RECIPE DOCTOR
Balanced meal made all in one pot

By Elaine Magee
Knight Ridder News Service

Q. One of my favorite comfort foods is pot roast. Do you have a recipe that is easy to make but as light as possible so I can start making it myself?

A. I've got to admit that good pot roast is a nice balanced meal, made all in one pot. We are basically taking a very lean cut of beef and cooking it over low heat for several hours to tenderize it and create tasty juices. It's easy to throw some veggies into the mix too — always a good thing to do.

There are all sorts of pot-roast recipes and variations, but I thought I would lighten up one that I thought was nice and basic. You can add your own ingredient twists and tastes if you desire.

First, trim all visible fat from the roast — this keeps the juices that form in the pot more healthful. Then brown this lean roast in a tablespoon of canola oil. This browning step helps create great flavors, so it's worth the extra time and tablespoon of oil. I threw in some veggies to boost the nutrients and fiber and to make this a complete meal instead of an entrée. I used low-sodium broth because I was adding diced tomatoes, which come with their own dose of sodium. Lastly, I made gravy at the end by whisking fat-free sour cream into the juices from the pot.

Savory Pot Roast with Veggies

• 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 1/2 pound rump roast (trimmed of visible fat)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 medium onions, cut in half and sliced (or 1 extra-large onion)
• 2 cups baby carrots, cut in half in the center
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can petite diced tomatoes (low-sodium, if available)
• 3 medium to large potatoes, quartered
• 1 cup fat-free sour cream (optional)

Add the flour, salt and pepper to a medium-sized shallow bowl and stir together with fork or whisk. Coat all sides of the beef roast with the flour mixture, pressing the flour mixture firmly into each side.

Add canola oil to large, nonstick saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the rump to the hot oil and brown meat on all sides. Reduce heat to low and add the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the carrots, garlic, parsley, beef broth, diced tomatoes and potatoes and stir well. Cover saucepan tightly with lid and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for about 4 hours, turning roast and gently stirring vegetables occasionally.

Remove pot roast from saucepan and let sit 10 minutes. Remove vegetables with slotted spoon and place them in a serving bowl. Stir sour cream into the juice remaining in the saucepan if desired. If you don't want to add sour cream, you can slice the pot roast and then serve the slices with the vegetables and pan juices.

Original recipe contains 562 calories, 29 g fat, and 10 g saturated fat per serving.

Makes about 8 servings

Per serving: 444 calories (25 percent from fat), 50 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat, 3.6 g saturated fat, 5.5 g mono-unsaturated fat, 1 g poly-unsaturated fat, 140 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 246 mg sodium (using low-sodium broth and tomatoes).

Omega-3 fatty acids, 0.3 g; omega-6 fatty acids, 0.6 g; Weight Watchers points: 9.

Elaine Magee is author of "The Recipe Doctor Cookbook" and "The Flax Cookbook." Reach her through www.recipedoctor.com. Personal responses cannot be provided.