Dinner That's Ready When You Are

I often choose to make a pot roast when I want to serve beef for company.  Two reasons:  I don’t have to worry about precision timing for the right doneness for steak or tender roasts, and I don’t have to cater to differing doneness preferences in the group.  Cooking a tender pot roast might take a bit of time, however, you have serving time flexibility if any of your guests are running late or if you’re having a great time catching up and want to push dinner service a little later.

I also like the convenience of cooking the roast in the oven once the browning of the meat and cooking of the vegetables are done.  I don’t have to worry about constantly checking the stove to regulate the heat to keep it simmering at the right level. 

In honor of Valentine’s Day I added a bit of chocolate to the simmering liquid to pump up the rich flavor of the braising liquid. 

Smart Meals are flexible meals!

Herbed Tomato Pot Roast

Makes 8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (3 to 3 ½-pound) boneless beef chuck roast

1 medium onion, chopped

½ cup shredded carrots (about 2 carrots)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup red wine

3 stalks fresh thyme

1 stalk fresh rosemary

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes in puree

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1.   Heat oil in large heavy pot over medium heat until hot.  Add roast and brown well on both sides.  Remove to large baking dish.

2.   Add onion, carrot and garlic to pan drippings.  Cook and stir until tender.  Add wine and simmer for 3 minutes.

3.   Tie the stalks of thyme and rosemary together with string.

4.   Add tomatoes, herb bundle, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt and pepper.  Heat to a boil then reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to break up tomatoes.

5.   Pour tomato mixture over roast.  Cover baking dish tightly with foil. 

6.   Bake at 350°F for 2 hours.  Remove foil and bake 30 minutes more or until roast is tender.  Remove herb bundle and bay leaves.  Slice meat and serve with pan sauce.

Nutrition Information per serving: 394 calories, 13 g. total fat, 4 g. saturated fat, 151 mg. cholesterol, 460 mg. sodium, 9 g. carbohydrate, 2 g. dietary fiber, 4 g. sugar, 53 g. protein