Pot Roast... And the meatless version

I probably shouldn't confess this, but about 7 months ago I decided to stop eating a lot of things I used to love of the meat, dairy, and egg pursuasion.  I do still eat them on the rare occasion, but my diet borders more on pseudo-vegetarianism these days.  But nothing is off limits in the kitchen because it seeems unfair to force my habits on Le Cuillère.  That and as a culinary enthusiast, I like to keep my skills sharp. 

So often times for dinner I'm coming up with his and her riffs on a theme.  The weather is turning cold, so it's time to start making all that delicious comfort food. For Le Cuillère I decided on a pot roast.  But what about me???  I want something heavy and saucey too!!  So I came up with my own "roast" using portabellas and it worked like a charm.  

I don't cook by receipes, I cook by gut feel and intuition.  So I renamed this section since you'll never get a proper recipe out of me.  But I can give you the gist, and  if you're interested in experimenting along with me, give this a go:

For him:

I took a small 1.5lb top round and seared it on all sides in olive oil.  I removed it to the side and added garlic and onions.  Once sweated, I deglazed the pan with some Syrah and tomato paste, added some home made veal stock and a can of diced tomato and placed it into a 325 oven.  I let it go for about an hour, rotating twice.  At the one hour mark, I added carrots, green pepers, celery, crimini mushrooms, sea salt and pepper, and roasted for another hour. I then pulled it out, removed the meat, and reduced the sauce just a tad.

For her:

I sauteed shallots and garlic in truffle oil.  Once brown, I added sliced portabello mushrooms and cooked til soft.  I deglazed with tomato paste and Syrah, then added 1/2 a can diced tomatoes and vegetable broth.  I seasoned with sea salt and pepper and cooked to a sauce like consistency. 

For both:

I then made some mashed potatoes with a little bit of chopped truffle and topped the potatoes with each of our respective roasts.  On the side... sauteed Swiss Chard.  To make, saute garlic and shallot in olive oil.  Add stems from the card, cook til soft.  Add the leaves, then a little vegetable broth.  Continue til cooked through.  Season with sea salt and crushed red pepper.