My Favorite Time of Year

Hello everyone! I can't believe I am finally doing this...starting a blog. It's been a long time coming, and I am so excited to finally get started. I am doing this for a multitude of reasons. First, my sweet family lives far far away in a land I used to know called Louisiana :-), and I don't get to see them as much as I'd like to. This will be a great way to update them on what's going on with us. Secondly, I have been blessed beyond measure by a few of those who have chosen to reveal their life stories through the computer screen. Instead of continuing to receive blessings from others, I thought it was time to be a giver instead. Another reason is that my sweet, loving mom always asks for my recipes. I've emailed her these recipes already, but she can't "put her hands on" them, so I thought this would be a good solution :-) {I love you Mom!}.

Ok, enough clarification. Tonight, to celebrate the beginning of my favorite time of year, I am cooking my husband's favorite meal - pot roast. Pot roast is simple, satisfying, easy to make, and best of all something you can always count on. Chop a few vegetables, brown your meat, add some liquid, put it in the oven, and three hours later you and your family can enjoy comfort food at its finest.

Here's how I make my version.

Here's what you'll need. Chuck roast, onions, garlic, cremini mushrooms*, beef broth, red wine (pinot noir or merlot), and fresh rosemary (optional).

*Note - Cremini mushrooms are baby portabello mushrooms. They have much more flavor than their white counterpart, so I always use them instead of regular button mushrooms.

You'll also need a Dutch oven. Preheat it to medium/medium-high heat.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Start by patting the meat dry with paper towels. This will ensure that your meat will brown properly in the pan (which also means it will have much more flavor)!

Next, insert your knife about 1/2 inch deep into the meat (make sure you don't go all the way through the bottom)! This is where we are going to add extra flavor.

Separate about 6 garlic cloves from the bulb and smash them with your chef's knife.

Peel off the skin. Set 4 of the cloves aside for later.

Slice 2 cloves small enough so that it will fit into the holes you made in the meat.

Press garlic into holes.

Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Pour about 2 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of your Dutch oven. Add meat to the pan. Leave the meat alone! Don't move it around or else it won't brown properly.

While that is happening, begin prepping your vegetables. First, brush the tops of your mushrooms with a damp paper towel. NEVER NEVER NEVER run your mushrooms under water. Mushrooms are like sponges. They absorb everything you put in them. If you run them under water they will become rubbery. All you need to do is wipe any visible dirt off with a damp rag or paper towel.

After you've cleaned your mushrooms, take off the stems (they tend to be fibrous).

Slice your mushrooms about 1/2 inch thick. They cook down a lot when they are in the oven, and I really like to be able to tell what they are when the roast is finished cooking.

Next, slice both ends off of your onions.

Then place the onion on the flat edge you've created and slice in half.

Slice the onion about as thick as you sliced the mushrooms. They will look like half-moons when you've finished.

Next, roughly chop up the reserved garlic.

When it is brown on all sides (be sure to brown the sides of the meat as well), remove it from the pan and set aside.

This is where all the flavor is! The bottom of your pan should look like this.

Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan. Add salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Saute' until they look like this.

Then add in garlic and saute' for one minute

Measure out 2 cups of red wine and two cups of lower sodium beef broth (so you can control the amount of salt in your food).

Add in the red wine. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and let boil for one minute.

Add in beef broth. Stir together.

Place meat back into the pan. Be sure to add in the juices that collected at the bottom of the plate!

Layer onions and juices on top of the meat.

Add in the rosemary sprig.

Put the lid on your Dutch oven and place in preheated oven for 3 hours. Half way through the cooking time flip the meat over in the pan and replace the lid. Continue to cook for the remainder of the 3 hours.

After 3 hours, this is what you'll have!*

*Note: You'll probably have more juice than this (which is good). I forgot that I usually double the liquids, so I was left with just a little bit of gravy. Oops!

Shred the meat with two forks and place on top of rice (recipe follows) or mashed potatoes. Serve with a green salad and some homemade cornbread and enjoy!!

Happy first day of Fall y'all!!!

Pot Roast with Mushrooms and Red Wine Gravy:

1 (4-pound) boneless beef chuck roast

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, sliced

1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered

6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 cups dry red wine

2 cups canned beef broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy 6-quart roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes total cooking time. Transfer the beef to a bowl. Add remaining tablespoon oil to the pan, add the onions and mushrooms – sauté until onions are tender and mushrooms brown, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add the wine and boil 1 minute. Stir in the broth and mushrooms. Return the beef to the pan. Bring the liquids to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven. Braise until the beef is fork-tender, turning the beef over halfway through cooking, about 3 hours.

Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Tent the beef with foil and let stand 15 minutes. Meanwhile, spoon any excess fat off the top of the pan juices. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

I serve over brown rice. Enjoy!!

Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

Original recipe: Giada De Laurentiis

Recipe revised by: Rebecca Gayle