Posts categorized 'Weekly Specials'

Great deals this week at CM Fort Worth

Happy Wednesday, all you bargain hunters!  It's double-ad Wednesday at Central Market Fort Worth, where you can take advantage of the previous week's sale plus the new sale prices all on the same day.  You can't beat that, and have we got some great deals for you!

This week, you can find Canadian Lobster Tails for $2.00 off at only $5.99 each.  You could make it a Surf & Turf dinner with New York Strips for $10.99 a pound – that's a $7.00 savings.  Pick up some fresh Asparagus (WOW! Save $1.00) and our new Grain Salads for side dishes, and you'll have the meal covered.  These grain salads are rich protein and amino acids.  Choose from Latin Chipotle Red Quinoa, Black Quinoa Citrus Slaw, Pan-Fried Italian Whole Wheat  Couscous and Golden Jewel Italian Salad.  They are 100% natural and sustainable, and made with 100% whole grain.

But what about dessert?  Well, we've got our classic Lemon Bars for only 99¢ each this week, or you could pick up some White Flesh Nectarines and Peaches for a healthy, natural dessert.  Lately, I've been reading about grilling peaches, which sounds like a really novel idea.  If you're firing up the grill this weekend, why not grill some stone fruit, as well?

We have several wines on special, as well – 1919 Malbec, Chardonnay or Syrah; Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc; and Speer Vineyards Chardonnay.  If you prefer a brew, pick up a 12-pack of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Seasonal for only $10.99.

Swing by Central Market Fort Worth this week to take advantage of these great specials, and celebrate the flavors of summer!

Nuts? Nuts. Nuts!

Oh man, you have got to try these!  Right now at Central Market Fort Worth you can save up to $3.00 per pound on Austinuts Cashews and Almonds. Varieties include:
Raw Almonds
Roasted & Salted Almonds
Cayenne Almonds
Smokey Mesquite Almonds
Roasted & Salted Cashews
Chili Lime Cashews
Garlic Cashews

This weekend I tried the Cayenne Almonds and the Garlic Cashews and they are awesome!  The Cayenne Almonds have a bit of heat that is balanced out by the smooth, buttery flavor of the almond.  The dry-roasting process gives a delicious crunch to the nut without all that oily mess that some other nuts have.  The Garlic Cashews have a great flavor that is more mild than the Cayenne.  I popped a few of them mixed together in my mouth for even more variety – yum!

Austinuts is an Austin based company specializing in dry roasting nuts.  As they contain no added oils, additives or preservatives, dry roasted nuts have a more natural flavor, taste better and are more crunchy than oil roasted nuts.  Many nutrition experts endorse the consumption of nuts as a valuable ingredient in one's diet. Nuts provide a rich source of protein, fiber, poly and mono-unsaturated fats (the "good" fats), vitamins and minerals, and contain no cholesterol. Due to their high nutrition content, nuts are a recommended snack for children and adults alike and are the main source of protein and oils for many vegetarians.  Recent studies indicate that nuts possess specific health benefits, and the consumption of almonds and hazelnuts is associated with a decrease in blood cholesterol level. Other nuts and seeds may be helpful in reducing the risk of coronary disease and heart attacks.

This sale ends soon, so make sure to get some of these crunchy, tasty and healthy nuts now before this great deal is gone!

Large Texas Seedless Watermelons $3.99 each til 6/29!

Taste the Lone Star State - cut into a chilled Texas Seedless Watermelon and start passing out smiles!

Nothing says summer like the cool, crisp taste of Texas watermelon. Through June 29, get Large Texas Seedless Watermelons for just $3.99 each!

Your Central Market produce department certainly has plenty to choose from! We work with small farmers statewide to bring in the best of old-time and modern varieties for every taste.    

 One of our newest growers is ABJ Farms. We started sourcing from them last year and have been in step alongside them as they've expanded their offerings. Founder Jay Hiebert emphasizes the importance of healthy soil for attractive, delicious produce.

This year they're diversifying. Sure, their melons are still some of the best, but now they've got crisp bell peppers and squash, as well as beans, okra, cantaloupe, and tomatoes.

 

20% off ALL Fredericksburg Farms Jams, Salsas, Sauces and Baking Mixes!

 

When I hung up the phone with the folks at Fredericksburg Farm last week, I immediately thought, "THAT is why I am glad I live in the South!"  Everyone was so NICE and friendly and I got to talk for a long time about everything that goes into the FF's all-natural products.  Short version: naturally grown Hill Country products like chiles, peaches, herbs and tomatillos, plus finely-tuned recipes and LOTS of TLC.

For our BIG STATE, BIG TASTE celebration, we've got the ENTIRE LINE FOR 20% off! That includes their popular mustards, salsas, quesos, BBQ sauces, and baking mixes (like my favorite, Sunday Haus Pancake and Waffle Mix. To serve with Apricot Ginger Preserves.)  

Central Market has worked with them for years and years, watching the line and its popularity, grow.  We're excited to have them as a featured product.

The best thing is, they have a big list of RECIPES from the Farm to help you get the most out of their sauces, syrups, mixes and more.  Like this one for Chilaquiles - this is one of my absolute favorite dishes to get when traveling to south Texas or Mexico, but I find it's nearly impossible (at least for me) to recreate that smoky red sauce that makes the dish what it is.  Since Fredericksburg Farms makes the Salsa Roja a la Charra, it's going to be made at the house more often!

 

Cookwell & Co. BBQ Sauce BOGO til 6/22!

BOGO This week! Pick up two bottles of Cookwell & Company's BBQ sauce for a great deal for the price of one with in-store coupon!

Head back to our CM Cooks station for recipes and ideas on how to use these small-production, quality sauces. Choose from a variety of flavor profiles and match to your favorite meats and veggies.

Cookwell’s Pepper & Mustard Blend BBQ Sauce blends French’s Mustard with fresh cracked pepper for a savory and spicy flavor. Their Wythe County Cola BBQ Sauce gets its roots from Dr. Pepper as its sweet flavor profile, and their Bock & Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce combines Shiner Bock Beer and dark brown sugar and savory spice for a one-of-a kind taste!

Whether you’re a charcoal lover or gas grill aficionado, you know that BBQ sauce can make or break your meal.It is the last thing you brush on, and the first thing you taste. 

The chefs at Cookwell & Company love to BBQ (there’s a grill outside their office – honest), and have decided to share one of their favorite grilling sauces with you.

Try this recipe on for size:
Cookwell & Company's Dr. Pepper Bean Pot
Serves 8-12
Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes

3 cans            (30 oz each) Pinto or Black Beans, or combined
1/2 jar            Cookwell Wythe County Cola BBQ Sauce
1 can (14 oz) Tomatoes with Green Chiles or fresh Pico de Gallo
1/2 c               chopped Onions
1 lb.                Premium Choice Ground Chuck
8 pieces         thick-sliced bacon, cooked and chopped

1. Place beans in a large cooking pot over medium-high heat.  Stir in sauce and tomatoes with green chiles.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
2.  In a separate pan, brown ground beef, drain, and add to beans.
3.  Meanwhile, cook bacon slices on the stovetop as desired.  Drain on paper towels, then chop coarsely.  Add to bean mixture immediately.
4.  Beans are ready after the 30-minute simmer time is reached, or you can cook longer to reduce sauce more, if you desire an even richer flavor.  Serve hot.

This fish don't get no respect!

Hake is the Rodney Dangerfield of the whitefish world – it’s the fish that just can’t get any respect. At least that has been the story in America, where Hake has been simply sold as whitefish, or more often as “fried fish.”

But that’s not the case in other parts of the world, where Hake is not a name to run from. At the Rock Hotel in Gibraltar, diners can select “Seared Hake with lemon crushed potatoes and leek and black olive velouté.” On the Isle of Guernsey, Hake gets star treatment at the Vazon Bay Hotel, where the menu features “fillet of fresh Hake dusted with flour, sprinkled with paprika and black pepper, grilled, garnished with Norwegian prawns and capers and finished with fresh Guernsey herbs.”  And down on Rio’s most notorious beach, guests at the Ipanema Porto Restaurant can savor Roasted Hake Poveria Style.

Here at Central Market, we're on a mission to show you what high-quality Hake can really taste like, and why this light whitefish should be on your dinner menu this week.  You can treat high-quality Hake as you would good flounder or sole. It’s pretty versatile, but since it’s a lean, delicate fish, stick with safe cooking techniques like sautéing, steaming or poaching.  Hake takes complex sauces well, and it’s great paired with shellfish like coldwater shrimp or mussels. 

We've got hake on special this week, and here's a great recipe that you can try at home tonight!

Hake in a Light Curry Cream
Ingredients
•    1 kg (about 2 1/4 lbs.) hake fillets
•    salt and milled pepper
•    3 cloves garlic, crushed
•    15 ml (1 Tbsp) curry powder
•    8 curry leaves
•    2 ml (about 1/2 tsp) mustard seeds
•    15 ml (1 Tbsp) sunflower oil
•    15 ml (1 Tbsp) butter
•    60 ml (1/4 cup) white wine
•    2 carrots, slivered
•    2 leeks, slivered
•    200 ml (4/5 cup) cream
•    500 g (1.1 lbs.) frozen mussels in the half shell
•    1 lemon, shredded peel

Directions
1.    Sprinkle hake fillets with salt and pepper.
2.    Stir-fry garlic, curry powder, curry leaves and mustard seeds in oil and butter for a few seconds.
3.    Add wine, carrots and leeks.
4.    Stir-fry for 1 to 2 seconds longer, then add cream and mussels. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
5.    Place fillets in an ovenproof dish, pour over sauce, lemon peel, salt and pepper.
6.    Cover and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until hake is just cooked but not dry.
Serve with well seasoned brown rice lightly mixed with lentils, and freshly cooked spinach dotted with butter.

Kent Rathbun to Appear at Thrill of the Grill with New Line!

Want to make a lobster shooter like those ones at Abacus? Or toss a Caesar salad to Jasper's perfection?!

Kent Rathbun, one of Texas’ most popular chefs and proprietor of Abacus, Jasper’s, Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen and Zea WoodFire Grill will launch his very first product line: Kent Rathbun Elements.

Having created some of the nation’s most talked about restaurant concepts, the James Beard-nominated chef and “Iron Chef America” winner brings his signature blend of flavors to the home cook with a total of 11 wet and dry products. And the only store where you'll find the line is Central Market!

To launch these divine new sauces and rubs, available exclusively at Central Market stores and his restaurant locations, Rathbun will travel the state of Texas with a giant 18’ smoker in tow to each Central Market location for a Texas-sized cookout for the food emporium’s annual “Thrill of the Grill” celebration. Word is he's going to do smoked pork shoulder for sampling!

Our “Thrill of the Grill” has gained so much popularity it will be held for two full weeks for the first time this year. The dates are April 23 through May 2, with most of the activities taking place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Not only can you nibble what he's making, the personal appearances by Rathbun will include recipes using his new products as well as smaller cooking vignettes to teach you the art of grilling. Learn from the master himself! The schedule is:

Friday April 23 at San Antonio Broadway Central Market: 3PM- 9PM
4PM How to Grill a Steak
6PM How to Sauté a Fish

Saturday April 24 at Austin Westgate: 10AM-2PM
11:30 How to Grill a Steak
1PM How to Sauté a Fish

Saturday April 24: Austin North Lamar: 3PM-8PM
4:30 How to Grill a Steak
7PM How to Sauté a Fish

Sunday April 25 at Southlake Central Market 10AM- 2PM
11:30 How to Grill a Steak
1:30 PM How to Sauté a Fish
 

Friday April 30 at Fort Worth 11AM – 6PM
12PM How to Grill a Steak
4PM How to Sauté a Fish
 

Saturday May 1 at Plano 10AM -2PM
11AM How to Grill a Steak
1PM How to Sauté a Fish
 

Sunday May 2 at Dallas Lovers Lane 11AM – 6PM
1PM How to Grill a Steak
3PM How to Sauté a Fish

The line includes a 'Steak and Chop Garlic Salt' and the famous Thai Red Curry-Coconut Sauce (a.k.a “Lobster Shooter” sauce.) During “Thrill of the Grill” at Central Market, Rathbun will focus on recipes using his new barbecue and grilling sauces in Ancho Chili, Honey-Teriyaki and Texas Peach (YUM!). Each 12 oz bottle retails for $8.99 but for the debut, each will be only $7.99!

Recipes will be available in stores and on centralmarket.com beginning April 23.

“It was an extremely long process to launch Kent Rathbun Elements because I wanted to be 100% confident and comfortable with what was in each jar and, ultimately, on the household table,” Rathbun confessed. “I am thrilled to be offering some of my favorite recipes to the experienced and beginner chefs and am honored that Central Market took interest in my line. I look forward to receiving feedback on how well each product is received."

These events are free, open to the public, and while supplies last. We look forward to seeing Kent, his giant smoker and YOU there!

Pacific Rock Cod Fillets flown in fresh for dinner tonight

Rock Cod (also known as a scorpion fish) is a type of rockfish that is firm, lean, mildly-flavored.  Cod is a popular fish with a low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA).

Cod feed on mollusk, crabs, starfish, worms, squid, and small fish. Some migrate to warm water in winter to spawn. A large female lays up to five million eggs in mid-ocean, a very small number of which survive.  Pacific rockfish are the most common near-shore fish on North America's West Coast. More than 70 different varieties of this bass-like fish swim around the shorelines down to depths of 300 feet or more.

Cod can range in size from 1½ to 100 pounds. The fish is available year-round and comes whole (excellent for stuffing and baking), and in large pieces or fillets (fresh or frozen). Cod cheeks and tongues are considered a delicacy, as are scrod, young cod weighing less than 2½ pounds.

Cod can also be preserved by smoking, salting or drying. Salt cod is an important staple in many tropical and European countries such as Italy, where it's called Baccalà, and France, where it's used in a popular dish called Brandade de Morue.

Pacific Rock Cod Stewed With Oranges, Tomatoes and Olives
Serves 4
•    2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
•    1/2 c. thinly-sliced Red Onions
•    1 Tbsp. slivered fresh Garlic
•    3/4 c. canned diced Tomatoes in juice
•    3/4 c. dry White Wine
•    1/2 tsp Salt
•    1/4 tsp freshly-ground Black Pepper
•    2 Tbsp. slivered Kalamata or Niçoise Olives
•    2 medium Oranges, peeled and cut into segments
•    1 lb Rock Cod fillets
Directions
1.    In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onions and garlic, stirring occasionally, till the onions are just beginning to brown (about 3 minutes).
2.    Add in the tomatoes, wine, salt and pepper and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the olives and oranges and simmer 1 minute longer.
3.    Lay the fillets over the mix in a single layer, cover the pan, and simmer on moderate heat til the fish is just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes.
4.    Serve immediately, spooning some of the onion mix on top of the fish.

A great deal and a great dinner

This week at Central Market, pick up basa fillets for a great price and prepare a delicious, healthy dinner. Basa lends itself to a variety of recipes, two of which you can find here, and another at the end of this post.

Known for its mild taste and white, flaky meat, the basa fish is beginning to challenge other sorts of catfish around the world as the preferred food catfish. The method of raising the catfish in the Mekong River has helped it create a following among those who like fish. The fast-flowing waters of the Mekong give basa meat a cleaner taste than a lot of local freshwater fish raised in stagnant ponds.

First things first: most of the fish sold in the United States as "basa" isn’t really basa at all. (It used to be, but not anymore.)  Real basa is Pangasius bocourti, one of 21 species belonging to the Pangasiidae family of catfish, which is found throughout most of Southeast Asia. As a lot of people who visit Vietnam have discovered, basa is a pretty tasty fish, with a delicate texture and nice white flesh.

When shopping at Central Market, you can be sure that what you see is what you get – our basa fillets are just that – Basa.  Basa is a versatile fish whose flesh is mild enough to take on other flavors but flavorful enough to hold its own in simple preparations, and it remains moist during cooking. If you’re looking for a new fish to give your meals an exotic touch, basa is a good bet. And since it costs a fraction of the price for typical upscale fish like Chilean sea bass or halibut, real basa is great for your budget.

Try this recipe for Udon Noodles with Miso Poached Basa to give your dinner an Asian flavor.

Ingredients
•    1 (32-ounce) container vegetable broth
•    3 tablespoons miso paste
•    1 cup sake or white wine
•    3 1/2 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
•    3 scallions, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces, plus chopped scallions, for garnish
•    2 tablespoons soy sauce
•    1 pound basa fillets
•    12 ounces udon noodles
Directions
In a large pot over high heat, bring water to boil for noodles.
In a large straight-sided frying pan over medium-high heat, whisk together all ingredients except fish and noodles. Bring to boil; reduce to simmer. Add basa fillets, cover, and poach for 10 minutes.
Add udon noodles to rapidly boiling water and cook for 6 to 8 minutes for thin udon and 10 to 12 minutes for thicker udon. Serve udon in a bowl with miso broth. Top with poached basa and chopped scallions.

Flying Fish

Meet the new kid on the block, Arrowtooth Flounder. Arrowtooth flounder are members of the family Pleuronectidae, the right-eyed flounders. It can be caught from the Bering Sea to Santa Rosa Island, California. This species of flounder can live up to 25 years. Arrowtooth flounder are currently the most abundant fish in the Gulf of Alaska.

Flounder is a good, low-fat source of B vitamins and an excellent source of niacin. Arrowtooth is usually sold on the West Coast as turbot, although it is not related to the true turbot. Arrowtooth flounder’s fleshy fins, called frill, are popularly used in Japan in engawa, a type of sushi.

Arrowtooth Flounder is a tender, soft-textured fish that does well in croquettes, fish broth, or breaded and fried. To fry, coat fish with flour and seasoning, or you can use bread crumbs or cornmeal. Toss them into 350 degree heated oil until they turned golden brown. Here are a couple of additional recipes to get you started.

Dilly Flounder


• 2lbs.  Arrowtooth Flounder Fillets

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 clove minced garlic
• 
1 tsp dried dill weed or 1 Tbsp fresh


Preheat oven to 400°. Place fillets in baking pan coated with cooking spray. Pour lemon juice over fish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, garlic, and dill weed. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

If you're feeling a little more adventurous, try this recipe.

Gratin of Flounder

• 2 lbs. Arrowtooth Flounder fillets

• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup shallots or onions, chopped
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 
1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/8 tsp white pepper


Preheat oven to 450°. Combine parsley, shallots or onions, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Divide in half and spread half in casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Place flounder fillets in casserole dish; cover with remaining vegetable mixture. Pour wine over all ingredients and top with bread crumbs and melted butter. Bake for 8-10 minutes.