Roasted Beef, Spinach Gratin and Maple Chipotle Butternut Squash and Potatoes

My favorite thing to do on Saturday afternoon, after all the shopping and housework has been done, is to spend a few hours preparing an old fashioned comforting meal.  One of my favorites is roast beef and though I have had difficulties lately finding a cut in the supermarket that I find to be tender, flavorful and reasonably priced, this eye of the round played the part fairly well.  I would have preferred it to be more rare and could have prevented it from being overcooked had I checked the temperature before the hour I estimated it would take.  It was just over 3 lbs, so at 20 minutes per pound, I estimated it would be properly cooked after an hour.  I should have check at 45 minutes, because the thermometer already indicated it was overcooked when I check, but not catastrophically.  Regardless, it was a delicious meal, just be sure to check the temperature about 3/4 of the way through the estimated cooking time.    

Roast Beef

1 eye of the round roast
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place roast beef on a rack in a roasting pan. Combine remaining ingredients and slather on all sides of the meat. Place in the oven and roast for approximately 20 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 125 degrees for medium rare. Let rest 15 minutes before carving.

 
Spinach Gratin
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and dried
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
pinch cayenne
pinch nutmeg
pinch paprika
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1/4 panko bread crumbs
 

In a sauce pot melt butter and saute onions and garlic for several minutes until translucent.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add flour, stir well to combine and look cook for about 1-2 minutes to remove raw flour taste.  Add milk and whisk together to avoid lumps.  Bring to a light simmer and let cook until slightly thickened.  Add spinach, cayenne and nutmeg.  Turn off heat and add 1/4 cup of grated cheese.  Spoon into casserole dish, top with remaining cheese, bread crumbs and a little paprika.  Bake at 375 degree for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown and hot and bubbly.

 

Maple and Chipotle Roasted Butternut Squash and Potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo

2 medium red potatoes, quartered

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut int 1 inch cubes

salt and pepper

 

Place potatoes and butternut squash on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss well to combine.  In a small bowl, combine chipotle and maple syrup and drizzle over potatoes.  Toss again to combine.  Roast in same oven as roast beef for approximately 1 hour, tossing once.