RECIPE: Asian Roast Beef (in the slow-cooker)

This recipe came to me through one of those happy accidents where you're thinking miserably, "What, oh what, am I going to cook for dinner?" and ideas like baked chicken breast served with a sauce made of peanut butter, strawberry jello, ripe olives and pistachios starts racing through your head and you think no-no-I-don't-want-to-do-that-I-served-chicken-breast-on-Tuesday, so you decide to go ahead and make the sauce but instead cleverly serve it with pieces of sliced ham and American cheese rolled up together and skewered with a toothpick....This recipe came to me on the back of a packet of Superior Touch's Better Than Gravy beef gravy mix. I had the beef gravy mix because I was thinking of using it to make a sauce of beef gravy, mini-marshmallows and pimientos to disguise the leftover meatload from earlier in the week.

Superior Touch's recipe was very useful because it called for ingredients I had on hand. I thawed out a beef roast I got on a deep discount and cooked it all in the slow-cooker. It was absolutely succulent and delicious. If you would consider stir-frying some sliced carrots, broccoli florets, water chestnuts and onion quarters in a skillet or wok and then serving them with some steamed rice alongside the beef, I guarantee that you will have a meal that is easy and eminently do-able without a lot of fuss and your family will love it.

You can, of course, substitute your own minced garlic and your own sliced or grated fresh ginger, but I'm giving the fast instructions here.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds beef pot roast
1 packet Superior Touch Better Than Gravy mix
1 cup hot water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (or a couple of dried pepper pods from the produce section)

DIRECTIONS

Spray the inside of a large slow-cooker with cooking spray; place the beef pot roast inside and turn the slow-cooker to the HIGH setting. In a small mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and stir with a small whisk until blended. Pour over meat in slow-cooker; cook for 5-6 hours. Remove from slow-cooker to a platter and allow to stand for about ten minutes before serving.

Serve with fresh stir-fried vegetables and steamed rice. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if desired for some extra calcium. Delicious!!!