There's a lot of hoity-toity food around these days, and we like a lot of it. On the other hand, there is much to be said for voluntary simplicity. Consider the good, old-fashioned Yankee pot roast. Here it is, a meal (almost) in a pot. The pot roast includes a little cider vinegar to tenderize the beef and add a teensy tang.

Robin Mather Jenkins writes for the Chicago Tribune, which provided the recipe analysis.

Old-Fashioned Pot Roast

Makes 8 servings -- Total time: 8 hours and 15 minutes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper

1 beef chuck roast, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds, trimmed

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup beef or chicken broth

2 tablespoons quick-mixing flour, such as Wondra

8 red potatoes, halved

8 small carrots

2 yellow onions, quartered

1/3 cup apple-cider vinegar

Combine the all-purpose flour, salt and pepper to taste in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the meat; seal. Shake until evenly coated.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; add the meat. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine broth and quick-mixing flour in a bowl until smooth. Transfer the meat to a slow cooker.

Arrange the potatoes, carrots and onions on top of the meat; pour in the broth mixture and vinegar. Cover; cook on low until the meat is very tender, about 8 hours. Skim off fat.

Note: If you don't have a slow cooker, you can make the stew in a Dutch oven and cook in the oven for about 2 1/2 hours at 325 degrees.

Per serving: 578 calories, 21 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 98 milligrams cholesterol, 54 grams carbohydrate, 42 grams protein, 560 milligrams sodium, 6 grams fiber