7 Books and Mum's Beef Pot Roast

Haven't been blogging for a while now...I couldn't really think of anything nice to write. I have been restraining myself from doing any sewing for the past week as I am sort of preparing myself for some new, bigger projects. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of some bag patterns and materials I recently bought.

So for the past few days, I have been preoccupied with some reading.


I managed to finish all 5 Spiderwick Chronicles books. Before the movie came out, I had never heard of this series. My 6-year old son has been talking about the movie endlessly ever since he first saw the trailer. He goes on the movie website nearly everyday and knows about the plot and the characters in detail, you would actually think he has read the books. All that talk made me curious.

I have also been seriously studying 2 bag making books I've borrowed from the library. Lots of great new techniques to learn.

So...what else can I share today? Yes, perhaps some recipe worth trying...


Beef pot roast is sort of my mum's specialty. Growing up, she prepared this only for special family gatherings because beef was way more expensive than chicken or pork. Nowadays, however, this dish quite frequently finds its way into our dinner table (beef being so abundant here in Australia!).


My Mum's Beef Pot Roast

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cooking oil
I kilo roasting beef, whole or sliced into two pieces
1 large onion, sliced
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 bay leaf
1-2 teaspoons black peppercorns
water
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 large can whole button mushrooms, drained

Procedure:

**If beef slab is too big , I would recommend cutting it into two smaller pieces.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Brown beef on all sides. Remove beef and drain oil. Put beef back in pan and add onion, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaf and peppercorns. Add just enough water to cover. Bring to a full boil. Cover and simmer for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until beef is cooked through. Strain sauce. Set beef aside to cool then slice into 1/4 inch thick pieces.

Melt butter in a separate pan. Put mushrooms and toss in butter for about a minute. Pour in strained sauce and let boil. Thicken with cornstarch (dissolved in a little water). Adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Pour sauce over sliced beef. Serve while hot, with steamed veggies of your choice.