SICK DAY

Fever, sore throat, itchy ears, stuffy nose, coughing...  I have it all.  Going to the doctor this morning.  I am not ignoring you, just feeling lousy.  Will be back soon.  I hope.

Kathy

MEAL OF THE WEEK: COD WITH BEET PESTO PASTA

This was another wonderful meal.  I cut the recipe down to just two servings.  It came out beautiful except that the garlic clove I used was very... uh... pungent shall we say.  I could still taste the garlic the next morning.  Whew!  But that being said, and not all garlic being equal, it was so good and I would definitely make it again.  The only change I made was in the salad.  We are not big arugula fans, so I substituted spinach and used a touch of Italian dressing on the salad.

COD WITH BEET PESTO PASTA
Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
1 (8.8 oz.) package cooked, peeled beets
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 (4 oz) cod fillets
4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1. In a large pot cook spaghetti aldente according to package directions.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta, return to pot.  (If pasta appears dry, gradually add reserved water and toss to coat until moist.)

2. Meanwhile, for the pesto, in a food processor combine beets, garlic, walnuts and Parmesan; pulse until finely chopped.  With food processor running, gradually add 2 tablespoons of the oil, adding an additional tablespoon of oil if necessary. Process until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add pesto to spaghetti; toss to coat.

3. Pat fillets dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper to taste.  Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat.  Add cod to skillet; cook 4-6 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.  Drizzle fillets with lemon juice.

4.  To serve, spoon spaghetti evenly onto 4 plates, top with fish and serve.

Per serving:  540 calories, 25g fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 60mg cholesterol, 620mg sodium, 51g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 7g total sugars, 0g added sugar, 32g protein

Make it a meal:  Serve with a pear and arugula salad.

SUNDAY WITH SARAH

My friend, Sarah, is an excellent photographer along with being a single mom of two small children and a full time dental assistant.  I was admiring her work and I asked if she would allow me to share some of it with you.  She told me she would be honored and told me to take anything I liked.  I decided that Sunday was the perfect day to share her work with you.  I hope you like it as much as I do.

Kathy