Winter Pot Roast

This is a Better Homes & Gardens Recipe and it is Delish!  I've never really liked pot roast.....until I had this!  

Ingredients:

• 1 - 2 1/2-3 lb. boneless beef chuck arm or shoulder pot roast
• 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 1 14-ounce can beef broth
• 1 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel
• Juice of 1 lemon (I added this, but it doesn't call for it)
• 2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 6-8 medium carrots, peeled and cut to 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3-5 medium potatoes [it calls for noodles, but I prefer potatoes]
• 1 large sweet onion, cut into wedges
• 8-12 ounces of pitted dried plums, halved
• 8-12 ounces of dried apricots, halved
• 1/3 c. cold water
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Trim fat from meat.  In a 4 to 6-quart Dutch oven (I just used a big pot!), brown the meat in hot oil (I added a little garlic and onion to the pot while browning the meat).  Combine broth, lemon peel, [lemon juice], oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Then pour over meat.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.  Simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours.
2. After 1 1/2 hours, add carrots, onion, potatoes, plums, and apricots (I added more broth mixture because the size of my pot didn't allow the veggies to be completely submerged).  Simmer covered for 30-40 minutes more or until meat and vegetables are tender.  [take out the meat, cut into small pieces, then add back to the pot].  Serve all in a platter and reserve juices to make gravy.
3. For gravy, measure juices and skim fat.  If necessary, add enough water to juices to equal 2 1/2 cups.  In small bowl, stir 1/3 c. cold water and flour until smooth.  Stir into juices and cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  
4. Eat Pot Roast with gravy on top ;op