It's Monday. Enough said, right? Oh, but there's more! Besides being the first day of my usual work week, Mondays are especially busy around here because the husband and I help with a class at our church nearly every Monday evening. So after work, I rush home to help let the dogs out and to check on the rabbits, ducks, chickens, garden, etc. before we have to leave again. This rarely allows time to eat before church, and on the rare occasion that it does, I certainly don't have time to cook anything in that amount of time. We also try very hard to stick to a diet of whole, Nourishing Traditions style, homemade foods, which means fast food isn't really an option either. So, Monday suppers are limited to either left-overs from whatever we had on Sunday, or something in the slow-cooker*.
If you don't own a slow-cooker, you should. They are awesome for days like today when we are super busy, it's icky and rainy, and we want a good hot meal. The slow-cooker that I own is this Hamilton-Beach model, and I like it a lot. Today, before work I put a beef roast on to cook and not only will it be ready to eat when we are ready to eat it, but the house will smell pretty darn good as well. Even if you think you can't cook, you can use a slow-cooker. With most recipes, they are very forgiving. You basically just throw all of the ingredients inside, add a little water, cover with the lid, and leave it to do its thing while you go about your day.
Here is the "recipe" for today's meal. I typically cook from my head, without using a recipe (unless I am baking, or trying a new dish I've never made before), so these measurements are approximate. But just like a slow-cooker, this recipe is forgiving. Trust me, it's so super-incredibly-painfully-simple, you would actually have to try on purpose to mess it up. If you can afford it, grass-fed meat and organically raised vegetables are best. In reality however, like many people, we cannot always afford to purchase organic and grass-fed, so we just do the best we can.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Rinse the roast and place in the bottom of the slow-cooker crock. Cut the onions into approximately 1-inch chunks and place in the crock. Cut the potatoes and carrots into thumb-sized pieces and place in the crock. Add vinegar and sprinkle in all seasonings. Fill with water to within 1/2 inch of the rim the lid sits on. Cover with the lid and cook on the "low" setting for 8 hours. (I have left this to cook for up to 12 hours with no negative results). Taste and add additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with the green vegetable of your choice.
Tonight we will have turnip greens with this, but it goes well with green beans, broccoli, or pretty much any other vegetable of your choice. If you aren't a fan of green veggies, try a nice tossed salad instead.
Here is the "recipe" for today's meal. I typically cook from my head, without using a recipe (unless I am baking, or trying a new dish I've never made before), so these measurements are approximate. But just like a slow-cooker, this recipe is forgiving. Trust me, it's so super-incredibly-painfully-simple, you would actually have to try on purpose to mess it up. If you can afford it, grass-fed meat and organically raised vegetables are best. In reality however, like many people, we cannot always afford to purchase organic and grass-fed, so we just do the best we can.
Ingredients:
- 1 approximately 1 1/2 lb beef roast (any cut you like)
- 2 small or 1 medium sweet onion
- 4 or 5 fist-sized white potatoes (russet, yukon-gold, or red-skinned) - I leave the skin on but you can peel if you prefer.
- 4 medium-sized carrots
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sea salt (I know that sounds like a lot, but potatoes absorb a lot of salt before taking on the flavor)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Directions:
Rinse the roast and place in the bottom of the slow-cooker crock. Cut the onions into approximately 1-inch chunks and place in the crock. Cut the potatoes and carrots into thumb-sized pieces and place in the crock. Add vinegar and sprinkle in all seasonings. Fill with water to within 1/2 inch of the rim the lid sits on. Cover with the lid and cook on the "low" setting for 8 hours. (I have left this to cook for up to 12 hours with no negative results). Taste and add additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with the green vegetable of your choice.
Tonight we will have turnip greens with this, but it goes well with green beans, broccoli, or pretty much any other vegetable of your choice. If you aren't a fan of green veggies, try a nice tossed salad instead.
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I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you try it, let me know how it turns out. If you have your own slow-cooker recipe to share, please leave it in the comments section below!
*Around here we call it a "Crock-Pot." However, "Crock-Pot" is a specific name brand of slow-cooker. You can find simple ones, pretty ones, and even super-fancy ones with extra gadgets. And then there is this - I don't know that I would ever use one, but I admit it looks interesting. Due to copyright issues however, no other brand may be referred to as a "Crock-Pot" and I don't have the time nor inclination to have to dispute that.
**This post may contain affiliate links where appropriate.
**This post may contain affiliate links where appropriate.
