Sirloin Roast with Roasted Vegetables

Another weekly oven meal that can cook while I take my little man to Tae Kwon Do. Again, if you live close to a Wegmans you can buy the meat all prepped and the veggies washed and cut. Tonight's dinner serves 4 and will introduce Brussels sprouts to the kids…well they were not in the mood to try something new, but I can say it was AWESOME! I hate Brussels sprouts, but this is the first time I had them roasted and they were delicious. Next time when I remove them from the oven I will toss them with fresh minced garlic and some fresh squeezed lemon juice…YUMMY!

This size roast easily serves 3-4 people, and was so tender and came out a perfect medium rare…to adjust time based on your desired level of doneness.

Ingredients:
2.5 pound sirloin roast
1 sweet onion
2 TBS black pepper corns, crushed
oven bag
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
2 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
2 TBS Wegmans basting oil (olive oil, grape seed oil, sunflower oil blend infused with fresh herbs)
Wegmans Finishing Sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300.

2. Slice the onion and place in the oven bag. Top the roast with the black peppercorns and lay on top of the onion in the bag and knot it.

3. Cut 6, 1" slits in the bag and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour.

4. Meanwhile toss all the veggies in the Wegmans basting oil until well coated. Lay evenly on a baking sheet. When the roast is done raise the oven to 400 and roast the veggies for about 15 minutes.

5. Slice roast and top with Wegmans Finishing Sauce and a side of roasted veggies. Enjoy!

Crockpot Rigatoni

Here is my weekly attempt at a crockpot dinner. Calling it pizza pasta for the kiddos, two of their favorite dishes, got them very excited to eat and it was a hit. I even considered renaming this recipe to Lazy Pizza because that is what it reminded me of. I built the recipe in My Fitness Pal, and it calculates this dish, which serves 7,  to be 484 calories per serving.

I will definitely make this again and may even experiment with the "toppings." Leave out the pepperoni and add bell peppers would make a tasty veggie "pizza." Enjoy!

Ingredients:
28 oz jar spaghetti sauce (I used Classico tomato basil)
13.5 oz whole wheat spring pasta, cooked
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
6 oz pepperoni, chunks
8 oz baby pearl mushrooms
1/2 sweet onion, chopped

Directions:
1. In a slow cooker layer ingredients in order listed until done (I made two layers).

2. Cook on high for 3 hours. Enjoy.

Italian Style Slow Roasted Pork with Roasted Yams in a Garlic Parsley Finishing Butter

I hope you are lucky enough to live close to a Wegmans. I can't imagine never having a Wegmans to shop at again in my life. When people come to visit they want to see my Wegmans; it is that amazing. This recipe is from Wegmans MENU magazine this quarter (Holiday 3013), and let me tell you it is tender, juicy and goes perfectly with the roasted yams. 

On Tuesdays we have Tae Kwon Do for my son and I need a dinner that can go in the oven before I leave and be cooking while we are gone, and then I can finish it up when we get back. This way I only have to do the finishing touches and I don't rush. So tonight we are trying this tasty dish that serves 6-8…so we will have lunches for the week to! Enjoy!

Roasted Yams with a Garlic Parsley Finishing Butter 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs organic yams, peeled, 1-inch dice 

2 TBS Wegmans Basting Oil

Salt and pepper 

2 TBS Garlic Parsley Finishing butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss yams with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

2. Roast on center each for 20-25 minutes, or until tender. Stir half way through.

3. Remove from oven and toss with butter. Enjoy!

Italian-Style Slow Roasted Pork Roast

Ingredients:

3 small onions, peeled, halved, sliced

2  navel oranges, skin-on, thinly sliced 

1 (7-10 lb)  pork shoulder 

6 garlic cloves, minced   

1 Tbsp  fennel seed 

Salt and cracked black pepper 

Directions:

1. Day before: Combine onion and orange slices in a roasting pan (no rack). Diagonally score fat-side (top) of the pork about 3/4-inch deep in a diamond pattern. Rub garlic, then fennel seeds into top of pork. Season well with salt and pepper. Place pork on top of onion and orange slices. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

2. Day of meal: Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and bake uncovered for 7-8 hours.

3. Remove from oven. Carefully roast on clean platter; let rest. As roast rests, ladle hot juices into gravy separator. Reserve de-fatted juices; keep warm. Reserve onions if desired.

4. Serve au jus with pork.

Chef tip: Thicken gravy: add 2 TBS cornstarch and 2 TBS cold water in a small bowl; set aside. Add 1 pkg (8oz) of home-style gravy to de-fatted juices. Bring to a simmer; add cornstarch mixture. Cook, whisking, 2 minutes. 

Margherita Spaghetti Squash

Can you say delicious and easy, except for the arm strength you need to cut the squash! Incredibly healthy, meatless and savory. I found this recipe on Facebook, and have made it multiple times already. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
garlic salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, and clean out all the seeds. Drizzle each half with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper and place face down on a nonstick baking dish. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and see if the squash is tender; if not bake an additional 10 minutes.

3. Remove from oven and turn oven to broil. Lossen all the squash up into "noodles" leave it in the shell. Toss with tomatoes and basil and top with cheese.

4. Place in broiler for 3-5 minutes or until cheese bowls. Enjoy!