapted from an old recipe from Food & Wine magazine:

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Grilled "Meatballs" & Potatoes

1 - 2 packages Lightlife Gimme Lean Sausage (ground sausage style), rolled into 1-in meatballs
2 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp caraway seeds
2 tbsp pure chile powder, such as ancho
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs small red and white potatoes, cleaned and quartered

1. Bring a large pot/stock pot of water to a full boil. Add the potatoes to the large stock pot boil for 9 - 11 minutes, until you can pierce a piece of potato with a knife while still meeting some resistance. (You want to parboil the potatoes, not completely cook them.) Drain the potatoes and then rinse them with cold water. Let them cool for several minutes and then set them aside in a large bowl.

Alternatively, you can place the potatoes in a covered dish with a few tbsp of water and microwave it for about 5 minutes.

2. On a cutting board, using the flat side of a chef's knife, mash the garlic and salt to a coarse paste. Add the caraway seeds and finely chop them. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the chile powder and olive oil. Add the meatballs and potatoes and toss to coat. (You may find this easier to do in 2 separate bowls.)

3. Place a grill pan or a bowl fashioned out of heavy duty aluminum foil (that's how we roll) on a heated grill and grill for 10 - 12 minutes, until the potatoes and meatballs begin to char. Serve and wait for people to lavish praise on the chef.

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All told, the vegan theme proved successful. So much so that I'm sending this post over to Chez Cayenne to include in its House Favorites: Vegan collection :)

This weekend BHE and I will be in Philadelphia helping man the Ex-boyfriend Collection tent at the Art Star Craft Bazaar along the waterfront at Penn's Landing Great Plaza.

Seriously, stop by and say hello! We'll go grab a beer and you can say "howdy" to myself, Donald and BHE in person.

Looking forward to seeing you there. Until then, as always - Enjoy!

When Things Aren't What Quite What They Seem

Happy post-Superbowl (with condolences to my fellow Steeler fans out there). BHE is still sulking after the loss, but I find I can't even muster up the anger. Green Bay just plain played better.

Which sucks as I am now responsible for a bet that I made with my BFF, who - in addition to being a very excited Green Bay fan - welcomed the birth of her first child this weekend. Loser has to buy Baby Button (as in "cute as a") the winning team's gear, to be worn next season. Assuming that takes place. Looks I've got some online shopping to take care of...

Funny story: Baby Button came out with a little something extra from the womb. Namely, a penis.

Yup! My goddaughter is actually my godson, which is totally cool by me. Even if this means that I have to take back a few pink items or that his baby blanket is currently embroidered with the name "Mia Grace." I've already promised to teach him about rugby and take him out for his first tattoo, which I'm sure thrilled his mother to no end.

Baby Button, in the (tiniest) flesh.

I can already tell he's a future heart breaker. The kid has dimples for DAYS.

And now, for your recipes..................

For this post I figured I'd throw in some items that, like Baby Button, are not quite what they seem. Little tweaks and such just to change things up a bit.

Except for the creme brulee. That's just a basic. The only thing that may seem different is my thumb, which went numb from trying to work the friggin brulee torch. It was a good hour before I could manage the fine motor skills required to write a text message. Note to readers: When the recipe calls for turbinado sugar, USE TURBINADO SUGAR. I used Cook's Illustrated's recipe for this bad boy, but Alton Brown's version is equally delightful.

The brulees were part of the menu at an annual post-holiday party thrown by a group of grad school friends in the DC area. Last year I was in charge of the entrées, but this year I was put in charge of dessert. In addition to the creme brulee, I also tweaked Paula Deen's recipe to come up with a White Velvet Cake.

(Sorry - I forgot to take a photo before the starving crowds attacked it.)

How do you make a White Velvet Cake you ask? Simply head to the grocery store and promptly forget to pick up red food coloring. Piece of cake! (pun intended)

I usually shy away from Paula's recipes. (I mean how many ways can/should a person incorporate Velveeta into their dish?) But this one was serious winner. The key (I think) is the baking soda and vinegar - the resulting fizz makes the cake extra-light and fluffy.

And finally, the surprise hit of the winter: my Quinoa and Black Bean Burritos!

Potential Vegan Yum!

Simply toast 1 cup quinoa in a mid-sized pot over medium high heat for a few minutes. Add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, and then cover the pot with a lid. Turn down the head to med-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Meanwhile, go ahead and saute some onions/shallots and green peppers (1 each) with 1/2 tsp canola oil. Add one can of black beans (RINSED, please!) and stir to combine. Add the mixture to the finished quinoa.

Add one packet of your fav taco seasoning (or you can make some of your own) and mix to combine. You can add a bit of water, 1 tbsp at a time, if necessary.

Spoon a few tablespoons of the mixture on a flour or corn tortilla. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Attack taco-flavored goodness like a starved wolf or pleasure delay a bit by placing the burrito in a panini press or Foreman grill for 3-5 minutes for some added texture.

As always, Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower and the Raw Food Breakfast of Champions: Or, Way to Go, Momma Mo!

Much congratulations and high-fives are due to my good buddies Maureen and Joe, who - in addition to being just overall awesome individuals - have generated new awesomeness with the birth of their son, Leo. Ha zah!

Leo and his parents are still navigating the new family thing, so Tony, Heather and I decided it'd be a great idea to provide Mom and Dad with some homemade treats for an evening. Heather made a stunning Jambalaya Lentil dish (a recipe I will be poaching at a later date) while I brought a Roasted Cauliflower and White Bean Salad with Orange-Olive Oil Dressing.

Tony did his part and for reasons I have yet to figure out joined Joe in an episode of "Kipper."

Kipper, if you haven't seen it yet, is the latest British import focused on brainwashing your children, much in the same vein as Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine, or those demon-spawned BooBah. Except this time, it's a cute little dog and his equally adorable friends. Parents and their expendable incomes beware!

The other culinary treat to which I've been introduced this week is the Small & Mighty. I'm not much of a breakfast person - unless coffee counts as a meal. I can barely function in the a.m. and I'm usually just not that hungry. So coming across this recipe was a serious find.

It takes all of 30 seconds to put together and depending how you top it, it tastes like peanut butter-banana ice cream. While Katie over at Yes, I Want Cake prefers cinnamon, I've opted for the chocolate syrup route, with plans to explore grape or strawberry jelly in the near future.

Trust me - if you dig cold treats during sweltering heat waves (I'm looking at you, Baltimore...) - or just need something easy to get your through the morning that didn't come in plastic wrap - you'll love this stuff. I'm already hooked!

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The Small & Mighty

(Courtesy of Yes, I Want Cake)

1 frozen banana

1/3 cup raw rolled oats

1 tbsp peanut butter

Optional toppings: chocolate syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon - just go nuts

1. Make life easier on yourself and slice the banana and place it on a baking sheet. Slip the sheet into the freezer and let the pieces harden. (It's easiest to take care of this step the night before.)

2. Place the banana, oats, and peanut butter into a food processor and blend until smooth.

3. Add your toppings of choice and enjoy!

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Roasted Cauliflower and White Bean Salad with Orange Olive Oil Dressing

Courtesy of Herbivoracious.You can check out the recipe on Michael's blog here!

Dark & Stormy Cupcakes: Vegan Version 2.0

Happy Summer Solstice, people! And happy belated Father's Day to all you dads and dads-to-be out there. Here in our little corner of the city, I decided to take a stab at some vegan baking to commemorate another great event: our friend Meredith's birthday.

Meredith, bless her, has been abstaining from both alcohol and baked goods this month, so I decided to let her indulge in both by tweaking the Dark & Stormy cupcake recipe from this month's baby shower. This was followed by a LOT of prosecco and some so-so tapas at 13.5 in Hampden.

(Just a quick note: Egg replacer can seem like a pain to dig up, but any store that carries vegetarian-friendly or gluten-free foods should carry some. I prefer Enger-G myself.)

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Vegan Dark & Stormy Cupcakes
(Adapated from Gosling's Rum)

(NOTE: Go ahead and double the recipe. This version makes approx 8 cupcakes.)

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup ginger beer
1/4 cup Vegan butter (I used Earth Balance), at room temperature
2 tablespoons dark rum (Goslings) or 2 teaspoons rum flavoring
1 1/2 tsp egg substitute, or equivalent amount equal to 1 egg
2 teaspoons ground roasted ginger*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour or line 6 wells in a cupcake pan. In a large bowl, cream together vegan butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg substitute, rum, and ginger beer beat well. Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until the batter is light and fluffy. Fold in the ginger. Fill each well 2/3 of the way. Bake approximately 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the middle cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Frost with dark & stormy frosting and top with a slice of candied ginger.

*McCormick makes it. Look for it in the spice aisle.

I went a little freehand with the frosting. Basically, I took some vegan-friendly vanilla frosting (Cherrybrook Kitchen makes a good-sized jar), and then doctored it with roasted ginger and about 1/4 cup of rum. Then I added vegan butter and powdered sugar, to make it more of a buttercream frosting.Frost the cupcakes after they've cooled completely. Top with some a light dusting of ground ginger and some pieces of candied ginger. Enjoy!

Vegan Mac n Cheese and Some of the Best Freakin Chocolate Available: Plugging other people's cooking for once

Oy! This month of activity has yet to slow down! Between family events, house hunting (we are THISCLOSE to buying a place!), and the like, it seems like we've barely had a second to relax. Of course, all this buzzing about is for good reason, so I really can't complain. Count one's blessings and other such Pollyanna-isms, right?

Any who, this month Tony and I had to do without our 2 closest buddies in the city. Matt & Meredith run an extremely groovy online shop over at http://www.ex-boyfriendcollection.com/, where you can buy some excellent graphic tees, bags, etc. while supporting local animal causes. They are also the authors of the equally groovy ex-boyfriend blog, which you really ought to be following by now.

Anyway, M&M - in addition to being outstanding drinking buddies - are also phenomenal chefs. Vegan chefs, at that. They can do things with rice milk and leeks that would blow your mind. So as an homage to our departed travelers, we decided to make some vegan mac and cheese using a recipe Matt developed.

Now, some of you might remember my failed previous attempt at this dish, but Matt's recipe is pretty awesome and pretty idiot-proof. All you need are a handful of easy-to-find ingredients, a sturdy pot, and the self restraint to keep from sticking your head directly into the finished dish. If you, like me, have more creme brulee ramekins than most French restaurants, then I suggest spooning out some of the finished M&C, sprinkling each ramekin with toasted breadcrumbs, and then giving it a few minutes under the broiler. You won't even know it's vegan. AND it's a tad better for you than regular blue-box brand M&C, as there are no trans fats, cholesterol, or gluten to muck up your system. I'm not posting the recipe just yet (it is Matt's, after all), but I'll be happy to share it per request.


This month I've also been lucky enough to sample some of the OUT OF THIS WORLD goodness that is the Sweeteeth line of chocolate bars out of Charleston, SC. My older sister introduced the family to the confectioner after she won a contest by inventing a plum & mascarpone truffle, which I never got to try (*grumble, grumble*). The store is planning to open an online shop soon - THANK GOD - so in due time you'll be able to munch on the A’Chocolypse (Candied Ginger) or the Cinnapsis (Cinnamon Apple and Candied Pecans - my personal fav) or the Sea is for Caramel (Salted Caramel - excellent for the taunting of loved ones, such as your brother-in-law).


On a recent trip down to Clemson, Tony and I decided to stop in Raleigh to hang with his cousin. Leslie lives and attends school in the area, no too far from her mom, who joined us for dinner. We went to Mez, where Leslie's boyfriend works, to dine on some high end Mexican cuisine. Tony and Leslie had different versions of fish tacos, while I put the hurt on a chille rellenos filled with roasted veggies, raisins, almonds, and cheese. This was followed by a plate of piping hot churros served with an extremely decadent Mexican hot chocolate, which we took turns drinking.


Finally, I haven't really had a chance to post about them in detail, but I've been tweaking a few home recipes using the goodies sent over by innBrooklyn. The roasted red peppers were sauteed with the onions from the pickled cauliflower and then added to some roasted turkey kielbasa. This was served with a side of vegan M&C and some roasted asparagus and sliced beets. Later in the week, we mixed the cauliflower with some diced tomatoes, added some sugar to tone down the acid in the dish, and then added some roasted garlic. After a few minutes, we had a decent topping for some grilled chicken breasts. Oh yeah...


June is just around the corner and I'm already staring down the barrel of a supersaturated calendar: a retirement party in Pittsburgh, a dual-baby shower (which I volunteered to host in a moment of madness), a trip to Atlantic City to watch Conan O'Brien do his thing, closing on a friggin house already, and joining my buddy Indira as we run the 2010 Baltimore 10-miler.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need a second to catch my breath.

Garlic and Herb Poached Chicken and Chocolate Martinis: Quick Eats between Dim Sum and Lebanese Tapas

Man, this cooking thing is tricky to keep up! Don't get me wrong, I love to bake, and I'm learning to love to cook, but it's just too tempting at times when your husband has a per diem where he can bring home dinner at no cost to you.

That said, I've somehow managed to expand my cooking (a little) and made another stab at semi-vegan cuisine. This time I just threw together some quinoa pasta, feta cheese, dill, red pepper flakes, oregano and olive oil along with some Gardein 7-grain Crispy Tenders.

As I mentioned in my last post, Holly from The Healthy Everythingtarian first brought these to my attention. Bless her little heart. These things are PHENOMENAL. They're vegan, but they taste more like chicken than some of the junk I've had from other establishments. Thank you, Holly!

Anywho, throw it all together and you've got yourself an easy meal for one. >

Of course, you need something to wash this little entrée down. Might I recommend a Chocolate Martini?

Just be careful - these things pack quite a wallop.

I also managed to throw together one other dish: Garlic and Herb Poached Children.

Now I don't have much in the way of directions (it was a lot of throwing this n' that together), but I've put a recipe that summarizes the gist of it at the end of this post.

Now, it's not all about chicken and pasta. Tony and I finally made it to our favorite dim sum spot in Silver Spring.

Love of my life. :)

Oriental East is nestled away in a little shopping plaza in Silver Spring, Md. Sunday brunch starts at 11am, which means you need to be in line by 10:30am. If you're not, you're in for one hell of a wait. Granted, it's worth the wait - bbq pork buns, sesame rolls, shrimp and veggie purses - Oh, it's worth the wait.

This week has been pretty laid back. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Tony and I met up with some friends and drank Check beer and Italian Prosecco. Then, in keeping with our theme, we all headed to Mezze for some Lebanese/Mediterranean tapas. Mezze is in the Fell's Point section of Baltimore and though the service left a little to be desired, the food more than made up for it. I enjoyed an aromatic orzo with roasted tomatoes and a lentil and sausage dish. This was followed by a mouth watering - and HUGE - serving of baklava.

From there we just headed home (no need to be out on the roads with the St. Patty's Day revelers leaving the bar), and did some much needed couch searching. Nothing beats a holiday like some QT with your significant other and one of two needy cats.

Say hello to Lina.

Happy belated holidays, y'all! And happy first day of Spring!!

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Crystal Clear Chocolate Martinis

5 oz good quality vodka
2 oz Crème de Cocao

Chocolate to garnish

Simpy mix the ingredients (minus the garnish) together over ice. Strain and pour into a tall martini glass. Garnish with chocolate shavings, straws, or chunks.

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Garlic and Herb Poached Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tbsp butter

3 - 4 tbsp all purpose flour

1 cup + 2 tbsp chicken stock or water

(The rest of these are rough estimates, so feel free to tweak the amounts to suit your taste:)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp sugar

(I also threw in a dash of thyme and basil, but nothing much)

STEP 1: Pat dry the chicken breasts. Season each with salt and pepper.
Dredge the breasts in the flour, being sure to shake off any excess.

STEP 2: Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over med high heat.
Once the butter has melted and has started to bubble, add both breasts to the pan.

Brown the chicken (about 3 minutes on each side).

STEP 3: Add the herbs and seasonings to the chicken broth. After browning
the 2nd side of the chicken, add the broth to the pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer
and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Enjoy!

fter turn

Vegan Mac N Cheese and Pot Roast: Sailing solo in Baltimore and learning the dark side of tofu

The hubby had to work out of town the this week, leaving me to feed and fend for myself for an evening. Now, I'm a grown woman. I've lived and traveled abroad on my own. I can drive s stick shift (albeit poorly). I even have a few Judo lessons under my belt. But take away my husband for an evening and suddenly I can't sleep alone in the bedroom.

It's not romance driving my insomnia so much as total cowardice. When forced to fly solo for a night, Baltimore suddenly seems like the most dangerous city in America. It doesn't help that whenever I mention that I actually live in B'more, most people give pause and then utter, "Have you seen The Wire??" with more than a little concern in their voice.

Given that I had an entire evening to myself (indoors), I decided to try some new recipes. First off: Creamy Vegan Mac n' Cheese. I came across this recipe on Tastespotting.com. I've had all the components of the recipe separately at one time or another (soy milk lattes, NP popcorn and pasta, chick pea salad with tahini dressing, etc.). So, I thought the recipe itself could prove palatable. Besides, I'd get to use my crock pot - yet another in the long line of kitchen appliances I don't use nearly often enough.

The ingredients.

Lina checking out the goods.

An hour and a half later I had my first taste of gluten-free vegan pasta.

It was awful.

I love me some tofu/edamame/vegan cuisine, but lord above I could barely get past the smell of the dish, let alone the taste. I'm not sure if the culinary misfire is my doing (my pasta was made from quinoa and kumquat, and I didn't use the same brand of vegan cream cheese) or just do to the fact that you can't make soy taste like Kraft processed goods, but either way the end product ended up in the garbage. Oh well! Can't win them all. I'm posting the recipe at the end of this entry just in case anyone else would like to have a go at it.

I ate some of my Gourmet Spicy Ramen instead and cleaned out the crock pot for a second attempt at cooking dinner. Since the vegan thing hadn't panned out so well, I went straight to the other end of the chef spectrum and made something a little meatier: Pot Roast with Veggies.

Tony loooooooooves Pot Roast, but given the amount of cooking time required (and the fact that it is a crap-load of red meat), we have it only a few times a year. Plus, I'm forever trying out different versions of the basic roast recipe. (The current family favorite being the Cooks Illustrated March 2002 take on the dish.)

This particular recipe called for 8hrs of low heat stewing. Since I had a sleepless night ahead of me anyway, I just chopped, seasoned, and piled everything into my crock pot and then settled on the couch with the cats.

The goods (Take 2).

Come the next morning, I had a pretty decent dinner ready to go. I let the carafe cool down and then popped the whole thing in the fridge. After I returned from work, I drummed up a quick gravy to go with the dish. The recipe didn't call for butter, but I thought it would be a nice flavor addition that would add some silkiness to the gravy's texture. And I was RIGHT.

While the CI version remains the house favorite, this recipe still turned out a tasty platter. And it makes leftovers for friggin' days.

So what's your biggest culinary misstep? Or, your favorite vegan dish? Feel free to share the recipe~ I'm not giving up on vegan cooking just yet...

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese:

1 8-oz. box gluten-free quinoa elbow pasta (uncooked)

florets from 1 head of broccoli, washed and chopped

2/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons sesame tahini

1/2 cup Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet cream cheese

1 cup unsweetened soy milk

3 tablespoons Earth Balance buttery spread

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 1/2 cups plus 1/2 cup water, divided

Directions:

1. Add all above ingredients (only 1 1/2 cups water) to your slow cooker. Stir and cover. Set on a low setting for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally.

2. After 1 hour has elapsed, add another 1/2 cup water. Stir. After 1 1/2 hours has elapsed, test macaroni for doneness before serving. If needed, you may add an additional 15 minutes to cooking time. Watch closely, though, to make sure pasta does not overcook.

3. If desired, to serve, toast 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes in a saute pan for a few minutes until lightly browned. Sprinkle over individual servings.

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Beef Pot Roast with Veggies

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs beef chuck roast

3 cups beef broth

6 oz tomato paste

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp allspice

1 sprig fresh rosemary (or 1 Tbsp dry)

1 lb carrots

2 small onions

6 small red new potatoes

8 oz. button mushrooms
(I personally cannot stand button mushrooms, so I substituted some baby bellas)

6 cloves garlic

Gravy

2 Tbsp cooking oil

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 cups juice from cooked roast

STEP 1: In your slow cooker, combine the beef broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, paprika, allspice, rosemary and garlic cloves (whole). Stir or whisk until everything is evenly incorporated.

STEP 2: Wash/cut/peel the vegetables (carrots, onions, potatoes, mushrooms). Leave the vegetables in fairly large chunks because they will be cooking for hours and smaller pieces will disintegrate. Put half of the veggies in the slow cooker with the broth.

STEP 3: Place the chuck roast on top of the veggies and broth then top with the second half of the vegetables. Secure the lid on the slow cooker and set to low heat. Let cook on low for 8 hours (perfect for while you are at work -- or skipping on sleep on the couch).

STEP 4: After 8 hours, begin to cook the rice. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and slice or shred the meat (your preference). Remove the vegetables from the broth with a slotted spoon. Either use the remaining liquid as an au jus or continue to the next step to make a beef gravy.

STEP 5: For the gravy, heat 2 Tbsp of cooking oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 Tbsp of all-purpose flour and continue to stir and cook for about 2-3 minutes (this toasts the flour particles and prevents a floury taste). Whisk in 2-3 cups of the juice from the cooked pot roast. Let the mixture simmer until thickened (should only take 1-2 minutes). Pour the gravy over top of the roast and veggies. Serve over noodles or rice.

P.S. A buddy of mine expressed surprise at how long I've been blogging, so for the sake of review, I'm linking to the blog I kept while I lived in New Zealand. Enjoy!