Fresh & Easy

Fresh & Easy markets just recently started popping up around the bay area. I went to one for the first time earlier this week and was pleasantly surprised. It's very similar to Trader Joe's in prices, but there is a TON more 'ready-to-eat' food available. So much so.. I was super overwhelmed. I picked up a few things to see how I like it  while staying OP. For my night in clinicals I bought salmon with spinach and potatoes and I got Kris a curry dish (butter chicken I think). I loved mine - so delish and filling at 8 P+, and Kris said his was really good too! They have pizza dough in the fridge case - the Rosemary focaccia dough comes ready to roll and bake - with the instructions on the package:

Rosemary Foccacia (6 servings, 5 P+ per large piece)
Roll out dough onto a baking sheet covered with parchment or a silpat. Brush with 3 tsp EVOO. Grate & mash 2 cloves of garlic w/ a tsp of salt to make it spreadable, and spread over dough. Sprinkle on dried oregano, basil, & thyme to taste.

I served this with Chicken & Orzo soup from Safeway (3 1 cup servings, good if you like the flavor of lemongrass) 2 P+, and Cucumber/Tomato salad (2 servings, 2 P+ each):

1 Tomato, 1 Cucumber & 1/4 thinly sliced red onion
2 Tbsp TJ's Tuscan Italian dressing
2 Tbsp feta cheese

One of the other things I picked out from there was their Tomato & Basil Chicken sausage (Delicious and 3 P+ each - a bargain!). I used it to round out an otherwise vegetarian entree of Pasta Primavera.


Skillet Pasta Primavera, adapted from "Cooking for Two" (a cookbook I absolutely adore)
Makes 3 generous servings, 8 P+ each.

I took this after we both served ourselves.. See how big the servings are? Next time, I would add some roasted cherry tomatoes to the mix for a pop of color and I would add more asparagus & zucchini to boost the veggies.

 

Cooking Spray
1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup white mushrooms, quartered
3 garlic cloves, minced (grate over a microplane a la Rachel Ray to save yourself from chopping)
2 cups vegetable broth (veg. bouillon is helpful here, but don't add salt, b/c it's NOT low sodium)
2 cups bow-tie pasta (I used Barilla Plus - tastes better than whole wheat but still has good NI)
1/4 cup fat free evaporated milk
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice (I used a pack of True Lemon, my favorite - shelf stable, and tastes VERY fresh)

Spray a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus, zucchini & 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, uncover and cook 1-2 minutes longer until most of the water is gone. Transfer to a bowl and cover. Spray skillet again and add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes until they have released their moisture and are golden brown. Transfer to the bowl with the other veggies and cover.

In the same skillet, add 2 tsp EVOO over medium heat, stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds (don't burn!). Add the remaining 2 cups water and broth, then the pasta. Increase heat to high and simmer/boil until pasta is cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the cooked vegetables, milk and peas and cook until the mixture is warmed through. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, basil and lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.