Recipe for Lovers: Lemon Spaghetti

The recipe for lovers series provides a fun and easy activity for newlyweds to do together, or for each other as a nice gift... tested and tried, straight from the Powers' Kitchen!

This a favorite Rachel Ray recipe for busy days, and it's so good & easy!

• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Serves: 4, Yield: 4

About This Recipe

"This is fantastic pasta- it has a strong lemon flavor plus a kick of spice from the red pepper flakes!  Served with Shrimp, Fish or chicken.”

Ingredients

• salt
• 1 lb spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes -omit if you don't like spicy food
• 2 lemons, juice and zest of
• 1/2-3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• handful flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, very thinly sliced

Directions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and drop the spaghetti into the pot.
• Heat a large deep skillet over low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.
• When the pasta has been cooking about 5 minutes, add lemon juice, a ladle of the cooking water from the pasta and the cream to the garlic and oil. Raise heat a bit to bring sauce to a bubble.
• Drain pasta when it still has a good bite to it, al dente. Add lemon zest and half of the cheese to the cream sauce. Season the sauce with salt, to taste. Add pasta to pan and turn off heat. Toss the pasta with sauce a minute or 2, allowing it time to soak up the sauce.
• Top the plates of pasta or platter with remaining cheese, parsley and basil.

Recipe for Lovers: Fresh Cranberry Salad

The recipe for lovers series provides a fun and easy activity for newlyweds to do together, or for each other as a nice gift... tested and tried, straight from the Powers' Kitchen!

Fresh Cranberry Salad/Relish for the Holidays

Photo Source: Real Mom Kitchen

This is so good it could be dessert. Everyone will want to take some home!

4-cups (1-lb.)fresh- cranberries

1-cup sugar

1-envelope-Knorr unflavored gelatin

½ Cup Orange juice

1-Cup chopped celery

1-cup chopped apple (-I like Granny Smiths)

1-cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Wash cranberries: drain and remove stems. Put through food processor or just chop until coarse.
Add sugar stir let stand for 15 minutes
Stir occasionally
Chop celery, apple, and nuts coarsely
Sprinkle gelatin over orange juice in a small pan to soften.
Place over low heat stir until gelatin is dissolved.

Add gelatin mixture to chopped cranberries, apples, nuts and celery mix well –pour into an oiled mold Bundt cake pan or loaf pan and pat down into the mold –Refrigerate 6-8 hours (you can make this a day or two ahead).When ready to serve dip the mold bottom into a sink of hot water… just for a minute –place red leaf lettuce on the top of the mold (lettuce leave tops extending a bit over the edge of the mold) and a plate on top of that and flip over. Serve with real whipped cream –we love it!

Lasts for several days to have with leftover turkey.~ Kathleen Powers

Recipes for Lovers: Baked Orange French Toast

The recipe for lovers series provides a fun and easy activity for newlyweds to do together, or for each other as a nice gift... tested and tried, straight from the Powers' Kitchen!

Baked Orange French Toast

Prepare the night before and just cook bacon in the morning!

8- Slices French Bread cut ¾ to 1 inch thick

6- Eggs

Grated rind of 1 large Orange

2/3- cup of orange juice

1/3- cup of orange liqueur-we use Grand Marnier!

1-cup half & half

3-tablespoon sugar

Image from floridasnatural.com

Optional: 4Tablespoon butter
Butter a 9” square pan LAY BREAD SLICES evenly in pan
Combine eggs, orange rind, orange juice, liqueur, half &half and sugar. Pour over bread dot with butter if desired. Refrigerate overnight.
In the morning preheat oven to 350degrees Bake 30-35 minutes or until puffed and set.

Serve with powdered sugar or a mixture of marmalade and melted butter mixed together.

*I many times double this for larger groups

Kids will like this too-the alcohol evaporates during cooking and they love it –we have four little taste testers and they always ask for more! Enjoy!