Slow roasted chuck roast with pappardelle pasta and steamed broccoli, hazelnut cake

Pot Roast

5 lbs chuck roast
1 large onion
2 shallots
3 cloves garlic
4 slices bacon

1 tsp red pepper flakes
dash of Worchestershire sauce
sea salt
a couple of bay leaves
2 leeks, white parts, sliced
chopped parsley

1 bottle beer

1/4 cup mustard, any kind

Rinse beef and pat dry. Dredge in flour and brown in olive oil in large skillet. Place into slow cooker.

Chop garlic, onion, shallots, and bacon in food processor and add to beef. Sprinkle with seasonings. Slowly pour in the beer and top with parsley.
Roast for about 8 hours on the SLOW setting, then add the mustard. You can bind the gravy with a little flour dissolved in cold water. Let it simmer another hour. Adjust seasonings to your taste.

Prepare the steamed broccoli and the pasta and serve.

This pot roast is flavorful and tender. Leftovers are delicious cold, served on ciabatta rolls with pickles, mustard, lettuce, onions, etc.






Hazelnut Cake

1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cold butter
1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts

Batter:
2 ounces chocolate chips, melted in a double boiler or microwave

1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350F.

Butter and flour a springform pan.

Combine the 1/4 cup of flour, brown sugar, and cold butter until crumbly. Stir in the hazelnuts and set aside. This will be the topping.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the sour cream, butter and egg. Beat until well mixed. Remove 1 cup of the batter and mix it with the melted chocolate.

Spread the remaining batter into the springform pan. Spoon chocolate batter over the top. Sprinkle with nut topping.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool, remove from pan, and serve. This cake is delicious - light, moist, chocolaty and nutty!