Eats - Beef Pot Roast in Mushroom Wine Sauce, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Asparagus in Lemon and Butter

Beef Pot Roast, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Asparagus

Beef Pot Roast with Mushroom Wine Gravy:

2.5 pound beef pot roast

1 box white mushrooms

1 box shitake mushrooms

1 large white onion, coarsely chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced thinly

3 cloves garlic

1 can of stewed tomatoes (28 oz.)

1 cup beef broth (low or no sodium)

1 cup red wine (I used pinot noir)

Fresh rosemary - 2 tbsps

Fresh marjoram - 2 tbsps, chopped

Thyme (Fresh or dry) - tbsp fresh or tsp dry

2 bay leaves

Heat 3 tbsp. olive oil in a stock pot.  Add 2 tbsp. flour, some salt, and some black pepper.  Whisk together.  Dredge the meat in the olive oil mixture and sear on all sides.

The roast cooking

Add the mushrooms, onions, and celery and saute about 5 minutes, add the garlic, saute another 1-2 minutes, then add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 2 hours.

The roast "resting" before being cut

Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
6-8 medium potatoes
4 cloves garlic
3 tbsp sour cream
3 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel at least half the potatoes, wash all of them, and cube into approximately 1 inch cubes.  Place in a pot and add water til the potatoes are just barely covered.  Bring the water to a boil and allow to boil about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.  Drain the water, but leave a few teaspoons in the pan (Just don't try too hard to drain every last drop, and you should have enough water left in the pan).  Put in a mixing bowl (Or use a hand masher).  Add garlic, sour cream, butter, salt, and pepper.  Mash together.  Serve.

Asparagus with Lemon and Butter:
1 bundle of asparagus (about 20 stems)
1 tbsp butter
1/2 lemon

Snip the hard ends off the asparagus.  A trick for this is to allow the ends to break where they naturally would rather than cutting them. This allows you to get all the tough part off.  And it doesn't dirty a knife.

Melt butter in a skillet.  Add the asparagus.  Cook about a minute.  Squeeze the juice out of the 1/2 lemon onto the asparagus.  Allow to cook until the asparagus is tender - probably 6-7 minutes.