Work-a-Day Wednesday: Crock Pot Ranch Roast

You don't get any easier than this. Plus, it's my family's favorite way to eat a roast.

That doesn't mean it's perfect. The stuff that comes in the Ranch packets isn't exactly swimming in natural-from-your-garden-goodness. But it makes this roast mighty tasty and on certain days a 60 second assembly time is nothing to complain about.

A few notes:

-You can brown this first in a skillet if you've got the time. I think it makes it a little more flavorful and gives it a bit of a season-y crust (which I love). But if you don't have time, just cover the roast with Ranch powder, put it in the crock, and move on with your life.
-You can roast just the meat or add potatoes, carrots, onions, whatever to the crock. If you do add veggies, sprinkle some of the Ranch powder on them as well. We especially love it with the carrots.
-You can use a frozen or a fresh roast. If it's frozen, you'll have to be sure it gets a longer cook time--probably 8-10 hours on high if you want it falling off the fork. But keep in mind that crock pot temps and, thus, times vary a bit. The good news is that you can't overcook this thing. Well, I guess you probably could, but it would take you, like, 20, hours. So err on the side of too long.

Ranch Roast
serves 6
Prep time: 5 minutes or less
Cost: $11.00

1 three-four lb roast (we used beef, but pork works too)
2 packets Ranch salad dressing mix or 5-6 Tbsp Ranch powder
sliced carrots, onions, diced potatoes (optional)

Slather your roast with one packet of seasoning. If you've got the time, give the meat a quick browning in a skillet on medium high to high heat.

Throw it in the crock pot. Add more seasoning. It's going to seem like a lot; it's going to seem like a whole lot. Don't worry, that's going to give the meat a lot of it's flavor and the excess will sort of come off into the juices as it cooks, so you won't have a crazy salty concoction. If you've added veggies, be sure they get their share in the Ranch powder love. Again, be generous.

Add just a bit of water. You won't need a lot. Just enough to kind of cover the bottom of the crock--I'd say 1/4 inch deep should do you. Again, this might not seem like a lot. (And you may have been told that you have to do enough water to reach halfway up the slab of meat, but in my experience that just makes for way too many juices and a slightly less impactful flavor for the meat.) Remember the meat itself is going to release a bunch of juices as you cook it. Ditto any vegetables you put in with it. By the end of cooking time, my meat (which had been placed in just a few millimeters water) was swimming in juice and tender and lovely in every way.

Cook at least 6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low (for a piece of de-thawed meat). Again, err on the side of too long if you want this falling off the fork, which we always do.

Come home starving and rejoice that you don't have to go to Denny's for dinner.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Romaine Artichoke Salad

For leftover Tuesday tonight we'll be having, well, leftovers. Straight up out of their little Tupperware containers. Considering we had a roast with potatoes yesterday, that's really not so bad. Yet it is not exactly exciting or blogtastic in any way. The good news is that I'll be making a salad to balance out the leftovers.

And this salad is exciting in pretty much every way. It is blogtastic if ever a salad was destined for a life of bloggerdom. It's the kind of salad where someone clearly thought of every lovely salad ingredient they could and threw them together. I could eat it forever and ever and always be happy. It is also super easy and quick to put together.

Unfortunately there is, my friends, one thing this salad is not. This salad is not cheap. I am very sorry about that. However, if you get to thinking about how much those canned artichokes and hearts of palm and pine nuts all cost, you can just remind yourself how much you spent on a salad the last time you went to Chili's. Or even McDonald's (does anybody else get bugged that those McDonald's salads which consist of primarily cheap lettuce are so darned pricey). That should make you feel better about life. You might have to up and get yourself another serving.

Another thing that might make you feel better about the price tag on this salad is that it can stand perfectly well as its own meal. With a slice of rustic bread (come on, you know that that's what all food bloggers eat with their salads) or a breast of chicken or both, it could even feed they type of man who considers salad a side dish no matter how perfectly perfect it is.

Romaine Artichoke Salad
Serves me (maniacal laughter) or about 6 people
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cost: $9.00
(lettuce: 1.50, artichokes: 2.50, hearts of palm: 2.50 (on sale), bacon: .50, Parmesan: .50, pine nuts: 1.00, dressing: .50-1.00)

Note: I like this salad best with just one head of lettuce. However, when I served it to my littlest sister a couple years ago, she felt like it wasn't salad-y enough without more lettuce. I'll let you be the judge.

1-2 head romaine lettuce, chopped into mouth-sized pieces
1 can artichoke hearts (but the kind in water, not oil), drained
1 can hearts of palm, drained and cut into rounds
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4-1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
1 handful pine nuts (use sesame seeds if pine nuts will really break your bank, although the pine nuts are amazing in this)
Caesar dressing (Girard's was recommended when I first got this and I really fell in love with it, although it isn't cheap either)

Mix all ingredients together. Toss with dressing just before serving.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

4 Things to Do with Avocados

For the last 2 weeks, avocados have been on sale at Aldi for $.49/pop. Not bad. I bought 4 both weeks. And then I realized that I'm the only avocado lover in this joint and also that I didn't really know what to do with all those avocados.

Here are a few ideas for those who might share such a tragic plight.

1. Eat them. Maybe with a little salt and lime juice. This was my sister's recommendation. In fact, she seemed to think my tragic plight not really so desperate and/or tragic at all. Hmph. That's pity for you.

2. Add them to a smoothie. I have one on this site where the avocado takes front and center and one where it plays a supporting role.

3. Make this amazing salad from Kalyn's Kitchen. Don't eat as much as I did or you might get a stomach ache.

4. Try this cheater guacamole: 1 avocado mashed together with a few tablespoons of pre-made salsa. It takes 1 minute and it tastes great. Drizzle it with a squeeze of lemon or lime if you're trying to convince yourself that you're fancy and not just a lazy avocado-eating bum like me. You can eat it with chips or quesadillas or whatever.