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

lemon/pasta/spaghetti/spicy

Jan

Shrimp Etouffee

Ever been to New Orleans?

I visited friends there a couple of times in college. The beauty of the city and the rich culture is heavenly. Of course, the food is amazing. I remember being introduced to Domilise’s-a hidden jewel-by biting into that first fresh-crunchy-flavorful bit of their shrimp po-boy. A funny memory was going to Nawlins in junior high with my church youth choir. We didn’t have too much structure on our downtime at night, but the adult sponsors detoured us past a little street called Bourbon. Of course, we still managed to find the Voodoo museum and freak each other out with the fortune tellers and characters around the Quarter. My first ride on the streetcars was awesome and full of sweltering heat while gazing at gorgeous historical homes. And forget Cafe du Monde when you can have PJ’s. (Okay, don’t forget du Monde but try the other amazing beignet and coffee places, too!) And there’s a couple of other restaurants that I shall not share because they’re just too good. Sorry. If we ever go there on a trip together, I will show you the best french toast in the world and the best etouffee you’ve shoveled in your mouth. Trust me.

Back to Texas and homemade etouffee in our little kitchen.

Shrimp Etouffee

Now I’ve mentioned here before that my grandmother was from Natchez-by-way-of-Meridian, Mississippi. Nothing made her happier than fried catfish and cornmuffins (no one calls it cornbread there…no one). Now she did love an occasional bowl of gumbo or crawfish etouffee, but she also knew how much butter and grams of fat are in the genuine versions. So I hope she would have liked Matt and my healthier–yet still tasty–version.

ingredients
4 TB butter
1 medium yellow onion
2 TB white flour
2 zucchini, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 green peppers, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 celery bunch, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium can of diced tomatoes (no chilies)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 TB Tony Chachere’s
1 teaspoon chili powder
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 pound shrimp (or 1 pound crab, or combo), rinsed and deveined

directions
In a saute pan, heat butter on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and let cook. Once onion is soft, add the flour, stirring until all lumps are removed. Now transfer to a crock pot for slow cooking (or leave in the pan if you are in a hurry).

The following uses a crock pot/slow cooker:

Combine zucchini, green peppers, celery and chicken broth to pot. Add the Tony Chachere’s and chili powder. Cover and let cook on High heat for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.

Reduce heat to Medium and add shrimp/crab. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes. (Be careful not to overcook as the shrimp will become rubbery in texture.)

If you want deeper spice and flavor, add more Chachere’s and chili powder and let simmer on Low for 15 additional minutes.

Serve over brown rice or with lots of crusty sourdough bread (and butter). Add Tabasco for extra kick.