I never cook the veggies with a potroast....that makes it stew!
The only veggies I cook with the meat are onions, garlic and perhaps some chopped mushrooms.

Linda C

Disclaimer: I have full respect for vegetarians. It is my belief that they and the vegans will be the last ones standing while us meat-eaters die painful deaths as a result of our carnivorous diet.

That being said, I am just grinning here watching a vegetarian ask a pseudo vegetarian for flesh cooking advice.

All in good fun. Hugs!

Sally you're asking MY advice? You really MUST be desperate, lol!
Potroast is my dad's favorite meal. I only made it once, and it did taste kind of "stewy" to me. I cooked it in the crockpot if I'm not mistaken. You could do the veggies separately, roast them. How about stuffed squash or stuffed mushrooms for you?? Then plain roast squash for hubby. I don't have a set stuffed squash recipe, I usually stuff it with whatever ricey kind of thing that I can concoct.

Below is my one and only stuffed squash recipe, the other one I have been known to make is the one from the FIRST Moosewood cookbook. I don't have that recipe either, but I would Google it if I needed it. I also have a recipe that calls for wild rice and cranberries, but I can't find it at the moment, and anyway I would probably wing it if I did try that.

Lisa's Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash (I've had this recipe forever, I have no idea where I got it or who Lisa is!)

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

EVOO for sauteeing mushrooms
Steamed 1/2 acorn squashes or baked squashes
Lpink's additions, any or all - lentils, scallions, celery, sunflower seeds, tamari, spices

The Moosewood recipe uses bread crumbs.
Also here's a link to a Sara Moulton recipe for stuffed mushrooms I saw her make once on TV. Haven't tried it myself yet but they looked good. I have had good luck with a few of her other recipes I've tried. I'd probably use frozen peas instead of green beans in the recipe.

Frankly, I'm into path of least resistence. If I was fussing over potroast for hubs, then I'd just buy some store bought frozen spinach pies for me and pop them in the oven at the last minute.

Oh, that might be a good side for you, some kind of spinach souffle kind of thing. I wouldn't bother making the phyllo kind if I was also making potroast, but maybe you love fussing with dough more than me!

Search for Sherry's Spinach Brownies on CF, they are great and easy. Or here's one of my recipe, on which I have noted "Great stuffing for squash!"

Rice, Lentil and Spinach Pilaf (serves 4)

1/2 cup green lentils (I use brown ones) - cook with 1 cup veg. broth
1 cup Basmati brown rice - cook with 2 cups water or broth, salt and pepper to taste
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
2 small celery stalks
1/2 red pepper or just use all red pepper and no celery
2 tsp. cumin (My notes have a crypic "1")
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Grated zes of lemon
3-4 cups spinach or other greens

Saute veggies in olive oil or 3/4 cup veg. stock.
Add cooked lentils and rice
Can put in a casserole or stuff in squash
Can add cubed sauteed squash, sauteed mushrooms or grated carrots

Note: I would start with the smaller amount of cumin, and then adjust the seasoning using my Penzeys Adobo mix, which is garlic, oregano, onion and cumin. You can adjust according to your own taste.

This would be easy peasy if you already had the cooked lentils and brown rice. It's a bit hard core vegetarian though, lol!

Here is a link that might be useful: Giant stuffed mushrooms

Why not do a Wild Mushroom or Butternut Squash Risotto? It would be a good side with the pot roast, and with a green salad and crusty french bread it would be a very satisfying meal for you!

This is my favorite:

PORCINI MUSHROOM RISOTTO

5 Ounces Dried Porcini Mushrooms
2 Cups Boiling Water
7 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Cup Chopped Onion
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Cups Uncooked Arborio Rice
1 Cup Dry White Wine
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme,
1 Bay Leaf
1 Cup Grated Fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
� Teaspoon Salt
� Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Combine Mushrooms and Water in a bowl and cover. Let stand 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain Mushrooms and strain soaking liquid through a coffee filter and add to the Chicken Stock. Chop Mushrooms and set aside. Bring Chicken Stock and Mushroom Liquid to a simmer, keep warm over low heat.

Heat butter and Oil in a large saucepan. Add Onion and Garlic and cook until Onions are tender. Add Rice cook one minute, stirring constantly. Add Wine and cook 2 minutes, or until absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in Mushrooms, Thyme and Bay Leaf. Add Broth � cup at a time, stirring constantly until absorbed before adding the next portion. This should take about 25 minutes total. Remove Bay leaf, stir in Cheese, Salt and Pepper. Serve immediately.

This is a version of the one that was served to the Holy Father on a visit to NYC:

THE POPE�S RISOTTO

3 Tablespoons Extra-virgin Olive Oil
6 Scallions, minced
2� Cups Arborio Rice
� Cup Dry White Wine
6� Cup Hot Chicken Stock
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Pound Fresh Asparagus, cut into 1" chunks and blanched
2 Tablespoons Butter, cut into bits
1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

In a heavy wide casserole over medium heat, heat the oil. Cook Scallions and Shallots until translucent. Add the Rice and stir to coat, and cook until edges become translucent, about 2 minutes. Add Wine and cook until absorbed, stirring constantly. Add Salt and � cup Stock, stirring constantly until Stock is absorbed. Continue adding Stock � cup at a time, stirring constantly until about half has been added. Stir in the Asparagus and continue adding the Stock until the Rice has absorbed it all. Rice should simmer very gently and become creamy but al dente. This should take about 18 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat, add Butter and stir until melted. Stir in half the Cheese and taste to correct seasonings. Sprinkle with remaining Cheese and serve immediately.

Steve

Sally, I have made this before, and though I love the pancetta on it, it would be still be delish if you omitted it. Maybe this would offer something just a bit out of the ordinary for you and would still be interesting as an appetizer (or side) for the Pot Roast.

Alexa

*******************************************

CAULIFLOWER BISTECCHE WITH PANCETTA AND CAPER BERRIES
For this recipe, it's best to choose a head of cauliflower with a very dense crown so that the "steaks" will hold together during cooking. However, even if they separate a bit, the dish is still delicious.
Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

1/2 cup salt-packed capers*
5 (1/4-inch-thick) slices pancetta (Italian unsmoked cured bacon; 5 oz), cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small head cauliflower (1 3/4 lb)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 pinches of sugar
2 tablespoons water
8 drained bottled caper berries*, rinsed

Special equipment: 2 (12-inch) ovenproof heavy skillets
Garnish: coarse sea salt (preferably sel gris); chopped fresh chives

Rinse salt-packed capers in a sieve and transfer to a small bowl. Soak capers in water to cover by 2 inches for 30 minutes. Drain and repeat soaking. Drain again, then rinse and pat dry.

While capers soak, put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.

Cook pancetta in 1 dry 12-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Pour off fat and wipe skillet clean.

Stir together raisins and lemon juice in a small bowl.

Trim cauliflower stalk flush with base of crown, discarding stalk, then trim any leaves. Put cauliflower crown, stalk side down, on a cutting board. Cut a 1-inch slice from 2 opposite sides of crown and discard, then cut crown lengthwise into 4 "steaks," each about 3/4 to 1 inch wide.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and a pinch each of sugar and pepper in each 12-inch skillet over moderate heat, swirling skillets occasionally, until butter begins to brown. Add 2 cauliflower steaks to each skillet and lightly season with salt and pepper, then cook until undersides are golden, about 4 minutes.

Transfer skillets to oven and roast cauliflower, without turning, switching position of skillets halfway through roasting, until cauliflower is just tender and undersides are golden brown, 8 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness).

While cauliflower roasts, bring water just to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then stir in pancetta, capers, raisins with lemon juice, and caper berries. Add remaining 1/2 stick butter and stir until incorporated. Remove from heat and season with pepper.

Carefully invert cauliflower steaks with a spatula onto a platter and spoon sauce over them.

Cooks' note:
• If your sea salt is very coarse, lightly crush it with a mortar and pestle or with bottom of a heavy skillet.

*Available at specialty foods shops and chefshop.com.

Makes 4 side-dish or first-course servings.

Make the pot roast but lessen the amount of carrots, celery, and potatoes roasted with the beef, enough to make a tasty gravy but not be part of the meal.

These are my standby's when there is an "event". Everyone loves these side dishes but never quite gets around to making them:

Pasta, hot or cold, with pesto, lemon basil, or Alfredo sauce (but not tomato base sauces). Skip the bread - make/buy crunchy bread sticks. Make a Cobb, Waldorf, or a Greek Salad for something special. And/or, baked celery, corn souffle, asparagus with lemon butter sauce, oven roasted parsnips and carrots, potatoes butter baked by making slices almost through and alternating the spaces with sliced onions and horseradish then sprinkling with hot pepper flakes, whole roasted red peppers stuffed with rice and herbs. I have more if you aren't interested in these. LOL

Nancy

Steve thanks for those risotto recipes, they sound so yum!
Alexa that cauliflower dish has been in my "to try" folder for over a year now!
So MANY recipes, so MUCH food, and so LITTLE time!

Decisions, decisions! Those recipes all sound so good! I'm going to copy and paste this thread so I'll have them. The risotto recipes are calling my name, I think. I love cauliflower, and capers, and could probably get the specialty capers, but I don't want to brave our specialty grocery store on Christmas Eve. Central Market is claustrophobic even on an ordinary day, I don't even want to think about what it's like today. I will save that recipe to try soon, though.

However, LPink, I'm liking your Rice, Lentil and Spinach Pilaf. It would be more like a protein, with the lentils. Hmmm, decisions, decisions! lol!

Jesse, if you're still reading this thread, I guess you've figured out by now what I was asking. It would be funny, though,if I was asking a vegetarian for meat cooking advice! lol.

Linda, maybe it's a regional thing, but to me and to DH, a pot roast is a roast that's cooked in or rather just over water, (braised, I guess?) with carrots, celery, and potatoes cooked right along with it in the liquid. What makes it different from stew is that the meat is still a big piece of meat, rather than cut up into cubes. I agree that there's not a lot of difference, if any, in taste from stew. When I was a meat eater, I thought pot roast was okay, but nothing special. I liked oven roasted beef much better, but Dh loves pot roast, the kids okayed it for themselves for Christmas dinner, so that's what they're getting.

Y'all are always so helpful. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and my stomach!

Sally

Sally, you were asking a vegetarian for meat cooking advice.

I know that Lpink cooks meat, and more often now that she has a meat eating boyfriend, but I'm pretty sure that Lpink is basically a vegetarian.

Ann

Sally, what you describe sounds more like a Pot-au-feu than a pot roast. Pot-au-feu is more related to a stew but the meat is left in one piece rather than cut into cubes.

Ann

Can't do pot roast, haven't been able to do pot roast in over 25 years. No way-no how! Since it's beef he wants why don't you ask him if he'll take some other cut - steak, ribs, etc. My grocer had rib-eyes for $6.98 a lb today. Can't beat that. Then cook your veggies separately and have whatever veggies appeal to you, including a salad if you want it.

No, I wasn't asking for meat cooking advice. I was asking a vegetarian for ideas for a different vegetarian main coarse for me. DH is cooking the pot roast for the rest of the family, and whether y'all consider it pot roast or stew or Pot-au-feu, he's still cooking it with the veggies included. I guess I wasn't clear when I said I was looking for "what I could have that would be special." Sorry for the confusion.

Some of you understood my muddle, and I appreciate your recipes. I'm going with the risotto, and have the ingredients to make LPinks Rice, Lentil and Spinach Pilaf very soon, as it sounds really good to me.

Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!

Sally, enjoy your risotto and Merry Christmas!

For the record, here pot roast is a big hunk of beef, usually chuck, cooked a long time in a dutch oven or roasting pan, either in the oven, an electric roaster or even the crockpot, with carrots, potatoes and onions and sometimes celery cooked right in the pan with the meat so that the juices all cook into the vegetables. Mine usually has a bay leaf too, and salt and pepper as seasoning but that's about all. No tomatoes, although a lot of my family adds tomatoes to the mix too.

Stew is chunks of beef, you can use chuck if you like, with chunks of potatoes, carrots, onions and simmered either on top of the stove or in the oven in that same dutch oven. The broth/juice is always thickened into gravy at the end of the cooking time and it's often served with buttermilk biscuits baked on top of the stew or dumplings dropped into the hot gravy. Some people add tomatoes to stew and some add green peas here or corn.

My copy of Larousse Gastronomique says that a pot a feu is a french beef stew, usually made with something "cartiliginous" like oxtail and marrow bone.

Annie

Thanks, Annie. What you described was exactly what DH did. I think he added some red wine to the cooking liquid. All the meat eaters said it was delicious.

I made the mushroom risotto, but used a different recipe that called for 1 oz. dried porcinis and a pound of white button mushrooms (although I used a 10 oz. package of baby bellas instead.). When DH went to the store to buy the porcinis, he called me to tell me they were 3.99 for a half ounce package. Holy Moley, no way are we going to use 5 ounces of porcinis! It turned out delicious!

Thanks again to all who contributed recipes, ideas and debate to this thread. I love this forum for the helpfulness and the exchange of cultures, regions and experiences.

Sally

Sally, I went back and carefully re-read your original post. I see now what you meant, LOL, but to me it read like you were asking for meat advice.

Its all good, glad your meal turned out great.

Thanks, Jessy.

LPink, I have my lentils, spinach, and rice and other ingredients packed and ready to go to OK with me. We're heading out to our place up there for a few days, and it's on my list of what to cook.

Sally

Jessy you think a sometimes meat eating, (except for unsustainable seafood), mostly vegetarian, occasionally vegan, half WASP, half Jewish, half east coast, half midwestern, biologist with a minor in political science don't know nuthin' 'bout cooking no pot roast??!! Why, I learned everything I know about meat (and more) right here!! :)
I do know a lot about "mixed marriages" of MANY types. Vive la difference!!
:)