Pot Roast, Yum!

I had a piece of bottom round roast that I had bought on markdown in the freezer and It was time to use it or lose it. I don't make a pot roast very often but when I do I just bake it with the vegetables and some broth and then make gravy out of the juice. Yesterday I decided to try a recipe that called for 1 cup of red wine and a can of diced tomatoes. It was so good. You could not tell that it had wine in it, the flavors just mingled so well. I was kind of afraid that the potatoes would turn purple from the wine but they didn't. You could probably cook it that way in a crock pot also. I don't have very good luck getting chunks of meat tender in a crock pot though so I just bake pot roasts or corn beef in the oven for about three hours. I would recommend trying the wine and tomatoes if you don't usually cook a pot roast that way. Pot roast is my husband's favorite so he was very happy with his dinner last night. I was at work so I had to wait until today to have it for lunch, yum.

Paella, Portuguese Style- McCall's Great American

A reader contacted me to see if I had the Paella recipe from the McCall's Great American Recipe Card Collection. I found this one from the Saturday Night Parties section. It calls for 1/2 teaspoon saffron, so it definitely doesn't qualify as a frugal recipe! I clearly remember my Mom making Paella for a dinner party when I was about 10 years old. It was quite a production, taking what seemed like forever to finish.

Paella, Portuguese Style

2 (2-lb.) broiler-fryers, each cut in 8 pieces 1 lb Italian sausages, halved
1/2 cup olive or salad oil 2 medium-size fresh tomatoes
1 lb. lean pork, cut in 1-inch cubes peeled and chopped
2 cups chopped onion 1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, crushed 3 cans (103/4-oz. size) condensed
3/4 teaspoon pepper chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 1/2 lb. large shrimp, shelled
2 teaspoons salt and deveined
2 cups raw long-grain white rice 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen peas,
1/2 teaspoon saffron thawed
1/2 jar (4-oz.) pimientos
2 lemons, each cut in 8 wedges

1. Wipe chicken with damp paper towels. In hot oil in large skillet, brown chicken, about 5 pieces at a time, until golden. Remove as it browns.
2. Add pork cubes to skillet; brown well on all sides. Remove.
3. To drippings in skillet, add onion, garlic, pepper, and oregano; saute, stirring 5 minutes, until onion, is golden. Add salt, rice, and saffron; cook, stirring- about 10 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, in another skillet, brown sausages, turning on all sides- about 10 minutes. Drain and discard fat. Place chicken, sausages, and pork in roasting pan. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
5. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, and chicken broth to rice mixture, and bring to boiling. Add shrimp; spoon evenly over chicken and sausage in pan. Bake, tightly covered with foil, 1 hour.
6. If mixture seems dry, add 1/2 cup water. Sprinkle peas over top, without stirring. Bake, covered, 20 minutes longer.
7. To serve; Turn Paella into heated, round serving platter or paella pan. Garnish with pimiento and lemon. Serves 10.