Tuesday, September 13, 2011

New Hampshire


We continue with the "News" today and, as an extra bonus, get to fulfill one of Marc's beefy fantasies: Shaker Cranberry Pot Roast. You will not be surprised to learn that we watch a lot of the Food Network around here, and some time ago Bobby Flay introduced the New Hampshire dish to his FoodNation audience. Marc has been talking about it ever since.

I have to confess, I don't have fond memories of pot roast, which, in my childhood, consisted of well-done, stringy meat with a side of smooshy vegetables. This is not something I am interested in adding to my regular menu planning.

We were supposed to have this meal on a Saturday, and Marc spent the morning getting it ready. He followed the recipe closely, though reduced it, using a 3 lb chuck roast and added beef stock rather than veal stock.

Saturday's plans changed, however, when both girls were invited to sleepovers. No parent in their right mind would pass up such a treat, so we decided to reheat it for a Sunday dinner. Sunday also brought unexpected commitments, and the meal was postponed until Monday. By Monday, we figured it might be easier to have a pot roast sandwich meal, rather than the original roast and potato extravaganza we had planned. Basically, our weekend supper meal turned into a fine weeknight-leftovers meal.

Marc shredded the meat in the sauce and we served it with rolls and shredded lettuce. I added mayo to mine (as I think that all things are improved with mayo).

On the side, we added raw carrots, fresh green beans and apples.

There was one more critical component to our meal: Old Portsmouth Orange Cake. This colonial era tea cake was easy to make and tasty.

For me, having pot roast as a sandwich was a big improvement over my childhood memories. Marc loved it and Maia agreed that it was pretty tasty. Lucy was less enthusiastic, but managed a few bites. Overall, a great use of what felt like leftovers!

Next stop: Arkansas

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