Admittedly I was skeptical about trying this recipe, but it sounded so, so good. We picked up some smoked salmon for a steal from the discount meat bin at Woodman’s and I found the recipe when I was searching for ways to work smoked salmon in with pasta.

My shortcut? Vodka sauce from a little fresh Italian place nearby that sells fresh homemade sauces. I simply crumbled up the smoked salmon and sautéed it with olive oil and garlic before mixing it in with the vodka sauce. I served it over bucatini (thick, hollow spaghetti)  and the flavor was shocking.

I’d never have imagined the smoked salmon and vodka sauce could possibly complement each other so well. The sweetness and saltiness played off each other to create such a complex, evolving flavor. It was absolutely sensational. I might try it with a jarred vodka sauce next time.

CONFESSION: My secret to my chili isn’t shortcut at all. In fact, it’s a gigantic pain, but it makes it so much better. I grind my own very lean meat.

From there it’s hard to say. My chili’s never really the same twice, though I follow the same steps. Brown the meat with plenty of onions and garlic and lots of Penzey’s chili powder, some cumin and chipotle pepper, and plenty of canned tomatoes. Add diced poblano peppers for spice and simmer on very low heat for several hours. I serve it with diced white onion, sour cream and shredded cheese and have been told more than once it’s the best around. I don’t know about that, but it’s good stuff.

But seriously, if you have the means, grind your own meat. We grind chicken, turkey and beef with our KitchenAid Food Grinder Attachment, and it really makes all the difference.

CONFESSION: To say my husband’s a little timid about cooking is an understatement. Still, occasionally he’s willing to tackle dinner, as long as he has VERY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS. This is the email I sent him to make this delicious beef stew. You really can’t go wrong with this recipe, just season to taste (I season generously with garlic salt, pepper and random herbs).

1. Clean carrots (peel if you want, it’s not necessary if they’re clean), cut into large chunks. All of them (yummm, carrots)
2. Clean potatoes, cut into large chunks (quarters). About half as many potatoes as carrots is a good margin (yummm, carrots)
3. Cut mushrooms in half if button, chunks if portobella
4. Peel and cut two red onions in quarters
5. Mince one full clove of elephant garlic (you can cut it in pieces and run it through the garlic press)
6. Use the Penzey’s beef roast seasoning. Read the directions and add 2x  the recommended amount of spice.
7. Up to you if you want to chop the meat into cubes. It can go in as one big slab and will break apart well enough.
8. Place potatoes and carrots and half of onions and garlic at bottom of crock pot with a sprinkling of the spices.
9. Add beef
10. Add the rest of the beef broth in the carton in the fridge (1 cup) and 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1 can cream of celery
    
11. Add seasoning
12. Add mushrooms and second half of onions and garlic.
13. Heat on low ‘til I come home.

About 8 hours later we had awesome stew!! Because of the cream soups, this version isn’t a very rich gravy but it’s tasty and  full of flavor. Super easy!

Since I started teaching in August, my 10-hour days plus my teaching schedule have made dinners at home generally boring and certainly nothing worth posting. Lots of repeats of previous favorite meals, that sort of thing. But I’ve decided to begin harnessing what time I *do* have to begin cooking meals ahead of time. As a result, my Hamilton Beach Programmable Slow-Cooker has been getting quite the workout!!

This recipe was a gamble, and an exercise in clearing out a bottle of honey mustard from the fridge that was not really my favorite — too honey, not enough mustard. This was mostly eyeballed but it’s worth recording. The end result was unbelievable.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of honey mustard
• 1 tsp ground sage
• Fresh ground pepper (to taste)
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth (as usual, I swear by Kitchen Basics)
• 2 tbsp tarragon vinegar (my husband’s uncle’s homemade stuff… to die for! It’s easy to find Tarragon vinegar in the store, too)
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 1.5lb pork tenderloin

Cook honey mustard, vinegar, garlic and sage in a saucepan ’til warm and combined. Toss onions in bottom of your slow cooker, and put thawed tenderloin on top. Add beef broth. Pour sauce over tenderloin. Cook for 6-8 hours on high or 3-4 hours on low.

Okay, here’s the caveat. If you have a newer model Rival Crock Pot, there’s no way you can cook this for 6-8 hours. They have redefined “high” and “low” and, well, it’s just sad. If you have one of these, Goodwill is always happy to receive your crock pot. Then you can get the Hamilton Beach Programmable Slow-Cooker, which ACTUALLY cooks things slowly (what a concept, right?!).

When it’s done, shred the meat with a fork and combine the  meat with the sauce and onions. Great for sandwiches or served with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.