The Prudent Wife

• 3 to 3 1/2 lb cut off meat, chuck, pot roast, London broil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-6 garlic cloves minced (we like lots of garlic!)
• 1 tsp fresh minced or grated ginger (I tripled this amount)

Then

• 1-2 cups julienned carrots, matchstick size
• 2-5 cups spinach leaves  (or 2 10 oz pkgs frozen spinach, drained) 
• 2 cups mushrooms (optional) 
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch.

Place meat in the slow cooker, and top with chopped onions.

In a separate bowl, whisk brown sugar, soy sauce and vinegar. Add pressed garlic and minced ginger. Pour over the meat, add the bay leaves.

Cook on high for 6-7 hours.

Put rice on (for whole brown rice, use 1 cup rice/2 cups water. Boil and then put lid on for 40 minutes). Get the rice going and then chop carrots, slice mushrooms, and get the spinach ready. You will lift the lid and simply  place veggies on top of the beef.  Get the lid back on as soon as possible. Cook on high for 20 minutes, with cover on (you are essentially steaming the veggies at this point)

Remove 1/2 cup of broth from the slow cooker and whisk cornstarch into it. Return to crock pot, and cover. Cook 10 more minutes.  Your rice will finish up about the same time your veggies are done cooking.

Serve over rice. A side of broccoli would be good.  Add a big, green salad with lots of fresh vegetables, or a spicy marinated cucumber salad. 

Lisa's note - begin with the smaller amounts of veggies for your family and work up as they learn to like them! I generally double the amount of veggies (if not triple) in most recipes.

This is a great meal, a true crowd pleaser that you have incorporated a lot of veggies in!