Monday Night Crock Pot

Tip: cut up veggies the night before or use frozen ones.

Slow-Cooked Brisket with Mashed Potatoes

1 Flat-End Beef Brisket

3 to 3 1/2 lbs.

Kosher salt to taste, plus 2 tsp.

freshly ground pepper to taste

2 Tbs. Vegetable oil

1 jar 25.5 oz Brisket Starter from Williams-Sonoma

12 oz. Carrots peeled and thinly sliced on the bias

5 lb. russet potatoes peeled and cut into 2-in pieces.

8 Tbs. 1 stick unsalted butter cut into small pieces

1/4 cups half and half heated

Season the brisket on both sides with salt and pepper. in a large fry pan medium-high heat, warm the oil. Sear the brisket until well browned on both sides., 8 to 10 minutes. transfer to a slow cooker and add the brisket starter and carrots. Cover and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions until tender, about 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low. ** I prefer low settings.

Meanwhile, put the potatoes and the 2 tsp. salt in a large pot, add water to cover the potatoes by 3 inches and bring to boil over medium-heat heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently cook the potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well in a colander.

Set a potato ricer or food mill over the pot and pass the potatoes through in batches. Add butter and gradually add the half-and-half, stirring constantly and with a large spoon, until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the brisket to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Skim the excess fat off th esauce. Cut the brisket into slices 1/4 inch thick and arrange on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce on top and pass the rest alongside. serve with mashed potatoes.

Serves 6 to 8

Back to Crock Pot Mondays

This recipe is made in the oven but is so easy.

You will need the Williams and Sonoma jar of arroz con pollo starter $ 12.00

Ingredients:

1 chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pound cut into 8 pieces ( used chicken breasts)

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 cup long grain rice

1 jar arroz con pollo starter

1 1/4 cups chicken stock

1 cup frozen peas

chopped fresh cilantor for garnish

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper

Preheat an oven to 350o F. In a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. working in batches, brown the chicken, turning once, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Discard all but 1 Tbs. of the fat in the pot. Add the rice and cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the arroz con pollo starter and stock. Add the chicken, cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then gently stir in the peas. re-cover the pot and continue baking until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

January 2011

Winter break went by way too fast. Photodaughter has shown an interest in teaching English as a second language, in France. She has sent in her applications to various places along with Teach for America. Sounds like a plan. Take a year off before applying to graduate school.

• A piece of advice to new comers, invest in plastic Tupperware type containers. So many of these go back to college with food, cookies soup etc. and I never see them again.
• Secondly, save boxes. All sizes. Whenever Photodaughter is home visiting she always forgets something and (we are searching for a box) to mail the item back to her at college.

You can tell when you college student is growing up, they are busy over home breaks. Winter break was all about seeing friends, travelling etc. Yes, we did famliy time things but she is grown up 21 1/2 years old. Lastly, this is the "last ditch" before the real world of working for a living.

I think, if she could, she would be a "lifetime" college student.

Fianlly, Iwouldn't trade this for anything