The Saviour Pot Roast.

The Saviour Pot Roast.

I remember my college years and the amount of energy spent making the day count. There was lots of pressure to be in more then one place at a time. Loads of studies to undertake and without a computer back then tons of research was done at the library or study hall. The first college year was at Conestoga food and beverage coarse then more at in Alberta Institute. Here I was starting a new chef position at Panorama Resort. All my friends and family were all back in Ontario.  Moms home cooked meals were miles away. You soon miss the hands on endless services your mom once supplied. At first I lived in a dorm with four room mates, surviving with one pay phone in the hall, a TV with 2 stations and a refrigerated window sill thanks to the chilly fall and winter climate. Sitting on a metal table stand sat my and toaster oven. The crock pot plugged into the only available outlet it had to run over night while we slept. Living on your own takes a lot of discipline when it comes to cooking a good healthy meal with meagre resources.

I recently met some young university students at a friend’s back yard BBQ. The topic of how to cope with little money and preparing good wholesome food in your small living space became riveting conversation. Three of these students were well seasoned with a couple years of being away from home. Their accommodations were meagre at best and the budget for food was sparse. I asked the question; if you only had room for one appliance in your space what would it be? The unanimous answer was a slow cooker crock pot. A microwave toaster oven and the George Forman grill press ran a good second and a large electric fry pan the third.  Once you lived for weeks at a time eating these food items like KD or the various noodles in a cup, boxed minute rice meals and frozen pasta along with frozen prepared dinners, canned chilli or frozen pizza your cravings for something more sustaining meant a trip to the local restaurants or grocery store deli.

You quickly begin to dislike the cheap burgers, pizza subs and fried chicken chains. They all lack taste and are not very healthy. After a few visits you soon get very ticked off about the inconsistent food and lack of good fare service. Now with a little effort and some meagre ingredients you can turn your own crock pot dinner into a culinary delight. This next recipe is how I would get a good hot meal after a long day caught up in the college grind.

Ingredients Needed:

2 lbs of beef sirloin pot roast.

4 carrots

2 ribs of celery

8  small nugget potatoes

1 large onion

1 heaping tbs of margarine

1 tbs garlic powder

1 tsp each of salt and pepper

1 beef bullion cube

2 cups of filtered water or canned beef stock.

Next rub the salt, pepper, garlic powder and a tablespoon of margarine into the beef pot roast and place into the crock-pot. Add the chopped onions, celery, carrots and the small potatoes, around below and on top of the beef.

Add 16 ounces of filtered water or beef stock and mix in one beef bullion cube.

Cover and turn on the cooker.

Continue to cook for at least five hours, six if the beef is lean.

When you get back to your room the flavourers in the air tell you that tonight’s chow is going to be absolutely appreciated.

All you need to complete the meal is a couple of fresh bread rolls and your choice of beverage.

Now lets make that crock pot rock!