A Spinach Duet

As spring settles into the grocery store, I greedily scarf up the asparagus and smile at Florida's newly-ripened sweet corn. I skip down produce aisles noting that the distance traveled for a vegetable to reach my table is lessening every day.

I bypass the fresh spinach. In truth, I am a bit of a lazybones. Someone who has perfected the art of vacuuming pet fur off of the couch while sitting on said couch. And as long as I am confessing - I will admit to preferring bagged spinach. Not just prefer - rejoice in it. Remembering the years I served it still containing a grain of sand or two or 30. I love the stuff - when someone else washes it for me. I tell myself about e-coli and eating fresh and local and add another bag of spinach to my cart. In celebration of the greening of spring, lots of spinach came to my table last week. In bags. You have my permission to use the fresh stuff.

This is from Sprigs of Rosemary - a lovely blog that has tickled my fancy and fed my green-genes.

Pasta with Shrimp, Spinach and a little Lemon Cream Sauce - serves 4 in my family where portion control is not a strong point or 6
(Adapted from Sprigs of Rosemary)
1 pound spaghetti
Juice of 1-2 lemons (you need about 1/2 cup)

Zest of the 1-2 lemons (you decide how lemony you want it)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup light cream
½ cup of freshly-shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
1 bag baby spinach
1 pound shrimp, cleaned
salt and pepper to taste

Zest and juice the lemon. Cook pasta adding the shrimp in during the lat two minutes of cooking time. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water. In same pot (love the "same pot" directions) boil the olive oil, half and half, zest and 1/2 cup of the pasta water together for two minutes over high heat. Return pasta and shrimp to pot and stir until coated. Add the cheese and 1/4 cup lemon juice and toss. If needed, add more pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time until the sauce is at your desired consistency. Add remaining lemon juice, then toss in spinach leaves wilted. Salt and pepper to taste (I like it peppery without much salt). Serve, passing Parmigiano-Reggiano separately.

Or play with this easy (I am all about ease) Chicken-Spinach-Avocado Salad from The Splendid Table. - serves 4

1 bag baby spinach

2 chicken breasts cooked

1-2 avocados

sliced favorite black olives

grape tomatoes

feta cheese crumbles

dressing: equal parts lemon juice and olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Favorite fresh herbs: cilantro, Italian parsley or lemon thyme are all good in this

Toss spinach, chicken, avocados, olives, feta, grape tomatoes and favorite herb together. Whisk equal parts of lemon juice and olive oil together (I did a little less than 1/4 cup of each). Pour desired amount over salad - just moistening it and announce "dinner is served."

Minnesotans woke up this morning relieved to discover that there would be a white Passover after all (and some were worried).

And with temps staying fifteen degrees below normal, one must color those Easter eggs. For finding them in a sea of white could be tricky. Ask the tulips. Or don't. They don't seem to be planning on blooming anytime soon.
And my thanks to The Wine Lady Cooks for this lovely award. Please visit her charming blog and check out her goodies. She is having fun with bacon! And if you are a follower, feel free to add this to your blog. I am deeply appreciative that you spend your precious time with me. "Choosing" is too problematical for me! I am off to audition actors for a play and it's the worst part of the process. There is always a wealth of talent and a scarcity of roles. Just as there remains a wealth of talent in the blogging world.