Warm up with pot roast, chocolate-peanut butter pie

David Venable shares recipes for comfort foods as winter approaches

Video: Cozy up with comfort-food classic pot roast

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>> pot roast is about as comforting as you can get.

>> well, absolutely. growing up in my house, al, mom had beef pot roast every other sunday growing up, and it was the only day of the week she let me get into the kitchen when i was very young and help her out because she was getting ready for church. she'd have me sear off the pot roast . what we've already done is floured and seasoned this.

>> why do you flour it?

>> creates that crust that holds your seasoning, so you get the nice outer crust which will add to the flavor . and we've left a lot of flavor in here. all that on the bottom. we're going to add t that beautiful white onions , fresh garlic that we've smashed, and a little tomato paste. and what's nice about this, we'll hit this with a little salt, pardon my reach.

>> want pepper?

>> yeah, a little pepper and then really let these caramelize and cook down because the onions are going to absorb so much of the flavor of the beef and then transfer some of their flavor back to the roast, which is really, really nice. and get this on a nice hot pot and this will go in the oven in a little while. but what really is exciting about this recipe, it's so easy. all the recipes in the book are accessible, recipes and ingredients we understand, and really dishes that you remember, kind of the dishes that take you home again after sunday dinner.

>> you bet.

>> what we're going to do, we've caramelized onions .

>> okay.

>> before we transfer the roast back in here and put it in the oven, we're going to deglaze this pot with red wine . and actually, if we had more time, we would let this reduce down by about half.

>> right.

>> what this is doing is releasing those bits of flavor you were talking about on the bottom of the pot really giving us that wonderful flavor and adding so much back to what we're doing. now, what we're going to do is then grab our roast here and about a 4 our 5-pounder, it's a big job. we're going to add beef stock to this.

>> some people say chicken stock , but you go with beef.

>> i do. i figure if you're going to go beef pot roast , go beef all the way.

>> that's right.

>> and beautiful fresh herbs.

>> nobody's ever said that's just too beefy.

>> nobody ever said that about pot roast . and what you're going to do now is cover this and get this into the oven. we're going to roast this or braise it for about 2 1/2 hours.

>> do y check it to make se the liquids --

>> yeah, you can add more beef broth , add water if you like that. and then after about 2 1/2 hours in the oven, we're going to add fresh, wonderful root vegetables . we're going to do some carrots and potatoes.

>> turnips if you want.

>> absolutely.

>> people always make the mistak shouldn't you let the meat rest?

>> you should. because just like a casserole needs to reabsorb juices, meat does the same thing. needs to rest for about 10 to 15 minutes and allows it to reabsorb the juices.

>> wow.

>> then you get that nice, beautiful slice of pot roast along with some gat roasted vegetables, and it doesn't get better until you use some of this beef gravy.

>> that straight from the pot?

>> absolutely. sure, absolutely.

>> and nice, you've got a nice spinach salad .

>> mom always taught me to cook with layers of flavor , there's bacon in there. and how about chocolate peanut butter pie ?

>> oh, my goodness.

>> david venable, you are the best. thank you so much, sir.

>> a pleasure being here. good to meet you both.

>>> coming up next, kathie lee and hoda, but first, your local news and weather.

>> and pot roast .

>> wow, that is rich. .

Show transcript

TODAY recipes

updated 10/24/2012 6:32:04 PM ET

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Craving comfort foods as the weather gets colder outside? Try these delicious recipes from David Venable's new cookbook, "In the Kitchen with David: QVC's Resident Foodie Presents Comfort Foods That Take You Home."

Recipe: Pot roast with vegetables (on this page) Recipe: Spinach salad with warm bacon dressing (on this page) Recipe: Chocolate-peanut butter pie (on this page)

Recipe: Pot roast with vegetables

David Venable

Ingredients

1 3- to 4-pound boneless bottom round roast
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
2 medium onions, quartered
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
3 cups beef stock
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
3 carrots, sliced into 1-inch pieces
6 Red Bliss potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Many Sunday mornings, Mom asked me to sear the meat for pot roast. Mom added the other
ingredients and let the pot roast cook for hours. Oh my, how good the house smelled! The meat was fall-apart tender, and the gravy was thick and flavorful. As soon as there’s a nip in the air, I begin to crave this dish and make it several times during the winter.

To make the pot roast:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Spread the flour on a large plate. Dredge the roast in
the flour, coating it completely. Season it liberally with salt and pepper.

Heat the canola oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides until
it is well browned. Remove the browned meat to a plate. Add the onions, garlic and tomato paste to the pot and cook until the onions and garlic begin to turn golden. Add the red wine and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the wine has reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Return the meat to the pot.

Add the beef stock, thyme and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cover and transfer to the
oven. Roast for 2 1/2 hours. Add the carrots and potatoes and roast for 2 hours more. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. While the meat is resting, skim the fat from the gravy. Transfer the gravy to a saucepan and heat. Cut the roast into thin slices, arrange them on a serving platter, and garnish with the parsley. Serve the pot roast accompanied by the gravy.

Serving Size

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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Recipe: Spinach salad with warm bacon dressing

David Venable

Ingredients

1 11-ounce package baby spinach
1/2 red onion, sliced
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled; 3 tablespoons drippings reserved
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 cup (2 ounces) Pecorino Romano shavings

Preparation

Baby spinach is one of the most tender, flavorful and nutrient-rich greens you can eat. Warm
bacon dressing offers slightly smoky, slightly crunchy, slightly tangy flavors that work perfectly with this leafy green treat.

To make the salad:
Toss together the spinach, red onion, mushrooms and cranberries in a large bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together the bacon drippings, vinegar, sugar, mustard and basil in a saucepan over
low heat. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Drizzle the warm dressing over the spinach salad and toss to combine. Add the crumbled bacon and the eggs. Top with the pecorino shavings before serving.

Serving Size

Makes 4 servings.

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Recipe: Chocolate-peanut butter pie

David Venable

Ingredients

For the pie crust:
1 9-inch prepared graham cracker piecrust
For the filling:
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened (do not use nonfat cream cheese)
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the topping:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated or shaved semisweet chocolate
Unsalted peanuts

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake the graham cracker piecrust for 7 to 8 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the filling, combine the chocolate chips and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 20-second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Stir thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Set aside. Let cool completely.

Place the cream cheese, peanut butter, granulated sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-low speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until ingredients are fully incorporated. Pour the chocolate mixture into the peanut butter mixture and mix on low until just combined. Do not overmix. Spread evenly into the prepared crust. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

To make the topping, beat the cream to soft peaks in the clean bowl of an electric mixer. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until medium peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe the cream decoratively over the top of the pie. Garnish with the grated chocolate and peanuts before serving.