Herb & Wild Mushroom Crusted Beef Roast

Make a delicious roast in less than an hour??  Yep, totally do-able if you buy little quick-cooking mini roasts - even wallet-friendly roasts like eye of round roasts!  By searching a few sites on Alberta Beef, I came up with a recipe for a roast that would give me a nice woodsy crust and some delicious creamy gravy.  I used a bunch of dried mushrooms that I bought last year from Mo-Na Foods - check them out if you're in the Edmonton area - great selection and great prices!!

Herb & Wild Mushroom Crusted Beef Roast
Crust Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dijon mustard (I used some of that lovely truffle dijon I used in the beef stew a couple of weeks ago)
1/2 sprig of rosemary - leaves plucked and ditch the stem
1 sprig of fresh thyme, leaves removed
3 cloves garlic
1 large shallot
1 cup dried mushrooms
salt & pepper

1 - 1 1/2 lb eye of round beef roast

Gravy Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup beef stock
1tbsp + 2 tbsp hot water
2+  tbsp heavy cream (I used some of the devonshire cream I had left over from the turkey & leek pie)

Method:
Take roast out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350degrees.

In your mini food processor, combine the first 8 ingredients to form a thick chunky paste. 

Put the roast in a roaster and spread the paste over the top and sides of the roast.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, until your meat thermometer reads 140 degrees (this will give you medium rare).

Remove from oven and place roast on a cutting board; tent with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile get your gravy going.  In a small saute pan over medium heat, melt butter and cook chped onions until they are soft - add the onions to the roaster pan and add the broth.  Slowly over medium high heat, bring to a boil.  Make a paste out of the flour and water and add to the broth mixture.  Get it going to a boil and add the cream.  I strained the gravy to serve, but if you like a chunky gravy - skip that step!

Slice the roast against the grain & serve with the gravy.  I stored leftover meat slices with the gravy which will make a nice beef-dip sandwich for Todd tomorrow :)

I Heart Alberta Beef

I love steak.  It's simple as that!  Even though a good steak will taste great grilled "naked," I love experimenting with making marinades.  Here's my super easy marinade that I made today for some delicious beef tenderloin steaks (and could be used for buffalo, venison, chicken, or even portabello mushrooms)

Grilling Marinade:
Ingredients:
4 steaks of your choice - I used beef tenderloin steaks
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1tbsp balsamic vinegar
1tbsp Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until slightly emulsified.  Add your meat and marinate in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.  Take your meat out of the fridge about 30 mins before you grill.  Get the grill nice and hot and then call Todd to bbq your steaks b/c I screw them up every time haha.  When you take them off the grill, let them rest under a foil tent for 5 minutes before serving.

Because Todd and I are living modified paleo, I served our tenderloins on a bed of wild arugula & spinach medly (no extra dressing required) with grilled veg on the side.  No carbs!  We also cracked a bottle of wine (ok some carbs!) that we got on our recent wine country adventure: Cedar Creek Estate Winery Syrah - great pairing!!

Me and Cousin David at Cedar Creek winery

Create Your Own Paleo Hybrid Recipes

Welcome to Westerner Days, Red Deerians!  That means a plethora of unhealthy food such as donut burgers, deep-fried mars bars, corn-dogs, cotton candy and anything else you can think of that is loaded with fat, sugar and chemicals!  Since I partook in a greasy pancake breakfast this morning, I was feeling like I needed to lighten things up for dinner. 

Enough char to last a lifetime!

I took one of my favourite Paleo Lifestyle Recipes for Spicy Scallop Salad and switched it up for a spicy shrimp salad.  Check out the original, and then try my hybrid version of the recipe!  (btw, the original is amazing and gets top marks around this house!)

Shannon's Spicy Shrimp Salad
...for 2
Ingredients
1tsp cayenne pepper (less if you have low tolerance for heat)
1tsp freshly ground black pepper
1tsp sea salt
1lb large shrimp, fresh or thawed
3tbsp lemon juice
1tbsp Hellman's Real Mayonnaise
1tsp Dijon mustard (did I mention that the PC brand is the best?)
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup hemp seed oil*
1tsp agave syrup
2 big handfuls of organic baby spinach/arugula blend (available at costco)
1/2 ripe mango, cubed
1/2 avacado, sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1 shallot sliced thinly
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp coconut oil

*if you don't have hemp seed oil, use avacado oil or olive oil.

Prep:

1. Make the salads first, wash the spinach/arugula, slice the mango, avacado, red pepper & shallot.  Distribute onto 2 plates (as artfully as possible hahahah)
2. In a glass bowl, combine ingredients for the vinagrette by whisking together ingredients: lemon juice, mayonnaise, pinch of cayenne, Dijon, garlic, hemp seed oil, salt & pepper.  Set aside.
3. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.  Combine the cayenne, salt and pepper and toss with the shrimps.
4. In a wide frying pan, or saute pan, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat, until the oil melts and is starting to get tiny bubbles.
5. Add shrimp and get your sear on!  About 2 mins per side - don't overcook or you'll be banished from the Gordon Ramsay fantasy camp! 



Sizzle.... watch the colours change - don't overcook!

6. Top your beautiful salad with shrimp and drizzle with the dressing - serve immediately - DELICIOUS!!!

Do try the recipes from the Paleo Lifestyle website - they're awesome, but use them like I do, as a springboard for new healthy delicious meals than your family will LOVE!!!

Heaven on a plate!