Roast Beef Dinner

I usually do my roasts on Sundays when I have more time. Since this weekend was Labor Day weekend and we got an extra day off, I saved my long cooking time for today rather than yesterday. Yesterday was beautiful, and I was glad I didn't spend too much time in the kitchen. I didn't even bother to go to the grocery store until about 4:30 in the afternoon. I spend most of Sunday sitting in the backyard reading a book. Rare in our busy schedule, so it was most appreciated. Anyway, I picked up a double pack of chuck roast from Costco yesterday. This roast beef recipe is great for cheap cuts of meat like the chuck roast, as the long cooking time allows the meat to become tender. My mom still cooks this all the time, and now I'm cooking it for my family. I kept the seasoning simple since I plan on stretching this for a couple of meals this week, to keep me from cooking everyday. When you have to work a full 8 hour day, believe me, it is a blessing when you can whip something up for dinner quickly. Since I cooked both roasts today, I plan on using the leftovers for maybe tacos or enchiladas later, or maybe we can even have BBQ beef sandwiches one day this week. Here is what was cooking in our kitchen tonight:


ROAST BEEF

1 (or in my case 2) 2-3 lb. Chuck Roast Beef
1 Onion, chopped
4 cloves of Garlic, chopped
4 bay leaves
3 cups of chicken broth (or water)
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 teaspoons Cornstarch (to thicken)

Sear both sides of the beef in a skillet until browned. Transfer to a baking or roasting dish and add the chopped onion, garlic, bay leaves, and salt and pepper. Pour the 3 cups of chicken broth or water, cover with foil, and bake in a 350 degree oven for 2-4 hours, depending on the thickness of the meat and tenderness. Most roasts will probably cook in two hours, but you can't hurt it if you leave it in there longer, it will just make it more tender. Just make sure the liquid doesn't dry out. I put mine it shortly afternoon, and just left it to bake until almost dinner time. About 30 minutes before you plan on taking the roast out, dilute the cornstarch in a bit of water and add to the cooking liquid left in the pan. This will thicken it up, and you have instant gravy.

Tonight I served this with mashed potato, green beans, and fresh corn.

MASHED POTATO

3-4 large Potatoes (depending on how many servings you want)
3 tablespoons of butter or margarine
Milk
Salt & Pepper to taste

Peel and cut the potatoes into quarter or eighth's and boil until tender. Drain the water and add the salt & pepper, butter and about a quarter cup of milk to start with. Mash with a potato masher, adding more milk as needed. You have to eyeball the amount of milk you add, it just depends on you preference, whether you want a softer or stiffer consistency.

GREEN BEANS

1-2 pounds of fresh Green or String Beans
1 clove of garlic, sliced thinly
Olive Oil

String and cut the beans and cook in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain. Saute the garlic in olive oil until fragrant, and return the beans to the pan. Stir, season with salt and pepper to taste.

FRESH CORN OFF THE COB

Fresh corn was on sale at the market the other day, and they have been so sweet this summer the kids can eat them everyday. However, we've had them so much this summer that they are getting tired of eating them on the cob. Sometimes I would cook them whole, and end up taking it off the cob for them at the table anyway. So to save myself the trouble, I just went ahead and took them off the cob before cooking. The girls did help me shuck the corns, so that was good.

4 cups of corn taken off the cob
1/4 cup of water
2 tablespoons of Butter

Cook the corn, water, and butter in a covered pot for 5 minutes and that's it! Don't add too much water so it doesn't get too soggy (I've done that before!). Add just enough water to warm the corn. When they are this fresh, the less cooking you do the better they taste.