Marinated Pot Roast

1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups cold water
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 tsp. crushed bay leaves
4 - 5 pound top round or rump roast
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup crushed ginger snaps

Combine red wine, red wine vinegar, 2 cups water, onion and bay leaves and place in a large plastic bag that can be sealed. Place top round or rump roast in marinade, seal the bag and place in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to prepare, remove roast and strain the marinade to reserve juice but get rid of spices. Reserve the marinade. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot and brown onions, carrots, and celery. Sprinkle with flour and cook until flour starts to brown. Add 2 cups of reserved marinade and 1/2 cup of water. Place roast in marinade and vegetable mixture and cover. Simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Remove 2 and 1/2 cups of liquid from the stock pot and place in a saucepan with the crushed gingersnaps. Heat for about 10 minutes over medium heat until mixture starts to thicken. Slice roast and serve with ginger snap sauce.

The Skinny: Trim any excess fat from the roast before cooking.

Hot Potato Salad with Bacon

8 gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 pound bacon
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped

Boil potatoes until just tender and drain water immediately to prevent further cooking. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp, drain on paper towels but reserve bacon fat. Add onions to bacon fat and cook until tender. Stir in vinegar, water and salt and pepper and cook for about 1 minute. Place potatoes in a large bowl and add onion/vinegar mixture. Stir in crispy bacon and sprinkle with fresh parsley, Serve warm.

The Skinny: Use low fat or turkey bacon but you may need to add a little olive oil to the pan to cook the onions.