Lemon Pistachio Cake

This is one of my favorites and I think I can say it is a favorite of Jake's as well. It is a super moist cake and is a lighter version to a chocolate cake. I normally do it in a bundt cake pan but I decided to do a 13X9 this time and it worked really well. You get more coverage of the glaze so that is a plus!

Lemon Pistachio Cake

• Lemon Cake Mix
• 1 1/4 c water
• 1/3 c vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 small box pistachio pudding mix
• 1/4 tsp lemon extract
• 2 drops green food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your baking pan well with non stick spray. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients and beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until well combined and not lumpy. Spread in prepared pan and cook for 35 minutes for 9X13 or 45 for a bundt pan or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool slightly and in the mean time combine 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 Tbs lemon juice in a small bowl. Mix until well blended and then spread over slightly warm cake. Let cool from this point and then enjoy. Keeps well for several days.

Steak and Pear Salad

Jake and I really like this salad. It is part of the rotation of dinners in our house and it is a great lighter dinner but still has a lot of substance. We had a salad similar to this at a restaurant that had no meat in it and we have since tweaked it a bit and made it a dinner salad. This recipe can be multiplied easily to accommodate more servings. I use Girard's raspberry vinaigrette on this salad and it is really well balanced with the other ingredients.

Steak and Pear Salad

• 1 rib eye or New York strip steak
• 2 Tbs soy Sauce
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 Tbs olive oil
  
• 1/2 lb spring salad mix
• 1 ripe pear, cored and sliced
• 1/2 c pecan pieces
• 1/2 c blue cheese crumbles
• 3 Tbs Raspberry vinaigrette

In a shallow dish marinate the steak in the soy sauce and black pepper for 30 minutes at room temperature. The meat should be close to room temp when you cook it.
Once your steak is marinated, preheat a grill pan or skillet to medium high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade to dry a bit and drizzle with the olive oil. Put in the pan and cook to your desired doneness. While the steak is cooking toast your pecan pieces in a dry skillet over medium low heat. Make sure you keep them moving in the pan so that you don't burn them, the fat in them makes them burn very quickly! You will know when they are toasted because the smell of them changes. Once they smell toasted remove to cool on a saucer. It takes around 5 minutes to toast them but can take less depending on your pan and stove. While the steak is cooking prepare the other ingredients. In a salad bowl place the greens, blue cheese, cooled pecans and slice pear. Right before you are going to serve, toss with 2 Tbs of the raspberry vinaigrette. Divide between two dinner plates or can be 4 side salads.
Once the steak has finished cooking let it rest for about 10 minutes and then slice in thin strips and drizzle with 1 Tbs of the dressing. Toss to cover and then divide between the servings of salad. You can sprinkle with additional blue cheese if you like and cracked pepper.

Baked Tortilla Chips

So I am kind of in love with these tortilla chips. I am generally not into chips that much or I try not to be I guess I should say. These chips make me feel a lot better about eating them! I have been playing around with a baked tortilla chip for a while because we often want them to go with meals and the ones we have are opened and a bit stale and that is terribly disappointing. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Baked Tortilla Chips

• 6-8 medium sized flour tortillas
• salt and pepper to taste
• Canola oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Scatter out on a Silpat lined baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle fairly liberally with salt and pepper. Toss around to coat and then spray with a little more spray.

Bake in the oven for about 8-10 minutes until they have started to brown. Turn over and bake for another 5 minutes or until evenly browned. I will generally try and do 2 batches if they are overlapping too much. Remove from oven and eat warm or at room temperature. I love this with Guacamole!

Spring Quiche

This is a yummy option for breakfast or a brunch and of course you could use a number of options for the filling. I chose a combination that has a nice savory flavor and is very seasonal for this time of year.

Spring Quiche

• 1 blind baked single pie crust

• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

• 1/4 lb brussel sprouts, sliced

• 1/4 bunch asparagus, cut up into 2 inch pieces

• 6-8 crimini mushrooms, sliced

• 3 eggs

• 1 1/2 c milk

• 1/2 c sharp white cheddar cheese

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1-2 Tbs butter, cut up
  

Preheat oven to 400. Place veggies on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes until tender and slightly browned. Cool and set aside. In a medium bowl beat together the eggs and milk until blended. Stir in the salt, pepper and cheese then fold in the bacon and veggies. Pour into prepared pie crust and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes until set and just jiggles in the middle.
Let cool completely before slicing.

Bailey's Fudge Cake

In honor of St Patrick's Day I decided to make the Bailey's Fudge Cake from Not Quite June Cleaver. I left out the nuts and we actually ate it while it was still warm and it was delicious! Kind of boozy but if you like Bailey's it was perfect. Follow the link if you want, I think it is a must try:)

Marmalade

I love marmalade, it can't be just any marmalade though it has to have finer bits of peel and a real acidic flavor. I don't admire the jarringly sweet heavily laden peel versions and this is a great one. I have always relied on my step mom Mary to donate her citrus marmalade to my cause and I have never made the jump to making it on my own but this time I did and it turned out really good.

I used a recipe off of the pectin box but changed it to using 3 oranges, 2 grapefruits and 2 lemons and I made up the measurements they call for with those instead. I also chopped the peal in my food processor so it is nice and fine and when I peeled it off I used my peeler so it made thin translucent strips of peel. Not only a aromatic exercise of pretty as well. It is great warm and glazed on white meats but yummy on toast in the morning with coffee!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 tsp salt and pepper
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 c rolled oats
• 2 Tbs olive oil

In a small bowl combine all ingredients until just combined. Form into 1 inch meatballs and fry in a large skillet in the olive oil until all sides are golden. Remove and set aside.

• 1/2 c sliced carrots
• 1/2 c red bell peppers, sliced
• 8 oz can pineapple chunks, juice reserved
• 1 c orange juice
• 2 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 Tbs corn starch
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

In the hot skillet with the remaining oil left from cooking the meat saute the carrot and peppers until almost tender. While that is cooking stir together the juices, soy sauce, corn starch and pepper, set aside. Once the veggies are cooked put in the meatballs and the pineapple and warm through together for a minute. Stir in the sauce and continue stirring until it is thickened and glossy. Serve over white rice.