Category: Menu Mondays – complete meal ideas

Sunday Pot Roast

My mom always would prepare pot roast on Sunday, as it was, and hopefully still is, the tradition in many southern homes! This has to be my favorite meal. My daughter Fallon, has been asking for “pot roast beef” from the time she could talk. And I do believe this is her favorite meal as well. And did I mention my niece Jodi? She asks for this on her birthday. See where I’m going with this?

4 lb. chuck roast
Lawry’s Salt
kosher salt
pepper
2 cups water
3-5 potatoes, peeled
3 onions, peeled and quartered
5-6 carrots, peeled

Season the pot roast well with Lawry’s season salt, salt, and pepper. Place in a dutch oven sprayed with cooking spray. Add 2 cups water, surrounding your roast, and place your carrots, potatoes, and onions on top. Sprinkle vegetables with a little more salt and pepper. Place the lid on your dutch oven and roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 3-4 hours, depending on the size of your roast. After it is fork tender, it is done.

Remove the meat and vegetables from your dutch oven to a platter to make your gravy with the drippings left in the pan.

Add 2 to 3 heaping T. of flour, whisking well to remove lumps. Add salt and pepper and around 1 cup of milk (give or take some). This always varies for me, depending on how many drippings are in the pan and how much flour actually lands in there. So the milk can be eyeballed, so to speak. Too much milk and not enough flour will be too thin of gravy. Too much flour and not enough milk will be too thick. So go with your instincts! Stir and heat over medium until your gravy starts bubbling and is thickened. Serve alongside your meat and veggies.

Serves 4 with leftovers

Fresh Squash Soup

Fresh squash soup seems so healthy to me and with the addition of evaporated milk, it makes it creamy and comforting as well. This delicious soup is perfect for a light supper pared with your favorite sandwich. I’m thinking bacon and tomato for mine! This soup was inspired by The Peachtree Tearoom’s recipe. Located in Fredericksburg, Texas, it is a fabulous place to stop in for lunch should you ever be in that neck of the woods!

1/4 lb. bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 large zucchini, sliced
8 large yellow squash, sliced
5 tsp. cumin
1 1/4 tsp. Lawry’s salt free seasoning or oregano
2 (32 oz.) boxes of chicken broth
4 cups evaporated milk
2-3 low sodium chicken bouillon cubes
2 tsp. kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
Garnishes: grated cheddar cheese and chopped green onions

In a large stockpot, brown the diced onion. Discard all but 2 T. of bacon grease. (Save the bacon bits to use as a garnish for the soup, if you like.) Add onion and sauté until transparent. Add garlic.

Add yellow squash, zucchini, chicken broth, bouillon cubes, cumin, and Lawry’s salt free seasoning. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes.

Add evaporated milk and heat through. Season at first with 1 to 2 tsp. kosher salt. (It seems like a lot of salt, but this is a big batch of soup. Start with less and taste as you go, adding more to suit your personal taste.) Using a potato masher, coarsely mash squash. Taste again for salt and pepper. I like to use my immersion blender to puree half of the soup. Garnish as desired.

Smothered Enchiladas

This recipe is one that I discovered out of The All New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook. Quick and comforting, this recipe is sure to please your loved ones. I like to serve it with a side of Spanish Style Ready Rice and a green salad with homemade ranch dressing.

2 lbs. ground beef
1 (1 1/4-oz.) pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 (4 1/2-oz.) can chopped green chiles, divided
2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz.) container sour cream
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Toppings: salsa, sour cream, green onions, fresh cilantro

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cook ground beef in a large skillet, stirring until crumbled and no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix and half of the chopped green chiles; set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together remaining green chiles, soup, and sour cream. Pour half of the sour cream mixture into a slightly greased 9 by 13 baking dish.

Spoon beef mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla; roll up and place seam side down on top of the sour cream mixture in your dish.

Top with remaining sour cream sauce and cheese.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 8 servings

Cooking the books, ya’ll!

Indian Pork Burgers with Cucumber Yogurt and Tomato Salad

My niece, Jodi, lives in Austin and my daughter Fallon and I always jump at the chance to go visit her. She introduces us to the best restaurants there and the latest in food trends. Our favorite new discovery so far, is Indian food. We are positively addicted and are fans for life, no doubt! This recipe is a recipe that I discovered from the food delivery company called Martha and Marley Spoon. It has all the right flavors for bringing our Austin Indian food addiction home.

1 large red onion
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 large cucumber or 9 oz. Persian cucumbers
a handful of fresh cilantro or 3/4 oz
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
2 tsp garam masala (a spice blend common in India )
1 lime
4 potato buns
1 individual size container of greek yogurt or about a cup
2 tsp. course salt
1 tsp. sugar
fresh ground pepper
3 T. olive oil + 1 tsp., divided

Prep your ingredients to get started. Halve, peel, and finely chop 2/3 of the red onion. Thinly slice the rest of it. Halve the tomatoes; thinly slice half of the cucumbers and fine chop the rest. Chop the cilantro stems finely and give the leaves a rough chop.

Next is the burger part. Combine the ground pork, cilantro stems, fine chopped onion, garam masala, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. sugar, and several grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Gently mix with your hands and form into four (4-inch) patties. (overmixing meat for burgers can make them tough. Just sayin’.)

Time for the salad. Squeeze lime juice into a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes, sliced cucumber, sliced onion, chopped cilantro, and 3 T. olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to combine the salad and then preheat your broiler to prepare for the burgers.

Broil the burgers and cook until well browned, 3-4 minutes per side. (These can totally be grilled outside or in a grill pan over medium-high. Grill until well browned and cooked through, 6-7 minutes per side. Flip them only once during the cooking process.)

Split the potato buns in half and add face down on the the grill or face up under the broiler and toast until golden, about 1 minute. Watch closely!

Now for the yogurt sauce. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, chopped cucumber, and 1 tsp. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the burgers topped with the yogurt sauce and tomato salad on the side. Yum!