Between Carpools – Caramelized French Roast

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Why do you even need any of the bottled stuff when a roast made with simple ingredients like this is just so, so good?

3‑4 lb. French roast

Salt and pepper, for sprinkling

Paprika, for sprinkling

1⅓ cup sugar

2 large onions, sliced in rounds

2 tbsp cold water

2 tbsp potato starch

 

  1. Rinse the French roast and pat dry. Season well with salt, pepper, and paprika.
  2. Place the sugar in a sauté or braising pot (the pot should also be large enough to fit the meat, covered). Over low heat, cook sugar, stirring occasionally, until sugar melts and turns into a caramel color.
  3. Add the meat to the pan on top of the caramelized sugar. Sear both sides of the meat two times, using a fork or tongs to rotate the meat.
  4. When all surfaces of the meat are browned, lift the roast and place the onions underneath. Cover and let cook over medium low heat for 21/2‑ 3 hours. (Make sure the flame is low enough so as not to burn the meat, but high enough so that the sauce is still bubbling slightly.) Remove meat from pan.
  5. As the onions cook, the water from the onions will mix with the sugar, creating a sauce.
  6. In a small bowl, combine the potato starch and water. Add to the sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens. Slice meat and serve with caramelized onion sauce.
  7. To freeze and rewarm, slightly undercook the roast. Freeze the meat and sugar-onion sauce separately. Rewarm the sauce, only adding the potato starch and water at this point. Slice the meat and reheat with the sauce.

Grape Juice Sorbet in Mini Cups

This grape juice sorbet is delicious. But so much more genius than that is the packaging! Individual servings, people. This one is all about the individual servings. Make a batch, scoop it into little containers and the sticky, messy part of the treat is behind you. Poof! Keep a 9×13 full of these little containers in the freezer and everyone can help themselves without making a mess. Thanks to Chantzy Weinstein.

6 cups water

3 cups sugar (note: for a tangier flavor, you can use 2 cups of sugar instead of 3. Sugar can also be substituted with Xylitol.)

1 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)

3 cups grape juice

 

  1. Combine the water and sugar in a pot on a low flame until the sugar dissolves. Add both juices. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Let cool completely and transfer to two 9×13 disposable pans. Freeze overnight.
  2. Break ices into pieces and blend in food processor using the S blade. Don’t over-process! Scoop into individual 4-ounce cups with lids.

Want to Dress It Up?

When preparing the sorbet to serve as a dessert freeze it in a pan for easy scooping, and not in individual containers. In order to get a nice soft and scoopable consistency you will need to follow the recipe as directed and then process the mix in the food processor one additional time.

To plate the dessert, simply place the grapefruit supremes in the base of your dish, then top with a scoop of sorbet and pomegranate arils.