Careme Recipes

Location: Fred Meyer - Bellevue (2041 148Th Ave Ne)

Spring Asparagus Mushroom Lemon Pasta

A quick spring pasta built around in-season asparagus, mushrooms, and lemon for Washington in late March. Light, savory, and distinct from the steak and salmon dishes you passed on.

Ingredients

  • Green Asparagus 1 lb 3.49
  • Kroger® Sliced White Mushrooms 8 oz 2.00
  • Jumbo Yellow Onions 1/2 lb 0.99
  • Garlic 3 cloves 0.69
  • Fresh Organic Lemon - Each 1 1.29
  • Simple Truth Organic® Basil 2 tbsp, optional 2.49
  • pasta 8 oz
  • olive oil 2 tbsp
  • butter 1 tbsp
  • parmesan 1/3 cup grated
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Boil salted water and cook the pasta until al dente.
  2. Trim the asparagus and cut into 2-inch pieces. Slice the mushrooms, onion, and garlic.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion for 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and cook 3 minutes more.
  5. Stir in garlic for 30 seconds, then add lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, butter, and 1/2 cup pasta water.
  6. Toss in drained pasta and parmesan, adding more pasta water as needed for a glossy sauce.
  7. Season with salt and black pepper, then finish with basil if using.

Cook time: 30 minutes

Estimated cost: $10-13

Health notes: Vegetable-forward and moderate in calories, with fiber from asparagus and mushrooms.

Drink pairing: Pinot Grigio

Slow Cooker Herb Pork Shoulder with Cabbage and Carrots

A simple slow cooker pork shoulder dish with cabbage, carrots, and onions that suits cool March weather in Washington. Comforting and practical, while staying different from the pineapple-braised cabbage pork meal you previously cooked.

Ingredients

  • Kroger® Fresh Natural Pork Shoulder Butt Bone In 2 lb 1.99
  • Green Cabbage 1 lb 0.99
  • Carrots 1 lb 1.29
  • Jumbo Yellow Onions 1 lb 0.99
  • Garlic 4 cloves 0.69
  • Kroger® Fat Free Beef Broth 1 cup 1.59
  • Simple Truth Organic® Thyme 1 tsp chopped or a few sprigs 2.49
  • Simple Truth Organic® Rosemary 1 tsp chopped 2.49
  • apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp
  • olive oil 1 tbsp
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cut the onion into wedges, the carrots into thick pieces, and the cabbage into large chunks. Smash the garlic cloves.
  2. Season the pork shoulder with salt and black pepper. Brown it in a skillet with olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes per side for extra flavor, if desired.
  3. Place onions, carrots, cabbage, and garlic in the slow cooker. Add broth, thyme, rosemary, and vinegar.
  4. Set the pork on top of the vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, until the pork is tender.
  5. Shred or slice the pork and toss lightly with some of the cooking liquid.
  6. Serve the pork over the softened vegetables with spoonfuls of the broth.

Cook time: 6 hours 15 minutes

Estimated cost: $13-16

Health notes: High-protein and hearty, with plenty of vegetables; richer than the pasta but good for a balanced cold-weather dinner.

Drink pairing: Dry cider

Tomato Basil Cod Pasta

A seafood pasta option using Pacific cod, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. It gives you a different seafood direction than salmon and feels bright enough for early spring.

Ingredients

  • Pacific Cod Fillet Wild Caught (sustainably sourced) 1 lb 10.99
  • Fresh Roma Tomato 1 lb 1.49
  • Jumbo Yellow Onions 1/2 lb 0.99
  • Garlic 3 cloves 0.69
  • Simple Truth Organic® Basil 2 tbsp chopped 2.49
  • Fresh Organic Lemon - Each 1/2 1.29
  • pasta 8 oz
  • olive oil 2 tbsp
  • red pepper flakes pinch, optional
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente.
  2. Dice the tomatoes, slice the onion, and mince the garlic. Cut cod into large bite-size pieces.
  3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion 4 minutes until softened.
  4. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, then stir in tomatoes and cook 8 to 10 minutes until saucy.
  5. Season cod with salt and pepper, nestle it into the tomato sauce, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes until just flaky.
  6. Add drained pasta, basil, lemon zest, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Toss gently so the cod stays in chunks.
  7. Serve in shallow bowls with extra basil and black pepper.

Cook time: 40 minutes

Estimated cost: $13-16

Health notes: Lean protein with moderate carbs and a lighter tomato-based sauce.

Drink pairing: Sauvignon Blanc

Ginger Chicken Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Rice

A fast, vegetable-forward stir-fry that feels different from the usual weeknight rotation. Tender chicken thighs, bok choy, mushrooms, and sweet peppers are glazed in a gingery soy sauce and served over fluffy rice for a balanced, high-value meal.

Wine picks:

  • Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling Washington White Wine 7.99 1 bottle (750 ml)
  • Portlandia Pinot Gris 13.99 1 bottle (750 ml)

Ingredients

  • Foster Farms Fresh & Natural Chicken Thighs Value Pack 1 lb 2.79
  • Bok Choy 1 lb 2.77
  • Kroger® Sliced White Mushrooms 8 oz 2.00
  • Kroger® Tri-Color Bell Peppers 1/2 package, about 3 peppers 3.99
  • Organic Ginger Root 2-inch piece 3.77
  • Garlic 3 cloves 0.69
  • Jumbo Yellow Onions 1/2 lb 0.99
  • Kroger® Yellow Onion 3 lb Bag optional substitute if needed 2.29
  • rice 1 cup uncooked
  • soy sauce 3 tablespoons
  • rice vinegar 1 tablespoon
  • honey or brown sugar 2 teaspoons
  • cornstarch 2 teaspoons
  • neutral oil 2 tablespoons
  • red pepper flakes pinch, optional
  • Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling Washington White Wine 1 bottle (750 ml) 7.99

Instructions

  1. Start the rice first. Rinse 1 cup uncooked rice and cook it on the stove according to package directions so it is ready when the stir-fry finishes.
  2. Prep everything before cooking. Slice 1 lb chicken thighs into bite-size strips. Separate the 1 lb bok choy stems from the leaves; slice the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Slice 8 oz mushrooms. Thinly slice 1/2 lb onion. Slice about 3 tri-color bell peppers into thin strips. Peel and finely grate a 2-inch piece of ginger. Mince 3 garlic cloves.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey or brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1/3 cup water, and a pinch of red pepper flakes if using.
  4. Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the sliced 1 lb chicken thighs, season lightly with black pepper, and stir-fry 5 to 6 minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
  5. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon neutral oil to the pan. Stir-fry the 1/2 lb sliced onion, the bok choy stems, and the sliced bell peppers for 3 minutes. Add the 8 oz sliced mushrooms and cook 2 to 3 minutes more until the mushrooms give up their moisture and the vegetables stay a little crisp.
  6. Add the grated ginger and 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Return the cooked chicken to the pan along with the bok choy leaves.
  7. Pour in the soy-ginger sauce and toss continuously for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce turns glossy and lightly coats the chicken and vegetables.
  8. To plate, mound the hot rice in shallow bowls. Spoon the chicken stir-fry over and slightly to one side so the white rice, green bok choy, and red-yellow peppers all show. Finish with extra black pepper or a few sliced green onions if you have them.

Cook time: 45 minutes

Estimated cost: $11-14

Health notes: Approximately 560 calories per serving. Roughly 36g protein, 18g fat, 58g carbohydrates, 5g fiber. Lean, satisfying, and packed with vegetables.

Drink pairing: Dry Riesling is excellent with ginger and soy, and Pinot Gris is another easy, versatile choice that won’t overpower the bok choy and peppers.

Wine picks:

  • Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling Washington White Wine 7.99 1 bottle (750 ml)
  • Portlandia Pinot Gris 13.99 1 bottle (750 ml)

Why it works: For Ginger Chicken Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Rice, I’d favor a white with bright acidity and a little fruit to handle ginger, garlic, and the savory sauce without fighting the bok choy. For dinner for 2, one 750 ml bottle is the right size. My top pick is Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling: it’s Washington-grown, crisp, and just dry enough to keep the pairing fresh while still feeling friendly with ginger. If you want to lean more neutral and food-flexible, Portlandia Pinot Gris is an excellent second choice with clean orchard-fruit notes and enough lift for stir-fry vegetables.

Shopping list
  • Green Asparagus 1 lb
  • Kroger® Sliced White Mushrooms 8 oz, 8 oz
  • Jumbo Yellow Onions 1/2 lb, 1 lb, 1/2 lb, 1/2 lb
  • Garlic 3 cloves, 4 cloves, 3 cloves, 3 cloves
  • Fresh Organic Lemon - Each 1, 1/2
  • Simple Truth Organic® Basil 2 tbsp, optional, 2 tbsp chopped
  • pasta 8 oz, 8 oz
  • olive oil 2 tbsp, 1 tbsp, 2 tbsp
  • butter 1 tbsp
  • parmesan 1/3 cup grated
  • salt to taste, to taste, to taste
  • black pepper to taste, to taste, to taste
  • Kroger® Fresh Natural Pork Shoulder Butt Bone In 2 lb
  • Green Cabbage 1 lb
  • Carrots 1 lb
  • Kroger® Fat Free Beef Broth 1 cup
  • Simple Truth Organic® Thyme 1 tsp chopped or a few sprigs
  • Simple Truth Organic® Rosemary 1 tsp chopped
  • apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp
  • Pacific Cod Fillet Wild Caught (sustainably sourced) 1 lb
  • Fresh Roma Tomato 1 lb
  • red pepper flakes pinch, optional, pinch, optional
  • Foster Farms Fresh & Natural Chicken Thighs Value Pack 1 lb
  • Bok Choy 1 lb
  • Kroger® Tri-Color Bell Peppers 1/2 package, about 3 peppers
  • Organic Ginger Root 2-inch piece
  • Kroger® Yellow Onion 3 lb Bag optional substitute if needed
  • rice 1 cup uncooked
  • soy sauce 3 tablespoons
  • rice vinegar 1 tablespoon
  • honey or brown sugar 2 teaspoons
  • cornstarch 2 teaspoons
  • neutral oil 2 tablespoons
  • Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling Washington White Wine 1 bottle (750 ml)

Planned by Careme.