Happy Saturday to all of you! Today we had a really wonderful, relaxing pool day. Have I mentioned once or twice how much I love summer? Luckily the husband did almost all the child-chasing today, which meant that I could do some reading. Each year at my school we focus on the 20 South Carolina Children’s Book Award Nominees. Which means that each year I need to read 20 new books so that I can stay on top of what the kids are reading. I’m trying to get a jump-start on my reading and I am almost finished with my 6th book! Go me! I’ve also been doing some more “adult” reading. (Not dirty… just with main characters who are older than 12.) I’m planning to do a post soon and tell you about some of my favorites.
Anyway, when we got home, I had a little down time while the kiddo was napping and I started watching Food, Inc. Have any of you seen it? I know I’ve got a good many readers who are foodies, so I am sure many of you have seen it. It’s… disturbing. It’s nothing I didn’t really know before from movies like Supersize Me and other documentaries, but it still reminds you how much we are out of control when it comes to the meats and other foods we buy at the grocery store. Here’s a little trailer so you can get an idea about what the movie is about.
One thing I struggle with is price vs. quality. Sure. I’d love to buy all grass-fed beef and all organic free-range chicken… but the cost is no joke. How do you all deal with this? It especially becomes an issue when you have children and are feeding several mouths. Thoughts?
Ok. On to lighter topics. How about a light pasta dish for dinner?
Spinach and Salmon Pasta
A few years ago, my friend Jenn and I attended Homearama 2005. Basically it is a tour of really fancy homes. We were lucky that we were able to attend on “Chef Day.” Not only did we get to tour 6 fabulous mansion-like homes, but there was a well-known Charlotte Chef cooking in each house, so we were able to sample different dishes. One of the dishes we tried was created by Patricia Payne of Pat’s Eats Catering Service. (I wasn’t able to find it online, so I am not sure if it’s still in existence.) This dish was light and tasty, and luckily we came home with the recipe!
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. can pink salmon
- 8 oz. uncooked angel hair pasta (I used whole-wheat)
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp EVOO
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tsp garlic, chopped
- 6 cups of spinach, coarsely chopped
Prep: Cook pasta according to directions and drain when done. Set aside. While pasta cooks, remove bones from salmon and break into small pieces. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and salmon. Sautee for 60 seconds-2 minutes. Remove the ingredients and add chicken broth to loosen the brown bits. Add the pasta, salmon mixture, salt, pepper, and spinach. Heat until the spinach wilts, stirring frequently.
This is nice and light, with lots of flavor! I always forget how much I like the texture of angel hair pasta until I eat it again and then I love it again.
Food Inc. was eye opening for me. Laura told me about it but I had no idea what all I was eating. We try to buy most of our meats and produce from local farmers through the Charlotte farmers markets. I've also bought part of a cow from a local farmer to ensure grass fed and it did cut down on cost. However, we still eat gummy bears and oreos!
ReplyDeleteCarrie Neal