Pot Roast with Celery Root and Parsnip Puree

 

  It's been a little while since I posted last. It's been a whirlwind lately.  Lucca has had some rough days and some awesome amazing days!  I didn't have time when he was going thru the rough patch, I was pretty much researching constantly and trying to have him take some deep breathes to calm his body and mind down. Lucca started slipping backwards which is pretty terrifying.  You get frightened because you don't know what to do and you pray that this isn't going to become a huge flare up.  Or worse, you pray that he doesn't slip so far away that you can't get him back.  All of his old symptoms started coming back slowly and I knew we needed to do something fast.  His integrative doctor suggested changing some things up and I am that crazy person that tends to over research everything.  It's amazing how many hours I can spend in front of a computer screen learning about stuff.  I sometimes question what my true profession should have been.  

 Well, all that research paid off and after a couple of days of figuring stuff out, Lucca made a great turn around. He played unbelievable at his hockey game and scored 5 goals!  The last couple of games, he could barely stay on his feet and lost all motivation to go after the puck. It just looked like a different kid skating. You could tell he was frustrated but couldn't control any of it, which is extremely hard to see your child go through.  We had an amazing time at a pumpkin patch for close to 5 hours with no issues and he was just a happy little boy again! He was smiling again, could fall asleep better, ate like a champ, was focused better, and could play with his brother, Kaine, with no issues again. He was able to listen and focus on you when you spoke, he was able to sit calmly and do his homework, and he was just back to being a happy 7 year old boy.  

 

  When these good days happen, I tend to savor the moment and try to take it all in.  The last thing I want to do is sit in front of a computer when I don't have to.  So, I hate to say it but the blog took a backseat. I wanted and needed to be with my kids. I wanted to record happy moments, take pictures of them being goofy and silly and watch them play. Also, I realized I needed a break.  A PANDAS parent tends to worry so much that you get worn down.  During this happy time I was also happy and just needed to take a deep breath and not think.  I still cooked and wrote down recipes because I love cooking.  But I couldn't even think about going on the computer. All I could and wanted to do was sit on the couch, watch some useless tv, not think and pass out at 930 pm because the kids were happily asleep. It was glorious and perfect! I loved every minute and it definitely gave me a much needed boost. 

  So, here I am posting the first recipe in a while. It is a comfy dish that I love.  It's easy and cooks for hours which makes it tender and juicy.  I love pot roasts and I love when meat is on sale.  Win win! I tend to add a lot of carrots because well... I love the taste of pot roast carrots and so does my husband, Damon. 

Enjoy and more will be coming this week. 

Happy Cooking and Eating!

Pot Roast

Serves:4-6 people

Prep Time:8 minutes

Cook Time:25 minutes plus 4 hours minimum

Total Time:4-5 hours

Ingredients:

• 2.25 - 2.5 lbs chuck roast
• 1 small yellow or white onion, cut into small chunks
• 4-6 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (I add extra because carrots are a favorite)
• 3 stalks of celery, cut into chunks like carrots
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped into large chunks
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar or red wine
• 2.5 cup beef or veggie stock
• 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Add olive oil to a hot oven-safe pot, enough to cover the bottom, over med/high heat. 
3. Once oil is hot add onions and cook about 5 minutes until a little caramelized and cooked, stir occasionally.
4. Add carrots and celery.  Cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add garlic and stir for one minute.  Be careful not to burn the garlic. 
6. Remove veggies and place in a large bowl/plate. If the pan is a little dry add a little more olive oil.
7. Season the roast with salt and pepper on all sides and add to hot pan.  Cook for approx 2 minutes or until browned. Flip and repeat until browned on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside. 
8. Add balsamic or wine to pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Be sure to scrap all the bits off the bottom of the pan.  
9. Add meat back to pan and top with veggies. Add sprigs of thyme and cover with stock. 
10. Place in oven and cook for at least 4 hours or until meat breaks away easily with fork.
11. Remove from oven and serve. 

Celery Root and Parsnip Puree

Serves:4-6 people

Prep Time:10 minutes

Cook Time:20 minutes

Total Time:30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1.25 - 1.5 lbs of celery root, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 1.25 lbs of parsnip, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 TBSP canned full fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• salted water (approx a couple of tsp added to water)
• Optional - 1 TBSP of grassfed butter, if you can tolerate, but good without it.

Instructions:

1. Add chopped veggies to a pot of salted water.  Make sure water covers veggies.  Place over medium heat.  Boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. 
2. Remove from heat and strain veggies from water. 
3. Add remaining ingredients and blend together.  I use a hand stick emulsion blender. But a blender or food processor will work.  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Add extra stock if not thick enough.