FAST AND FURIOUS MEAL PREP

by Janis Lane

How do you plan your shopping? Sit down and figure out a week of meals? Grab what’s on sale at the grocery store? Buy a week’s meat and plan the rest around that? At my house we build in left-over meals and give them equal importance to the food at first appearance. After a delicious pot roast, potatoes, carrots, next day is planned a favorite, Pot Roast Soup.

Easy peasy to make when you have the broth, meat and three of the veggies already there.

TONIGHT’S MENU

Leftover Pot Roast Soup
Salad
Corn Bread or Sesame Seed rolls

Leftover Pot Roast Soup
1 – 2 cups cubed pot roast
½ cup cooked or 1 cup fresh cubed potato
½ cup cooked or 1 cup fresh onion, sliced
1 cup carrots, cooked and diced
8 oz can tomatoes diced.
1 cup total fresh or frozen green beans, peas, broccoli bits, corn*
Broth from the previously cooked pot roast plus 1 cube beef bullion
1 cup water, more if you like extra broth.
1 sprig fresh thyme or pinch dried, remove sprig before serving
½ tsp. chopped fresh basil or dash dried, optional

Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat 35 to 45 minutes. Ideally everything in your soup is cooked or fresh, but the flavors need to blend. Stir occasionally.

Do not add water at the last minute. Make that decision at the beginning of your prep.

*Careful not to add too much. Remember - this is a soup, not a stew.

While you wait, use your favorite corn bread recipe and prepare a simple salad.

Quick Salad
Lettuce, Romaine, Buttercrunch, or one of the dark salad greens. Iceberg is okay
Canned peaches or slices of fresh apple/pears/oranges/ avocado/ fresh or canned pineapple
Dollop cream cheese or a small slice cheddar
Sprinkle of nutmeg

Arrange lettuce on a salad plate. Top with fruit. Add the cheese and nutmeg. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dessert
Cookie and one cup of your favorite ice cream

Any pot roast left over? Freeze and serve at a later time over baked potato.

Please allow me to introduce you to my latest cozy mystery, a Detective Kevin Fowler short story, for your reading pleasure.

Can reality be bridged by the distress of an elderly woman?

A handsome new neighbor sneezes when he enters the home of an elderly woman who owns only glass cats.

Is there a romance beginning between both her neighbors?

The death of a greedy, abusive nephew is rendered poetic justice.

Detective Kevin Fowler investigates.


Read more about the cozy mysteries by Janis Lane on Amazon.



Janis Lane is the pen-name for gifted author Emma Lane who writes cozy mysteries as Janis, Regency as Emma, and spicy as Sunny Lane.

She lives in Western New York where winter is snowy, spring arrives with rave reviews, summer days are long and velvet, and fall leaves are riotous in color. At long last she enjoys the perfect bow window for her desk where she is treated to a year-round panoramic view of nature. Her computer opens up a fourth fascinating window to the world. Her patient husband is always available to help with a plot twist and encourage Emma to never quit. Her day job is working with flowers at Herbtique and Plant Nursery, the nursery she and her son own.

Look for information about writing and plants on Emma's new website. Leave a comment or a gardening question and put a smile on Emma's face.

Stay connected to Emma on Facebook and Twitter.

It's Wednesday. So, What's Cooking?

Damned Good Pot Roast and Asian Salad

It’s freezing here in the Midwest. We had two days of Indian Summer and now I’m digging out turtlenecks and checking mittens for mates. The good thing is I can use the oven and not only enjoy the extra warmth, but also the marvelous aromas.

Damned Good Pot Roast
Asian Salad
French Bread
Dry Red Wine – Cabernet Sauvignon

Damned Good Pot Roast
3 – 3 ½ pound boneless chuck roast
1 cup or so of beef broth
1 clove pressed garlic
5 red potatoes quartered
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 medium onion quartered
½ tsp. lemon pepper
15 mini carrots
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. cornstarch
¼ cup beef stock

Preheat the oven to 325°

Combine garlic, oregano, and lemon pepper to form an herb paste. Rub evenly over the meat.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven. When the oil has a film carefully put in the roast and brown on all sides. Add the beef stock until it is half way or so up the meat. Add the onion. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes.

Add the potatoes and carrots. Roast for another 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Remove the meat and vegetables to a serving platter. Keep warm under foil while you prepare the gravy.

Strain the liquid and skim off any fat. Return the liquid to the Dutch oven. Heat on medium. Combine the cornstarch and remaining beef stock. Pour into the simmering liquid. Increase heat and boil the mixture for 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Serve the roast and vegetables with the gravy on the side. The French breads is marvelous for dipping!

This is a perfect leftover for another dinner or lunch. It freezes beautifully.

Asian Salad

Dressing:
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup cider vinegar
¾ cup sugar
1 tbsp. Worcestershire
1/3 cup ketch-up
pinch salt
1 small onion chopped

Beat all the ingredients together well.

Salad:
1 lb. mixed lettuces
3 hard boiled eggs chopped
1 can bean sprouts, drained
½ lb. bacon diced, fried crisp
1 can water chestnuts, drained and sliced

Use a variety of lettuces for more texture and taste. Toss all the ingredients, in a large bowl.

Refrigerate until meal time. Scale this down to the right number of people you plan to serve as it does not last for the next day.

I'll be back Monday with Sara Daniel. Until then...

Enjoy!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page