Punxsutawny Phil
February 2nd is Groundhog day and the most famous of groundhogs is Punxsutawney Phil.
It all started in 1887 and as the tradition goes, this sleepy eyed resident rodent, (also known as a woodchuck), awakens from his winter’s nap and comes outside of his den to see if he sees his shadow. It is believed that if Phil sees his shadow, we are in for six more weeks of winter. If this is the case, he goes back to his den to go back to sleep. If, however, he doesn’t see his shadow, he plays around outside for a while since spring is just around the corner.
(For the record, Phil sees his shadow about 9 out of 10 times.)
February 2 is the day
“Groundhog Day has its roots in astronomy. What you might not know is that Groundhog Day is really an astronomical holiday. It’s an event that takes place in Earth’s orbit around the sun, as we move between the solstices and equinoxes. In other words, Groundhog Day falls more or less midway between the December solstice and the March equinox. Each cross-quarter day is actually a collection of dates, and various traditions celebrate various holidays at this time. February 2 is the year’s first cross-quarter day…”–earthsky.org
Instant Pot Roast with Vegetables
For Christmas a couple of years ago, my husband gave me an Instant Pot. I have been experimenting, using different foods and trying different methods, and have found this appliance to be a great addition to my collection. I am using a rolled rump roast in this recipe, but a traditional chuck roast is also a great choice.
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1 1-3 lbs rolled rump roast
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 small yellow onion sliced
- 3 fat cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1½ lbs new potatoes (red or golden) well washed
- 1 lb small multi-colored carrots peeled and trimmed
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot pressure cooker to "sauté", add oil and bring to temperature. Season roast liberally with salt and pepper on all sides. Add the roast to the hot oil in the pot and sear on all sides. (about 3 minutes per side). Once the roast is seared on all sides, remove from the pot and place in a bowl.Add beef stock and Worcestershire to pot and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits which may be stuck to the pot. Place a trivet into the pot and set roast onto the trivet. Pour any juices that may have collected in the bowl over the roast. Add oregano by rubbing it between your palms over the roast, top roast with garlic and onion slices and place lid on the pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 17 minutes per pound and allow the pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes.Once the pressure has released, remove the roast and place on a cutting board. Tent with foil and allow to rest while the vegetables cook.Add potatoes and carrots to cooking liquid in the Instant Pot. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes and then do a quick release.
Notes
I like to make a slurry of 1 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp cold water, add it back to the (boiling) strained cooking liquid, (stirring constantly), and simmer a couple of minutes until slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning as desired and serve with roast and vegetables.
Have An Entertaining Day!
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