Happy World Pistachio Day!

Pistachios are one of my favorite nuts and one of my favorite desserts involves pistachios. This is a variation of the pistachio dream dessert that my Aunt Jan made. This version is what Bob Ross might call a happy accident. Instead of the traditional three layers, the first two were accidentally combined. The results were delish and this is the version that lived on at every Thanksgiving and Christmas my family held together while my grandmother was alive.

Aunt Jan’s Awesome Pistachio Dessert

For the crust:

1. Cut together
   • 1 1/2 c.flour
   • 1/2 c. chilled butter, cubed
   • 1/4 c. walnuts or pecans
2. Press into 13 x 9 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely.

For the pistachio layer:

1. Beat together until smooth
   • 1 8-oz. package cream cheese
   • 1/4 c. milk
2. Add and beat together until slightly thickened (about 2 minutes)
   • 2 3/4 c. milk
   • 2 packages of pistachio instant pudding
3. Spread immediately over cooled crust.

For top layer, spread 1 8-0z. container of prepared whipped topping. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Serves: 1 if I’m present 😉

Debra

February 24 is National Tortilla Chip Day! Tortilla chips are great plain or with dips. My go-to is a black bean dip from Eating Well. It’s simple, low calorie and versatile.

Black Bean Dip

Combine in food processor until smooth:

• 1 19- or 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup prepared salsa
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• salt & pepper, to taste

Bon appetit!

Debra

February 21 is National Sticky Bun Day! I have an incredible sweet tooth, so the prospect of this day was both exciting (Yay! Sticky buns!) and daunting (Uh oh! I will eat all of the sticky buns!). So I decided to do a search for healthier alternatives. While a couple of recipes seemed promising, they still may way too many sticky buns for one person – especially one with very little self-control regarding sweets.

The alternative? Tweak a recipe that I already use and do more of an ode to sticky buns than the real thing. This recipe is based on one from Betty Crocker to make what they call a puffy oven pancake, but is what I would call a Dutch baby.

Ode to Sticky Buns Oven Pancake

1. Set oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is heating, insert an 8-inch cast iron skillet or pie pan inside and melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter.
2. While oven is heating, combine until just moistened (batter will be lumpy)
   • 2 large eggs, beaten
   • 1/2 cup flour
   • 1/2 cup milk
   • 1/4 teaspoon salt
3. Once batter is combined, remove skillet from oven and brush melted butter across bottom and up sides to prevent the batter from sticking.
4. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with cinnamon and brown sugar. Add nuts – traditionally pecans or used but I had walnuts, so that’s what I used. I also don’t always measure, so I just put in what I thought looked good. I would guess less than a teaspoon of cinnamon, about a tablespoon of sugar, and a half cup of nuts, but you can adjust to how much you like each.
5. Pour the batter over the cinnamon-sugar-nut mixture and bake 25 to 30 minutes. This will get super puffy in the oven, so don’t panic. I usually like to take it out when the top still looks moist, otherwise the bottom may become overdone.
6. Remove from oven and loosen pancake with a pancake turner if necessary. Flip onto a serving plate, slice and serve immediately.

Hope you enjoy!

Debra

February 17 is National Cabbage Day. Cabbage is a great source of vitamin C, has hardly any calories, and is great cooked or raw. It’s also a great late season crop for those looking to eat a seasonal diet. Root vegetables like beets, carrots, and parsnips also over-winter well, so my thoughts turned to borscht. I once again turned to Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds 300 Sensational Soups. This is a wonderful tasting soup and is very pretty to boot.

Borscht

Serves 6 to 8

• 1 lb. beets, trimmed
• 3 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 parsnips, diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken stock (I used vegetable stock)
• 3 cups shredded Savoy cabbage
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I used Balsamic)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey (I used sugar)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Wrap beets in foil and bake until tender , about 1 hour. Cool slightly, peel, then dice.
3. In a large, heavy pot, saute bacon over medium heat until it starts to brown. Add carrots, parsnips, onion, and garlic; saute until softened. Add stock, cabbage, and beets; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in vinegar and honey; add salt and pepper to taste.
4. In small bowl, combine sour cream and dill.
5. Ladle soup into heated bowls and top each with a dollop of dilled sour cream. Can also be served cold: refrigerate for 3 hours and serve in chilled bowls.

You can make this without the bacon and sour cream, and it’s still deliscious.

Enjoy!

Debra

After a couple of politically-oriented posts, I’ll do a few days of food-related posts. There seem to be a lot of food days to celebrate in February, beginning with the Super Bowl.

Today is National Almond Day in the U.S. so I decided to make a recipe that’s been in my “to-make” folder for a while: Mr. Food’s Chocolate Biscotti. Prior to this, I’ve only made biscotti once; while they were delicious, I thought afterward that it wasn’t worth the hassle.

I made a few changes to the recipe (because I just usually do). I used slivered almonds because I wanted them to be more evenly distributed throughout. I also mixed the sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl, and sifted the rest of the dry ingredients together before combining the two. Not sure why except that seemed like a thing.

They are good and I’ll definitely make them again. I think, however, I’ll use almond extract instead of vanilla and see how that goes.

Debra