Got this off a Yahoo Group that I belong to. It's nice, not seeing cream and onion soup mix! Slow Cooker Family-Favorite Pot Roast Makes: 6 servings 2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil 2- to 2 1/2-pound beef bottom round roast 6 medium potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups) 2 1/2 cups baby-cut carrots 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (about 5 ounces) 1 medium stalk celery, sliced (1/2 cup) 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup) 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed beef consomme or broth 1 can (5.5 ounces) eight-vegetable juice (2/3 cup) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. If beef roast comes in netting or is tied, do not remove. Cook beef in oil about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides. Place potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, celery and onion in 4- to 5-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Place beef on vegetables. Pour tomatoes, consomme and vegetable juice over beef. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours. Remove beef and vegetables from cooker, using slotted spoon; place on serving platter and cover to keep warm. Skim fat from beef juices in cooker if desired. Remove 1/2 cup of the juices from cooker; mix with flour in small bowl, using wire whisk, until smooth. Gradually stir flour mixture into remaining juices in cooker. Increase heat setting to High. Cover and cook about 15 minutes or until thickened. Remove netting or strings from beef. Serve sauce with beef and vegetables. Regular tomato juice works just as well as the eight-vegetable juice in this recipe. If you don't have baby-cut carrots on hand, cut full-size carrots into 2-inch pieces. Instead of fresh mushrooms, you also can use a 4.5-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley just before serving.

The toasted breadcrumbs give this recipe a nice crunch. Don't leave it out. Shrimp or chicken would also be a nice addition. Linguine with Roasted Red Peppers and Tomatoes (Fine Cooking) 1 medium clove garlic 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup) 1 cup small grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 4-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tbs. capers, rinsed and chopped 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs, preferably whole wheat 12 oz. dried linguine or spaghetti 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; more for serving Coarsely chop the garlic. Sprinkle it with 1/2 tsp. salt and using the flat side of a chef's knife mash it to a paste. In a large bowl, stir the garlic paste, roasted peppers, tomatoes, parsley, 3 Tbs. of the oil, the capers, and the pepper flakes. Heat the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and toast, stirring frequently, until the smaller crumbs are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with salt. Cook the linguine in the boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Add the red pepper mixture to the hot pasta, toss to combine, and add just enough of the reserved pasta water to moisten (you won't need it all). Add the cheese, toss well, and season to taste with salt. Serve topped with the breadcrumbs and additional cheese.

Oh my, I want to make this. I love olives, cumin etc. Spanish Honey-Cumin Roasted Chicken (Fine Cooking) 5 large cloves garlic, peeled 1/3 cup sherry vinegar 1/3 cup fresh orange juice 1/4 cup honey 3 Tbs. olive oil 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. ground cumin 1-1/2 tsp. paprika 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt 4 oz. dried apricots (about 16) 24 green and black assorted olives, whole or pitted 4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, for garnish (optional) Crush the garlic cloves and sprinkle with a little salt. Mince the garlic finely into a paste; you should have 1-1/2 to 2 Tbs. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, orange juice, honey, olive oil, cumin and paprika, and whisk until thoroughly combined. Wash and dry the chicken pieces thoroughly. Press down on the chicken breasts with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly (allowing rib cartilage to pop away or break in half). With a sharp knife, poke three or four slits in both sides of each piece of chicken to help the marinade penetrate. Put the chicken in a large nonreactive bowl and toss with the kosher salt. Add the garlic paste to the bowl and toss to coat the chicken. Add the marinade to the bowl and toss to coat. Add the apricots and olives and toss to combine. Wrap the bowl well with plastic and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and pour the chicken and marinade into one 10x15-inch or two 7x11-inch Pyrex baking dishes. Adjust the chicken so it's skin side up and the pieces are evenly spaced. Tuck the apricots and olives under and around the chicken pieces. Sprinkle each piece of chicken with a pinch of salt. Let the chicken sit for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour to warm up a bit so it will cook more evenly. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400F. Place pan in oven; after 30 minutes, baste occasionally with the pan juices to help brown the skin and keep the chicken moist. The chicken is done when it turns deep brown and the pan juices have reduced and a paring knife will slide easily into a thigh, about 1 hour. Make the pan sauce: Transfer the chicken pieces to a cutting board and tent with foil. Transfer the apricots and olives to a small bowl and reserve. With a large, shallow spoon, spoon off as much fat as possible. Add 2 Tbs. water to the pan (or 1 Tbs. to each of the two pans) and use a wooden spoon to scrape off enough of the baked-on pan drippings from the sides and bottom of the pan to form a slightly thickened, deeply colored, rich-looking sauce (you won't need to scrape the whole pan). Taste the sauce; if it's too intense, add a little more water; if it isn't flavorful enough, keep scraping and stirring. Cut each breast in half and serve a thigh and half a breast for each portion along with the reserved olives and apricots.

I love capers and olives with pasta! Rustic Linguine with Olives and Herbs (Style at Home) Herb and olive mixture 1 cup Kalamata or other good-quality black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme 2 tablespoons drained nonpareil capers 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon minced fresh red Thai chile (optional) 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Fine sea salt 3/4 pound whole wheat linguine or spaghetti 1 Place the olives, herbs, capers, garlic, chile, and olive oil in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes and up to two hours, stirring a couple of times, for the flavours to come together. 2 Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt as you see fit and then the pasta, stirring a few times. Return to a boil with the lid on; uncover and cook at a gentle boil until the pasta is al dente, according to the package directions. 3 To finish, drain the pasta and return it to the pot or to a large serving bowl, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the herb and olive mixture together with a scant 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Toss vigorously to combine for about 1 minute, adding a tad more cooking liquid to loosen the pasta as needed. Serve at once. To get a head start: The herb and olive mixture, as in step 1, can be prepared one day ahead. Chill, covered. Remove it from the fridge when you start to boil the pasta water to take the chill out. I normally don't buy already pitted olives as the pit helps them retain flavor, but if you're in a hurry, please do.