The best part about cooking and eating a fabulous meal one night, is taking the night off from cooking the next and relying on leftovers. Attempting to create meals that will guarantee left overs has become something of a challenge, especially lately. With a house full of ravenous teens, (and one "tween"), I now understand the true meaning of, "They are eating me out of house and home," as my mother used to say.

Yes, It's safe to say that I finally understand my parents pain.

Having maxed the family out on chicken, (oh no, not again!), I was looking for a change of pace when I happened to see a gorgeous cut of roast beef at McKinnons Market. It was on a huge cart that had just come out from the back of the butchery, hadn't even hit the shelf. I'll admit to feeling slightly mischievous as I snagged it before the butcher found me out, but I just couln't resist; it was fresh, and bright pink, and practically calling my name.

I knew this would be a welcome treat, but in the back of my mind I was slightly trepidacious. I rarely cook beef anymore, and wasn't exactly sure how I would prepare and cook it. It's one thing to experiment on chicken, but I would never forgive myself if I ruined an entire roast of beef.

In the past, I have seasoned and cooked beef in a pot on the stove, Irish style. I've browned the beef on the stove top, before roasting in the oven; and I've heard stories of other cooks having great success by adding an inch of water to the roasting pan, something I've never tried.

In the interest of "getting it right the first time," I googled, and found Jamie Oliver's recipe for the perfect roast beef. In this instance, I followed the recipe exactly-and was so happy I did.

The best thing about the recipe is there is very little preparation, it's all about the cooking and timing. He doesn't even advise peeling the veggies-my kind of recipe. The roast beef was easily the most tender and moist that has ever come out of this kitchen, and we had plenty for leftovers. I roasted extra vegetables as well, all of which went into a huge casserole dish for the next night. I covered the veggies with a layer of the sliced roast beef, and smothered it all with a simple port wine sauce for round #2, which was just as delicious as round #1. Of course, with the Patriots big game on Sunday, a little barbecue sauce goes a long way on a hot roast beef sandwich.

I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe for The Best Roast Beef Recipe, Ever!

Enjoy!

To prepare your beef:

• Take your beef out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven
• Preheat your oven to 240°C/475°F/ gas 9 
• There’s no need to peel the vegetables – just give them a wash and roughly chop them 
• Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled 
• Pile all the veggies, garlic and herbs into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil 
• Drizzle the beef with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, rubbing it all over the meat 
• Place the beef on top of the vegetables

To cook your beef:

• Place the roasting tray in the preheated oven 
• Turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and cook for 1 hour for medium beef 
• If you prefer it medium-rare, take it out 5 to 10 minutes earlier 
• For well done, leave it in for another 10 to 15 minutes 
• If you’re doing roast potatoes and veggies, this is the time to crack on with them – get them into the oven for the last 45 minutes of cooking 
• Baste the beef halfway through cooking and if the veg look dry, add a splash of water to the tray to stop them burning 
• When the beef is cooked to your liking, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the beef to a board to rest for 15 minutes or so
• Cover it with a layer of tinfoil and a tea towel and put aside while you make your gravy, horseradish sauce and Yorkshire puddings