20

Jan

Farmer’s Market & Lemon Spaghetti

When it comes to groceries, I’m picky.

Sometimes it’s because of quality of ingredients, how the meat was handled, et cetera, but it’s

always about PRICE.
I can’t help it. I grew up in a family that saved and planned and scoured the ads for good deals. No extreme couponing needed here, because my parents and grandparents were really smart with their money. And it proved to pay off for them when they wanted to plan a big trip or retirement, and that legacy is something I hope to carry through.
Our finds at Dallas Farmers Market

That being said, I love fruits and vegetables and we eat a fair amount, so we like to get good deals on good stuff. Here’s where the Dallas Farmer’s Market (or anytown’s farmer’s market) comes in. Mattand I tried it out on a cold, rainy day. The market closed at 6 and we got there at 4, so we didn’t expect much. We were wrong. The crop was good (bigger/more flavorful/brighter than any grocery store produce) and the prices were awesome (3 giant ruby red grapefruits for $1, giant bag of spinach for $2, a dozen tangerines for $2).

Here are some of our market picks:
large honey crisp apples 8 for $2

$3 for 1 1/2 pounds of blackberries, $2 asparagus, 6 sweet oranges for $2

All of those tomatoes for $3—I counted 27 total

Now onto a fun recipe. I spotted this on Rachael Ray’s site a year or so ago, but haven’t gotten around to trying it until this week. Lemon spaghetti is light, citrusy, and slightly creamy. I adapted Rachael’s recipe a little, and it turned out well. We had bright green broccoli and tuna burgers (minus the bun) on the side.

Lemon Spaghetti

(adapted from Rachael Ray)

This dish is light, creamy and great to serve with fish. You can decrease the crushed red pepper if serving for kids.

20 minutes to make; 4 servings

Ingredients

  • Salt
  • 2/3 pound spaghetti
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
  • 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 lemons, zested and juiced
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan (or parmigiano-reggiano)
  • Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
  • 8 leaves fresh basil, very thinly sliced (optional, or sub with 2 t. dried basil)

Directions

step one: Boil a pot of salted water, dropping in the spaghetti. In a large, deep skillet, add the olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper.

step two: After the pasta has been cooking about 5 minutes, add a ladle of the pasta water, the lemon juice

step three: When the pasta has been cooking about 5 minutes, add lemon juice, a ladle of the cooking water from the pasta and the milk to the skillet. Raise heat a bit to bring sauce to a bubble.

step four: Drain the pasta when it is al dente. Add the lemon zest and the cheese to the cream sauce. Season with salt and red pepper, to taste. Add pasta to pan and turn off the heat. Toss the pasta for a couple of minutes so that all of it is coated in sauce. Top with parsley, basil and additional cheese, if you like. Enjoy.  

Happy eating and happier weekend!
Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL

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17

Aug

Crunchy Carrot Salad

It has taken me a long time to develop a friendly relationship with carrot salad. I like creamy desserts but creamy “salads” and healthy do not go together much for me. I had never made carrot salad before but, thanks to SusanV’s recipe, I was encouraged to try it. I wanted more crunchy, less creamy and more sweet, but less sugar. I definitely modified her recipe, but I thank her for the idea.

Crunchy Carrot Salad
1 pound of carrots, washed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 TB agave nectar
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup granola (optional, preferably with a little cinnamon or apple)
Time to make: 5 minutes; Time to eat: 5 minutes; Servings: 4
In a food processor, grate carrots. Of course, you can do it by hand, but the processor takes 1 minute flat.
Put the grated carrots in a medium bowl. Using a fork, stir in lemon juice, agave nectar, and raisins. Top with granola for extra crunch. 

Fridge for 30 minutes to let flavors set. But, if you can’t wait like me, devour immediately.  

Yum!

Time for a slice of humble pie…
I found this great recipe for Chicken with Swiss Chard. I’d never cooked with chard, so I was excited. Matt was excited to eat it. It was a 
I know, it’s horrible!
F
L
O
P.

The cooking went well, and I followed the recipe closely (a rarity). HOWEVER, we realized that neither of us like the taste of chard. It was too earthy. Maybe we’ll try it again another time. But for dinner last night, we had the chicken and then some Blue Bell. (Matt got it to cheer me up…I haven’t bought Blue Bell in quite a few years.) So there’s our little run with chard. Next time, I’ll have it at a restaurant. Any tips? Let me know.

~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL

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11

Aug

Lulu’s Lemon Latermelon

 

Now those of us who attended “foot functions” (aka dances where a boy and a girl hold hands…scandalous!) long ago and met their future spouse at a church square dance (like my parents) might not go for this particular frozen beverage. But no worries, even those Bible-thumping preachers can modify this for their alcohol allergies. Lulu won’t mind.

This cocktail (aka cold beverage to sip on the veranda) is creamy, refreshing and so easy to make. It combines citrus with summer watermelon for a sweet tang. It was created by a nervous lady last night at midnight, afraid she’d wake up her neighbors and their sweet baby with all of her kitchen racket, hence the name Latermelon

Lulu’s Lemon Latermelon
1 cup frozen watermelon chunks
2 TB lemonade or orange juice
Juice from ½ lemon
1 oz vodka
½ oz triple sec
Blend all ingredients for 30 seconds, or until creamy. Serve immediately, and garnish with a lemon slice and mini melon pop (frozen watermelon chunk on a toothpick).

 

Oh boy, it’s tasty! And it’s pretty to look at, too. Happy sipping!

~Laurel~

15 years ago Short URL

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