The Lady Olive

Little darlin’, STEW IT UP!

I know those aren’t the words, but as you know I have this tendency to turn anything and everything into a song. Bob Marley told us to stir it up…well, I’m telling you to stew it up.

The rain drops keep falling in Charlotte and I am still craving soup and stews.  One of the best wedding gifts I received is this Breville Fast Slow Cooker from Williams Sonoma.

This bad boy is on sale for $180.00. It would make a great holiday gift to yourself or someone you love!

Not only does it produce the most incredible slow cooked pulled pork (awesome for tacos!), it can pressure cook a pot roast in under an hour.

This meal tastes just like your mama made it! Don’t worry, I have packed in some extra veggies for you because I care!

Ingredients: (serves 6) Adapted from The Pressure Cooker Cookbook

3 1/2 lb boneless chuck roast

1 yellow onion (sliced)

8 carrots (peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces)

2 large parsnips(peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 lb turnips (peeled and cut into 2 inch lengths)

1 tsp thyme

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups beef broth

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp canola oil

These are your buddies.  FYI the purple ones are the turnips…wouldn’t want you to be embarrassed trying to find them at the grocery store…(yes, I am referring to myself.)

Method:

Start by chopping all of your vegetables in advance.

Carrots: Peel (use a potato peeler) and chop into 1 inch sections

Turnips: Peel and chop into roughly 2 inch sections

Onion: Slice into rings

Parsnips: Peel and chop into 1 inch sections

 

Set your veggies to the side…keep turnips separate.  They get added last because they take less time to cook.

Set your pressure cooker to sear.

Pat your meat dry with paper towels and salt both sides of your meat and gently rub it in.  Don’t be shy with the salt.

Add 1 tbsp. oil and brown your meat on all sides. This produces a wonderful flavor and texture! I’m all about the sear! I do two minutes per side, and then one minute around the perimeter.

By searing, you create a nice crust on the outside of the meat and lock in the flavor.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Remove meat, cover with foil and set aside.

Now cook the sliced onions in any leftover juices from the meat for about 3 minutes, until softened.

Add carrots and turnips to the pot and stir in thyme.  Pour in 1/2 cup white wine and let it cook down for 1 minute.  Add broth and tomato paste and bay leaf and give it a stir. Return the meat to the pot.

Set your appliance to Pressure Cook for 45 minutes on high!

After 45 minutes, I released the steam with my steam release button and removed the meat and bay leaf.

Now add the turnips to the pot and cook on high pressure for about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Optional: To thicken the sauce, I removed 1 cup of the liquid and added 2 tbsp of flour to make a roux. Whisk together to remove all lumps and return to the pot. Again, totally optional if you’re gluten free or prefer a runnier sauce. Alternatively you could puree some of the parsnips to act as a thickening agent but I did not feel like fooling with the blender.

Slice the meat and serve with turnips, parsnips and carrots. I served mine alongside a serving of Lundberg Organic Gluten Free Risotto.  This stuff is amazing. AMAZING.

And voilà! A hearty, healthy, veggie and protein packed version of the classic pot roast you grew up with! But better. Did I mention, it’s outstanding? I can taste it as I type this!

-xo

The Lady Olive