Log in Subscribe

A Valentine dinner at home

‘Cooking with a Veteran’

Posted 2/12/22

Dave says his Slow Cooked Roast is a great dish to cook for that special someone or your family during Valentine’s Day. End a romantic meal with some New York-style Cheesecake. (Dave’s a New Yorker, moving her about a month ago.)  

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

A Valentine dinner at home

‘Cooking with a Veteran’

Posted

Dave says his Slow Cooked Roast is a great dish to cook for that special someone or your family during Valentine’s Day. End a romantic meal with some New York-style Cheesecake. (Dave’s a New Yorker, moving her about a month ago.)  

By the way, some of the T-G crew has already sampled Dave’s cheesecake and it received rave reviews. Dave says he likes to add Moonshine Cherries. (The moonshine is available at local liquor stores. So just contact Dave and he’ll let you know where to find it.)  

“What is great about this meal is that it is a one pot dish, easy to clean and no having to check it every 5 minutes to see how it is doing,” explains Dave, who continues his Cooking with a Veteran on Facebook and YouTube.  

Dave is also hosting a series of cooking classes “Vittles with a Veteran,” beginning March and running through May, at Shelbyville Recreation Center.  

Slow Cooked Roast  

3 lb. roast I use beef, but you can use pork  

1 bell pepper (I like to mix 1/3 of red, yellow and green)  

3 – 4 potatoes diced (I use the mix of different color potatoes)  

2 Carrots diced (I use a mix of variety baby carrots.)  

3 diced celery sticks  

4 C. beef broth, or until it covers all the vegetables. (optional replace 1 cup with red wine)  

½ sliced yellow onion  

3 garlic cloves minced or whole  

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce  

Seasoning to taste: smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, white and black pepper, adobo, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme.  

Optional: add other vegetables like golden radish, turnip  

Start by brining meat for 2-3 hours with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic (optional). If you want more of a char on the meat, you can sear the beef in your cast iron for 3 minutes on each side.  

Take your slow cooker and add your vegetables. You want to fill about half way, you may need more vegetables if you are cooking in a large slow cooker for your whole family.  

Add your seasonings. I added some sun dried tomatoes and black truffle for a little more flavor. Turn on low and let cook for 8 hours.  

For the gravy, I like it thick, but you can use the broth from the pot as it is if you want.  

½ C. mushrooms (I use Bella)  

2 cups roast broth  

¼ C. flour Start by cooking the mushrooms (remember that mushrooms are like sponges, so you want to cook them until they are golden brown.)  

I add half the broth, the other half I place in a jar and mix with the flour, shake until the flour is mixed well and add to the pot.  

Mix well, let simmer 2-3 min and serve.  

You can watch this episode of “Cooking with a Veteran” on Facebook at https://www.facebook. com/CMDRDaveRogers/ videos/889138001765129  

Don’t forget to like and share the page with others. If there is a dish you would like to see Dave make, or want to find out more about the show and the project you can email Dave at dave-rogers1969@ live.com. Dave is also looking for guests to come on the show, so if you are a veteran or help veterans and would like to share your love for cooking feel free to email Dave.  

New York Cheese Cake with a Twist  

Dave says, “Love some good cheese cake, and especially if you add a little something special to it.”  

4 (8 oz.) blocks cream cheese (room temperature)  

1 C. sour cream (room temperature)  

1 tsp. vanilla abstract  

3 eggs @ room temperature (I replace 1 egg with a shot of coffee-flavored, chocolate liquor.)  

1 C. granulated sugar  

For the crust:  

1 ½ C. graham crackers (I use ½ C. of Oreo and 1 C. graham cracker)  

¼ C. granulated sugar  

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter  

Make the crust first, mixing all the ingredients in a bowl, adding the butter last to make a paste like. Not too much butter you want it crunchy. Pour in pan. 

Even with measuring cup and bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. In a bowl place the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Be sure the cheese and eggs are at room temperature so you don’t get a lot of cracking when cooking.  

Mix well with a hand mixer or bowl mixer. Add 1 egg at a time, mixing after placing each egg. If using liquor to replace one of the eggs add that last.  

Add to crust/ pan and bake for 1 hour. When done turn off the oven, crack the door and let sit for 1 hour before you serve or refrigerate. If you serve when hot, it won’t have a chance to settle.  

Until next time: Hoorah!