Crock Pot Meditteranean Pot Roast

Another Snow Day and my crock pot is getting a work out. Tonight's dinner is already cooking and I have time to play in the snow. This pot roast can be made with or without potatoes, if you prefer noodles or rice, just leave the potatoes out.

ingredients

1 chuck roast, 3-4 lbs
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices
1/2 large white onion, sliced thin
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5 carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 small can fire roasted tomatoes with juice
8 mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 sprig rosemary, chopped finely
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
few dashes hot sauce (I used Cholupa)
1/2 lemon, juiced
flour, for dredging
6 kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

Rinse roast and dredge in flour. Brown roast for 2 min each side in 1 tbsp olive oil, add onions, garlic and celery and saute for 2 min. Place in crock pot roast, then tomatoes, hot sauce, olives, oregano, parsley and mushrooms. Cook on high for 5 hours, add potatoes and carrots, stir and cook another hour until roast is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze lemon juice into pot and continue cooking 1/2 hour.