Pot Roast with Gravy

Among my favorite anti-vegetable sentiments/excuses: "I am a meat and potatoes person."

There is nothing wrong with meat and potatoes. Meat and potatoes are perfectly reasonable sources of nutrients. But, that's only 1/2 your plate. A quarter meat, and a quarter potatoes. And what else is there? I guess since you thrive only on meat and potatoes, you wouldn't like a nice serving of green beans, or how about some Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, or some steamed broccoli, or maybe a few carrots, or what about come collards or cauliflower. I can go all day here, people.

You can't neglect these vegetables. Not only do I know you like at least a few of them , they complete your meat and potatoes feast. Just look at my colourful example above. I am not saying that meat and potatoes, day after day is a great idea. After all, getting a variety of foods will give a variety of benefits. But, no one says you have to eat salad and forgo your staple dinner fixings.

According to this article, getting a variety of different coloured vegetables will actually give a lovely skin colour. And after all, if health isn't about beauty, then few people would be on board.

So without further ado, I present pot roast. I used to ask for roast beef and mashed potatoes every birthday, and thought it was only something my mom could achieve perfectly, so I never bothered. As it turns out, it couldn't be easier. Just be sure to give yourself an hour ahead of time for each pound of meat you have.

Pot Roast with Gravy

Whole Pork shoulder or Beef chuck
Salt and Pepper

Heat a large pot on medium high. Add a tablespoon of oil. When hot, add your meat and brown on all sides, this should just take a few minutes. Now turn down to low. Add water, anywhere from 1 cup to a little more for bigger roasts, so that it makes it at least an inch or so up the side of the pot. Cover with a lid.

For every pound of meat, you need to give the meat 45 minutes to an hour. Actually a very flat 1.5 pounder for just the two of us took an hour, so the shape matters, too. Replenish the water as needed. Don't be shy with the water, we are making gravy with it.

When done, remove from pot, place on a plate and cover with foil. Let let a few minutes.

Meanwhile, mix up a tablespoon or two of cornstarch with water. Be sure to dissolve all the cornstarch. Bring the remaining meaty water in the pot to a boil, add the cornstarch mixture, and a little water or broth if you are lacking in volume and need lots of gravy, like me. Boil until the gravy becomes thick. Add a little salt to taste.


Mashed potatoes with Celery Root and Buttermilk

1 Celery root, washed and cut into large cubes
6-8 Red skinned potatoes, washed and cut into quarters
1 cup buttermilk or milk, warmed slightly
A few knobs of butter
Salt and pepper

Boil the celery root and potatoes until tender. Mash, and about halfway through start adding the buttermilk until it becomes a consistency of your liking. Add the butter, salt and pepper.