Recipe for an Easy One Dish Supper Roast

In our hurried society, time constraints may sometimes deplete the nutritive value of meals we fix. This beef roast supper is quick to 'load up', place in the oven, then leave and listen for the oven buzzer while we go start the laundry. Or maybe write that next chapter...poem...hub.

This mixture of wild rice and barley with aromatic seasonings is not too spicy or overwhelming but affords a quite tasty and flavorful side for the fork-tender roast beef. With the ability to adjust your favorite seasonings, adding or subtracting as you wish, the meat and grains afford energetic nutritive elements in a most delicious way. The addition of more vegetables is fine if you wish, i.e. like the classic Sunday Dinner of roast, potatoes, carrots and celery that many mothers fixed to bake as the family attended church or synagogue.

This one-dish meal is fit for the husky working man, an active toddler, even the hungry teenager who demands third helpings to satisfy a palate that seems to reach to the big toes. The ease of serving this meal and the protein/carbohydrate it supplies from its one dish baking facilitates quick cleanup. Any leftovers may be refrigerated or frozen and are usable as is or with added bell pepper, celery, mushroom soup as another meal.

I deliberately use the word ‘supper’ rather than the more formal ‘dinner’ designation for this easy one-baking pan recipe.  Not only is it easily prepared, its ingredients are common and the result is appetizing and nutritious. This simple recipe can be varied as to seasoning to meet your own family taste preferences. It may be served as a stand-alone meal, though an uncomplicated salad of herbal greens would compliment, as would a gelatin salad or fresh fruit.  And of course one must try the Southern cornbread recipe with it, as will follow below.

Small or medium chuck or arm roast, size dependent on amount of meat servings desired.

This recipe was for a 2 1/2 lb roast.

Quick cooking barley

Wild rice

Dried chopped onion

Parsley, rosemary, dill as you have on hand. I use all and basil sometimes too.

Lemon pepper seasoning with salt

Parsley-garlic no-salt seasoning

Black pepper and /or red pepper flakes

Small or medium red potatoes

Virgin olive oil

Consider this hearty dish somewhat an easy ‘dump type’ cooking, for the ingredients may be so widely varied according to personal taste that it will easily adjust to your preferences and still be delicious. The grains will be soft-baked and easy to munch, while meat is moist and tender.

Process:

Preheat oven to 425 _­F. Plan to bake about 2 hours, depending on oven and size. Baking pan should be large enough to allow for expansion of the grains as well as holding any liquid.

Wash and de-eye the potatoes, cutting the medium ones smaller for fast cooking.

Trim excess fat from the roast and if medium size, cut in half. Place in lightly oiled baking pan and lightly spray meat surface with olive oil.

In a mixing bowl (or if you want to be really fast, just use the roasting pan) pour in ½ cup of barley, then ½ cup of wild rice and ¼ cup dried chopped onion. (Dried chopped mixed vegetables may also be used as well as finely chopped bell pepper or celery.)

Adjust seasonings to preferred taste adding to bowl:

I add about 4 tablespoons dried parsley, a large dash of rosemary, a small dash of dill and about a teaspoon of dried basil. With the lemon pepper seasoning I use, I add about a teaspoon and just a little more than that of the parsley-garlic, which has no salt. Add a light sprinkle of black pepper and if desired less than ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

Mix these dry ingredients well and pour into baking pan. Some of the lemon pepper and parsley-garlic seasonings may also be sprinkled on the meat and potatoes if desired.

Place six small or equal amount medium cut potatoes, washed and eyed into the pan, squishing into the dry mix. May lightly spray these with olive oil as desired, but not necessary.

Pour 2 ¼ cups water over the dry mix and spoon around to wet everything. Cover pan with foil and enclose edges well. Bake for 35 minutes at 425 F, then reduce heat to 320 F and cook for approximately an hour longer. Check for doneness or liquid levels after first hour or so, adding more water if needed, or turning of meat. Continue baking till meat is fork tender. Let stand for about five minutes to absorb juices before serving. Fluff grains and serve.

Southern corn bread goes well with this aromatic roast and Smart Balance or Promise mixed with half the amount of honey per butterspread is perfect for the sweet-toothed person. It is tasty with the roast meal but leftovers do well with additions, of course! Yes, even for breakfast!

Hey, as a young teen I had cornbread and real cream-on-the-top milk for breakfast many times; with sugar or sorghum molasses on it. Sometimes with blackberries or peaches too. But read on...

Leftover corn bread is pleasantly filling for breakfast, heated and spread with blackstrap molasses and Smart Balance, enjoyed with sliced oranges, or apples, and tomato slices. Sticks of cheddar-jack cheese, plain or smeared with peanut butter, afford more protein for energy throughout your writing hours. Blackstrap molasses contains more mineral nutrients such as iron and calcium, and less sweetness than regular molasses, thence less of a sugar-high later in the day.

Hot green tea with stevia and a large squeeze of fresh lemon stimulates your waking-up senses and gets you ready for daily toil. It also adjusts your morning ph to slide alkaline which is healthy. It in fact will assist your digestion.

There are numerous varieties/combinations of herbal and green teas available and if you have not yet tried them you have some tasty surprises available. One of my many favorites is a green tea combo from Israel of white tea and pomegranate. Another herbal fav by the same producer is apple spice herbal tea which contains no caffeine. Both these teas from Mount of Olives Treasures Tea are found at Big Lots stores and are not expensive.

Approximately 1 ¾ cups of whole grain cornmeal, white or yellow

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. Rumford baking powder (has no aluminum)

1 tbs. cornstarch

Dash sea salt if desired ( has trace minerals)

Dash of finely ground black pepper

Dash of stevia if you have it. Otherwise a tablespoon of honey or molasses or that evil monster, cane sugar, if you must.

1 large egg, preferably from a happy chicken who ate bugs and worms and exercised daily.

Virgin olive oil, about four tablespoonfuls

Water, or if preferred use some type of milk.

Heat oven to 400 F and prepare lightly greased pan or muffin cups.

In mixing bowl, mix cornmeal, cornstarch, flour, baking soda, Rumford, sea salt, black pepper, stevia. Crack in the large egg and add olive oil, then add about 1 cup water. Stir thoroughly, not beating, and let batter set for three or four minutes to absorb liquid.. Stir again and add spare amounts of water if necessary to obtain a very soft batter as the liquid has absorbed.

Spoon into prepared muffin cups or baking pan and bake for about 12 minutes for muffins or longer for pan. Insert toothpick into center to test for doneness; it will be crumbly clean when removed. Serve immediately with the roast meal, or cool in pan for breakfast in the morning.

When needed, re-heat cornbread briefly, wrapped in foil in oven or toaster oven, or damp paper towel in microwave. May also be sliced and heated in skillet with small amount of water sprinkled over top. Serve hot with desired condiments. Got bacon? Of course, I mean turkey bacon! And the loads of Smart Balance...yum!

Leave the dishes for the maid to clean when he comes in tomorrow.