Don’t hold your breath waiting for the groundhog to give us a winter break this year

Groundhog Day is coming up this Thursday, reminding us once again how this time of year feels like we’re repeating the same day over and over again.

The cold, the winter, the blues – and the stress of waiting on some furry rodent to let us know how much longer we’re going to have to put up with all of this. Will the groundhog see his shadow and give us six more weeks of winter? The Farmer’s Almanac is reporting winter’s in for the long haul this year, so better bundle up, and hunker down for yet another viewing of that perennial favourite film, Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray caught in some bizarre time warp, destined to relive the same day over and over again.

Just where did this day come from? Again, according to the Almanac, “the date of the celebration coincides with the medieval feast of Candlemas, and its pre-Christian predecessor, Imbolc, a day also rich in folklore. An old Scottish prophecy foretells that sunny weather on Candlemas means a long winter.”

We’re blaming the Scots? People will certainly be blaming an innocent, pudgy marmot if it sees its shadow on Thursday!

What we can do is let in some fresh flavour into the rib-hugging meals we tend to tuck into around this time of year.  What comes to mind is a spritz of fresh lemon – on vegetables, whisked into a salad dressing, incorporated into a main meal, or used to create a fabulously refreshing dessert.

Honestly, if summer had its own taste, it would have to be a fresh lemon.

So, while we may or may not be heading into six more weeks of winter, we can pick up a couple of lemons to lift our spirits while we wait for spring.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Serves 2-4. Courtesy of registered dietitian Jessica Bippen for sunkist.com.

8 oz. pasta (linguine, spaghetti, capellini, angel hair, etc.)

1 cup reserved pasta water

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and de-veined

1 large shallot, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)

1/4 cup white wine or broth

3 Tbsp. butter (you can use vegan butter)

2 lemons, juiced (about 1/4 cup lemon juice)

Zest from 1/2 lemon

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook pasta in heavily salted water according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of salted pasta water before draining.

While pasta cooks, heat a skillet with olive oil. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Let cook for 2 minutes, then flip shrimp over. Let cook for an additional 1-2 minutes; shrimp are done when they turn from grey to opaque white and pink. Remove from pan and set aside so they don’t over-cook.

Add shallots to pan with remaining olive oil and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant; about 1 minute. Add white wine or broth. Bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes or until wine reduces by about half. Stir in butter, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add shrimp and pasta to skillet and toss until glossy with sauce. Add about 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water to loosen up sauce, if needed.

Finish with parsley, flaky salt, black pepper and red chili flakes, if desired.

Glazed lemon loaf

Pucker up for some sweet sunshine of a dessert! Adapted from a recipe courtesy of robinhood.ca.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 cup milk

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Glaze

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1-1/2 cups icing sugar

Grated lemon zest, to finish

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8-1/2” x 401/2” pan. Cream butter in large mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Add sugar and cream well. Beat in eggs and lemon rind. Stir in remaining ingredients until combined. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centre of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before removing from bake pan to cake plate.

With hand-held mixer, blend icing sugar with lemon juice until well mixed. Drizzle on slightly warm loaf. Let cool, and drizzle again. Sprinkle grated lemon zest on top of loaf to finish.

Lemon, Chicken, Feta and Orzo Casserole

This recipe is colourful, fresh-tasting, all baked in one dish. Serves 4. Courtesy of  dairyfarmersofcanada.ca

2 cups low in sodium chicken broth

1-1/2 cups orzo

8 oz. green beans chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh dill or fresh basil chopped

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 lb. chicken breasts cut into 1-1/2 inch chunks

Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 cups grape tomatoes cut in half

Additional chopped fresh dill or fresh basil (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F. Butter a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. In a glass measuring cup or in a saucepan, combine broth  and 1/2 cup water; heat in microwave or on stove-top on High for about 3 min or until boiling.

Meanwhile, in baking dish, combine orzo, green beans, dill and pepper and spread in a single layer. Arrange chicken  pieces evenly over top. Stir lemon zest and juice into broth mixture and pour evenly over top of chicken mixture.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes or until orzo is almost tender. Uncover and stir in tomatoes and sprinkle with feta cheese. Cover and bake for about 5 minutes or until orzo is tender and chicken is no longer pink inside. Sprinkle with more dill, if desired.