I have an energy-limiting illness, so I often struggle to stand for long periods or to do something as simple as chopping vegetables for a meal. Often I resort to ready meals or end up living on toast for days at a time, which can mean I'm not getting the nutrients I need from my food.
This recipe, designed by creator Epicurious Expeditions, bears these limitations in mind and requires very little prep and no chopping or standing over a hot stove, thanks to the slow cooker. Epicurious Expeditions is doing a series of disability-friendly cooking TikToks and Instagram Reels which caught my eye.
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@epicuriousexpeditions ♬ tv off - Kendrick Lamar
A hearty meal like this pot roast can lift your spirits, and leave you feeling comforted and satisfied. It contains a good balance of protein and fats from the chuck steak and carbohydrates from the starchy vegetables. High-quality red meat, such as the chuck steak featured in this recipe, is a good source of protein, zinc, iron and vitamin B12, and can feature as part of a healthy balanced diet, although you should aim to only eat a moderate amount of red meat according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Keeping pre-chopped vegetables in your freezer, such as the onion, can be a fantastic way to add depth and flavor to your meals without spending time and energy slicing and dicing. The most labor-intensive part of the meal is peeling the garlic (which is worth it for the flavor), but even then you can find pre-peeled garlic jarred in brine or oil, or even garlic paste in a jar or tube at grocery stores.
This meal does require a little planning, as it can take up to nine hours to cook fully, but you don’t need to pay much attention to it over that time. Aside from flipping the meat and adding some fresh vegetables after the first few hours, it’s a very hands-off cooking method. But at the end of it, you should have a delicious hot meal, suitable to feed a family.
One of the main reasons this recipe stood out to me was the seasoning options. Not only does the basic recipe itself require very little energy to produce, but Epicurious Expeditions offers three different spice combinations to appeal to different tastes. She doesn't include any ingredients that are difficult to find, and you should be able to source everything from your local supermarket.
The first is a French seasoning, containing a classic flavor combination for beef with tomato, bouillon and thyme. If you want something a little spicier, Epicurious Expeditions' next seasoning blend is a Southern one, featuring the optional addition of cayenne pepper along with garlic and onion powder. Or, if you like a lot of spice, the final mixture is a Mexican mix, with chili powder, cumin and diced tomatoes with chili.
