First of all: Martha Stewart was wrong. Traditionally, I roll my eyes at any commenters who have to express how disappointed they are in a recipe, because I'm mean and tend to think that all of those people are terrible cooks. But the lady who talked about how the Martha slow-cooker roast turns out dry and disappointing was dead on. I questioned the logic of a roast sitting in a Crock Pot for 10 hours, even on low, with no liquid other than a few tbs of cornstarch water, and I should have followed my instincts (the cooking ones, not the ones that Romany Malco indicates in The 40-Year-Old Virgin).
I will say this: the drizzle of Worcestershire gave it a nice crust, and my one creative addition--a buttload of Coast-to-Coast seasoning--made it flavorful. But it was indeed dry. And it was $13 of meat, so I didn't want to waste it.
So I did what my dad would do and made up a soup.
Jeff's "What the hell is quinoa" Beef and Quinoa Vegetable Soup
semi-charred remains of a beef roast
1 can of beef broth
2 cans of chicken broth
8 baby zucchinis, diced (I steamed them in the microwave at lunch so they were parcooked)
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 c Trader Joe's Soycutash (edamame, corn, and peppers)
3/4 c Trader Joe's Fancy-Schmancy Green Beans
uh, the rest of the quinoa I cooked to have with leftover roast and zucchini for dinner
It was liberating, if I'm honest with myself. I just kept chucking things in the pot in between rounds of pulling apart the roast with two forks to make string-a-lings of beef. I froze several baggies of it and poured the rest into a big container. I figure I can make it a main course or a side cuppa with my lunches.
When I told Dad that he was right and Martha was wrong, he said, "Good, then she can go back to prison."
Toss it all together soup is always the best. You get to feel accomplished and wise while slurping good food.
ReplyDeleteI have NEVER not once had a Martha Stewart recipe work correctly.
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