Kalamata Pot Roast

Several years ago I picked up one of those pamphlet cookbooks from the checkout stand at the grocery store and found a recipe for a roast that I thought would make a great Mother's day meal.  When our two oldest boys asked me what they could make me for dinner I suggested this roast.  

I wondered what it was going to be like after turning two teen-aged boys loose in the kitchen, but after the first 15 minutes, the house started to smell wonderful and I found myself looking forward to a delicious meal...I was not disappointed!  This roast with a couple of amazing tweaks by the boys was full of flavor and so tender there was no need to cut it with a knife!  

A year or so after that Mother's Day, my husband Kent and our friend Randy Macari, entered a cooking contest and prepared this roast in a Dutch oven (often called a camp oven,) using charcoal briquettes.  They executed it perfectly and won the two thousand dollar award! 

You can make this in a slow cooker, in a cast iron pot, or in grandma's good old Dutch oven.  I have enamel cast iron pots that go in the oven that bake evenly and seal in the moisture.  Either way is great!

3-4 pound boneless beef chuck roast
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 Cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 large garlic clove, chopped

1/2 Cup Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

1/2 Cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1/2 Cup beef broth

1 jar (10 oz.) small whole onions or 1/2 cup fresh or frozen

Brown roast on all sides. Place in a slow cooker or cast iron pot.  Sprinkle seasonings on top of roast in order listed, carefully pour beef broth on top of the roast (mostly around) so as not to wash off all the seasonings. Cover and cook 6-8 hours in the slow cooker or 

at 300 degrees in the oven for 4 hours.

I heated the oil in the pot that I wanted to cook my roast in and browned it on all sides

Add brown sugar and spread out evenly on roast

Add Oregano, Basil, Italian Seasonings, Salt and Pepper

Add Garlic, Sun dried tomatoes and Kalamata Olives

Carefully pour the beef broth over the top of roast and add onions  

Cover the pot and bake at 300 degrees for 4 hours or until very tender.

Now take that thing out of the oven, plate it up and dive in!  You can strain the juices and make a yummy gravy or just pour the juice over the roast!  Enjoy this sweet and savory roast and I can promise there won't be too many left overs if any after feeding your family!

© Nancy Rappleye 2017

Mayo Chicken

  I'm back to posting some food after a long break from my blog. It may take a bit for me to figure the lighting out in this new kitchen where I live now but though the lighting might be off, one thing is for sure, the food tastes great!  I think you'll like this quick and easy chicken dish that is even great as cold leftovers on a green salad the next day.
A good friend shared this recipe with me about 5 and a half years ago and it has been one of my go to recipes.  I have even topped it with gluten free bread crumbs and our 6 year old (at that time) grandson couldn't get enough.  Its really important that you use a good quality mayonnaise like Hellmann's or Kraft.  You can use what ever your favorite grated Parmesan is or what you have on hand.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have!

4 Chicken Breasts
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/2  Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Italian Bread crumbs
Pound chicken breasts out so they are an even thickness.  If they are extra thick to start with, cut them in half length wise and then pound the thicker end out to make even.  Place on a foil lined baking sheet and set aside.  Mix mayonnaise and Grated Parmesan together until well blended.  Divide between each piece of chicken spreading it out over the top of each one.  Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over the top of the mayo mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown and juices run clear.

  Pound chicken breasts out so they are an even thickness. I like to put the
 chicken in a zip lock bag to keep the mess at a minimum.

  If they are extra thick to start with, cut them in half length wise and                                                                        then pound the thicker end out to make even.

                                         
  Place on a foil lined baking sheet and set aside.

                           
 Mix mayonnaise and Grated Parmesan together until well blended.

  Divide between each piece of chicken spreading it out over the top of each one.

Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over the top of the mayo mixture

  bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown and juices run clear. 

                                                                   © Nancy Rappleye 2017

Grilled Turkey or chicken Marinade

I love this marinade.  It reminds me of some of the best summers of my youth.  When I was 12 years old, I went to stay with my Cousin Claudia in Manti Utah for the summer.  Not only did I learn to cook and can at her side, I was part of "The Mormon Miracle Pageant." http://mormonmiracle.org/bio4.html I had so much fun living with Claudia and her family and making wonderful friends that I returned for the next 4 summers.

During the Pageant, the church members would grill turkey from Moroni Utah http://www.norbest.com/ and serve
it with a baked potato, green beans, a green salad, a roll and dessert.  This dinner was available for any of the travelers to the pageant to purchase before the show.  I remember helping to serve and clean tables before it was time to get ready for my (our) part in the pageant.  I loved meeting and talking to people from all over the country that came to see the pageant! 

I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs today and they taste wonderful too if Turkey is not available!

2-3 pounds skinless, boneless Turkey or Chicken
(I like the dark meat, it seams to be more juicy)

1 c. oil

1 c. soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon horseradish

2 c. lemon lime soda or 1 can of lemon lime soda

Place a gallon size zip lock bag in a bowl
for better stability in the refrigerator.

Clean the fat off the meat before adding to the zip lock bag.

Place meat to be marinated in a gallon zip lock bag.

 

 Add the rest of the ingredients.
Oil

 

Soy Sauce

Garlic Powder

Horseradish

Lemon Lime Soda

Close the zip lock, releasing the air while closing it

Message the bag to mix all ingredients thoroughly  

 

 Place meat with marinade in refrigerator

over night or for at least 2 hours. 
(if you mix this in the morning it will be perfect for your grill that night)

 

 Grill on medium low(about 300 degrees) till juices run clear and
meat is no longer pink. About 8-10 minutes on each side.

 

 

Turn over and grill the other side.

 

All done and ready to serve!

 

Lots of love to all my family and friends in and from Manti Utah!

 

© Nancy Rappleye 2013