Let's get to the Meat & potatoes of it, shall we?

There are a few things that come to mind when I think of fall...and this meal is one of them :-). The ultimate Roast & Veggies. My husband goes crazy when I make this, and if you have men around (neighbors, husbands, friends) you better move away from the food before serving or you will be taken out - quite literally.

So, this is going to seem quite simple...and it is. I could tell you to put in this, or that, or whatever, but the truth of the matter is this is a CLEAN, simple and actually very healthy dinner that ANYONE can make & look like a kitchen veteran. Oh, and your house will smell amazing = bonus!

First thing is first; do not be scared of large pieces of meat. For the longest time I would shutter at the thought of having to do anything with something larger than a chicken breast. It was like WAY too much animal for me. I have gotten past that :-) and you can as well. So, don't be scared - I will walk you through the hard parts (picking it out at the grocery).

So, you are here - at the grocery and there are rows of raw meat staring you down. Which one to pick? Well, that is really preference. I would suggest trying a few different ones. I personally like rump roast (sirloin, which is about 10% fat) or a bottom round (contains about 15% fat). Stay away from anything that has layers of fat around it - we want to keep this healthy!

You will need:
2-3 lb Roast (3 pounds will make about 6 servings)
2 cups Carrots
2 cups Celery
2-4 Large Parsnips
2 cups Sweet Potatoes or red Skins
2 cups Mushrooms (sliced)
2 Large Apples (thick slices)
1 Shallot (rustic diced or large pieces)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Beef Stock - low sodium & fat (large can)
Veggie Stock - low sodium (large can)
Bay Leaves (about 4)
Salt
Pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (probably less)

Turn your electric skillet (yes, you read that correctly) to about 350 degrees (or medium). Get it nice and hot. While that is warming take our meat out. Remove any fat you may see (which you shouldn't as you selected a lean piece, right!?). Just LIGHTLY rub some olive oil & sea salt over the whole thing. You are going to sear the meat in the skillet - seal in all the juices. You don't want it to stick, yet you do not need much oil to prevent that. Start to sear all sides of the roast (leave it on each side for a few minutes). You want it nice and brown.

Once you have all sides of your roast done you will want to pour 1 whole can of low sodium/low fat beef broth over top, filling the skillet. Add in your bay leaves, shallot & garlic. Now let this sit and cook for at least an hour. You will need to add water along the way (2 cups maybe). Keep the meat submerged in liquid - do not let the broth evaporate. Keep the vent on your electric skillet about 1/4 open. Just enough to let out some steam, but keeping the inside like a little sauna. Think of it as a spa day for your beef.

While your meat is cooking clean the veggies. Put them all in one large bowl ready to go. You will want to peal, clean and dice everything. How large you dice them is a personal preference. I like them a bit larger (more rustic), however if you have kids you may want to cut things a little smaller. Try to keep everything about the same size though so it cooks evenly.

As for the veggies, you can NOT have too many. I repeat, you CAN NOT have too many! You just have to add more broth or water to steam. The quantities above are just a gauge. You can certainly add in another cup of carrots if they are a favorite. You will want to select the largest (fattest) parsnips they have. The more the better, people love them. If you aren't familiar with them they look like a white carrot. They have a sweet, yet gingery taste and they are amazing in this dish. DO NOT LEAVE THEM OUT. I prefer to use sweet potatoes & keep this meal 100% a nutritional boost - red skins are my husband’s favorite so I tend to use those half the time. Try it with the sweet potatoes; it really is a better option :-).

You can add your veggies (except the apples) at about 1 - 1.5 hours into the meat cooking. Just open the skillet, and place them all around the meat. Add your veggie stock & salt & pepper the meat. Cover & let the veggies steam for about 45 minutes to an hour. You will need to check them every 20 minutes or so. Once they are all tender, remove them & put them into a separate bowl. Drizzle with broth and cover with foil. Those puppies are now done.

Add the apples to the meat & cover again. Continue to let the meat cook until it literally starts to fall apart. It is then done. The apples should be steamed & can be removed and added to your veggies if you would like. They add a sweetness which is nice.

Remove the meat & place onto a plate. Slice it roughly, and make sure you pour the broth over top of the meat once you have sliced it. You can keep your veggies on a super low oven (250) while the meat is finishing, then just remove the foil to serve.

This meal is really easy. In fact, other than cleaning the veggies it pretty much cooks itself. I add no artificial flavorings, butter or additives - it is 100% natural & clean. It tastes amazing.

* Vegans, you can create this same meal using large pieces of eggplant & whole portabella mushrooms instead of meat. Replace all broth with vegetable stock. The cooking time would be only about an hour, but you will have the same sort of result!