Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Tuesday - M & J's anniversary

Beef Daube Provencal (recipe in the comments)
Egg noodles
Roasted asparagus

Hot tea
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Here's the good news: this is the best beef dish I have ever eaten and certainly that I have ever made. Here's the better news: this recipe is so straightforward it's fail proof. Here's the best news: it's made in the slow cooker so your whole house smells wonderful when you come home and all you have to do is boil water for noodles and pop some asparagus in the oven. A fantastic, elegant dinner with almost no effort. This is especially true if you do the prep the night before, so even your morning is hassle free. It's perfect for holidays (we've done it for Easter and it would be amazing at Christmas), guests, special occasions, or when you just want an extraordinary meal. When we make it for more people we add an appetizer, a salad, and a dessert. Tonight we have a more scaled back feast and will have plenty of leftovers tomorrow - it's a gift that keeps on giving.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate, the prep is more intense than our usual crock pot fare (about 40 minutes)
Chopping: Garlic (crushed), chuck roast, carrot, onion, rosemary, thyme
Time: 40 minutes the night before, 25 minutes (mostly unattended) right before you serve
Make ahead: Crock pots are miracle workers in your kitchen

Reaction
J: "The best."
M: "Fantastique."

1 comment:

J said...

Beef Daube Provençal – Cooking Light
Serves 4-6 (depending on sides)

2 teaspoons olive oil
12 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup red wine
2 cups baby carrots, cut in thirds
1 ½ cups onion, chopped (large chop preferable)
½ cup less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Dash of ground cloves
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bay leaf

Oil the bottom and sides of a ceramic slow cooker insert.

Heat olive oil in a small stock pot over low heat. Add garlic to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon; set aside. Increase heat to high. Add beef to pan. Sprinkle beef with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add wine to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add garlic, beef, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf) to pan; bring to a boil.

Transfer mixture to prepared slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours.