Crockpot Pot Roast

Good old fashioned pot roast with all of the trimmings really signifies down home cooking. Because this has meat and vegetables all in one, I usually serve this with a hearty salad and some warm crusty bread with butter. Perfect with a glass of red wine or apple cider.

1 3 to 4 pound beef roast

4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

6 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 small onion, sliced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup beef broth

1/4 cup red wine (stout like Merlot)

1 tbsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/8 tsp. paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Trim most of fat off roast. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

2. Place potatoes, carrots and onion in crockpot. Stir in garlic. Place roast on top.

3. Stir together broth, wine, parsley, thyme, paprika and salt and pepper. Pour over and around roast. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours until roast and veggies are tender. Remove meat and vegetables and thicken liquid with cornstarch if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

BBQ Strip Steak

This marinade ROCKS, oh yeah! This would be great on any favorite tender cut of steak or pork. Earmark this as a must try!

1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. steak seasoning
1 tbsp. sweet and smoky chipotle seasoning
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
4 strip steaks, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds total

1. Whisk together olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, seasonings, vinegar and pepper in a gallon size Ziplock bag. Add steak and turn to coat. Refrigerate and marinate at least 6 hours, turning bag often to evenly distribute marinade.

2. Discard marinade and grill steaks over medium hot coals until desired doneness. Yield: 4 servings.

Teriyaki Beef Kabobs

Because of the long marinating time, the teriyaki flavor is abundant through and through. Don't be skeptical of the ketchup in this teriayki recipe. It's definitely a key ingredient in the amazing flavor (and not "ketchupy" at all).

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1-1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak, cut into cubes

1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks or one fresh pineapple, cubed

Assorted fresh vegetables prepared for kabobs (mushrooms, zucchini, sweet pepper, onion)

1. In shallow dish or large plastic bag, combine ketchup, soy sauce, sugar and garlic powder. Add beef and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, or overnight. (Go for the overnight marinating).

2. Alternately thread meat, pineapple and vegetables on skewers. Bring marinade to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Grill kabobs above medium coals, turning often, until meat is done and vegetables are tender. Serve marinade over kabobs. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

This is by far my favorite bbq sandwich! They're perfect on a hot summer day when it's too hot to fuss with cooking. I highly recommend Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce above all others! And to really get crazy, try a small scoop of cole slaw on the beef...Mmmm! Corn on the cob, baked beans and watermelon round out this perfect summer meal.
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1 3-pound beef brisket or pot roast

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp. vinegar

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. chili powder

3 cups barbecue sauce

Kaiser rolls or large hamburger buns

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1. Trim fat from brisket. Cut brisket, if necessary, to fit in a 3-1/2 to 4-quart crock pot.

2. Add water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder. Cover and cook on low setting 8 to 10 hours, or on high setting 4 to 5 hours.

3. About 1 hour before serving, remove the meat from the crock pot. Discard cooking liquid. Using two forks to pull, shred meat return to crock pot. Stir in barbecue sauce. Cover and cook on high setting 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve on rolls or hamburger buns. Yield: 12 to 16 sandwiches.