Dietitians Dish – September 7, 2020

Roast away your meal fatigue!

Now that fall is upon us, you’re likely to be looking for heartier meal ideas that will nourish and satisfy, without a ton of labor. Beef roasts can be a healthy addition to the dinner table if you choose a lean cut, trimmed of excess fat. Any cut of beef with “Round” in the name is very muscular so needs to be roasted or braised to make it tender. The “Eye” is a center cut, which typically has little visible fat. Lean beef can be part of a heart healthy diet, providing good sources of protein, iron, and zinc. It contains 10 essential nutrients, which are necessary to stay strong and healthy in all life stages. While a shift to plant-based eating is trending, beef still has a valuable place in a healthy diet.

So, if you’re looking for a weekend meal idea, or have time during the week while working from home to start a slow-roasted dinner in the oven, then a beef roast is a great option. The lean, eye round roast becomes very tender if oven roasted or pot roasted slowly at lower temperatures. You can search for recipes at beefitswhatsfordinner.com.

Since this roast contains 6-8 servings, you can also search for ideas to make use of any leftovers. Cook once to eat twice (or more) is my way of cooking!

Italian Beef Roast & Vegetables

Ingredients:

Roast:

1 beef Eye of Round Roast (about 2 pounds)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Vegetables:

1/8 tsp. pepper
3 medium zucchini or yellow squash, sliced (1/2-inch)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

Heat oven to 325°F. Combine salt, 1/2 tsp. basil, oregano and pepper; press onto beef roast. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is centered in thickest part of beef. Do not add water or cover. Roast in 325°F oven 1-1/4 hours for medium rare doneness.
Remove roast when meat thermometer registers 135°F. Transfer to board; tent with foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise about 10°F to reach 145°F for medium rare.)
Increase oven temperature to 425°F. Combine vegetable ingredients, except tomatoes, in large bowl; toss. Place in pan. Roast in 425°F oven 15 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes; toss. Carve roast. Serve with vegetables. Season with salt.

Recipe and Photo courtesy of the Beef Check-off and BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com