Slow Roasted Beef with Roasted Vegetables

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Spring is finally here and this simple and delicious roast, with its ratatouille, is the best way to celebrate the return of long and warm days! What I like about this roast, just like for the rack of pork roast, is that both meat and side vegetables are cooked at the same time, in the same pan. The meat is seared in the pan to create a crust then roasted at low temperature, so that the vegetables do not get carbonized but simmer gently into a roasted ratatouille. Also, the meat is placed on the rack to preserve its integrity, while allowing the juices to drip into the vegetables underneath. As for the leftovers, you can carve enough meat for roastbeef on baguette enhanced with a cold ratatouille salad.

Ingredients:

3 pound (1½ kilogram) eye of round roast beef

1 cup fresh parsley

½ cup walnut halves

2 or 3 garlic cloves

4 cup zucchini squash

1 cup cremini mushrooms

1 small red onion

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

4 ripe tomatoes

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 275 F.

2. Roughly chop the vegetables into 2 inch cubes and slice the onion.

3. Place vegetables and onion in the bottom of the roasting pan.

4. Chop together parsley, walnut halves and garlic.

5. Mix ¾ of the parsley mixture with the vegetables.

6. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

7. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan over high heat.

8. Season and pan-sear the roast until all the sides are brown.

9. After letting the roast rest for 5 mns, cover the roast with the rest of the parsley mixture.

10. Place the roast on the rack.

11. Cook the roast for 1 ½ to 2 hrs, until the internal temperature reaches 140 F.

12. Remove from the oven and tent with foil for 5-10 mins.

13. Carve the meat and serve with the roasted vegetables (Tip: For a kick fix, drizzle some balsamic vinegar into the vegetables before serving).