Lime and Pistachio Cake

Pistachios are my favorite nut for snacking, always have been. (Pistachio ice cream's way up there on my preferred ice cream list as well.) I thought the idea of using lime zest with the pistachio flour was a lovely combo and Donna Hay magazine said it made a cake with distinct mid-east undertones. They also suggested adding a dash of rosewater to make it even more so. I didn't add the rosewater, but may try it next time I make it. Yes, I'll be making it again, it was delightful. Unfortunately, I only got to eat one slice as I was making it for a friend who's having some serious health problems. (She didn't mind one missing slice; she understands food bloggers.) Along with the cake, I'm taking her some old British mysteries. I don't know about you, but when I'm having health problems, I can't seem to concentrate very well on serious books so there's nothing I like better than easy mystery reading......and cake.  :) Please say a prayer for her complete recovery, dear friends. 

If you don't have access to pistachio flour, you can always make your own (see tutorial on making nut flours HERE) or order it online. I made some pistachio madeleines a while back so had ordered it...it came in a rather large package and I had plenty left over.

All of us love the amazing photographs in Donna Hay magazine, but while this looked like a gorgeous cake in the magazine, mine didn't resemble it at all, which gave me pause when I pulled it out of the oven. If you have the magazine, look for the photo in the latest issue. No resemblance, right? However, ovens differ country to country, as do ingredients and when I sliced a piece and took a bite, it was wonderful. Besides, who knows what the food stylists do to get the photos exactly how they want them?
Oh, I nearly forgot something important to many of you. This recipe is gluten-free.


Lime and Pistachio Cake
From Donna Hay magazine, Issue 59

Ingredients:
1 stick plus 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
4 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups almond meal/flour
1 cup pistachio flour

Method:
Preheat oven to 325.
Use approx. an 11x4x3 inch loaf pan. I sprayed with Pam, lined it with parchment paper and sprayed it with Pam again.
Place butter, sugar, vanilla and lime zest in an electric mixer bowl and beat for 10 minutes or until pale and very light, scraping down sides frequently. Add eggs one at a time, beating between additions and scraping the bowl each time. Beat another 2 or 3 minutes.
Remove from the mixer and fold in the two flours until well combined.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan. Remove parchment paper and serve. Donna Hay showed the cake with a honey drizzle, but it was sweet enough without and I knew it wouldn't travel well that way. I just sprinkled on some confectioners sugar.

Ina First Fridays: Filet of Beef au Poivre (and Horseradish Yorkshire Puddings)

Welcome once again to Ina First Fridays! This month it's a main course. Now I know most of you have a grill and probably use it almost every night during the summer, but I don't, so this was the perfect recipe for me. I do love a melt-in-your-mouth filet and the shallot sauce finishes it off to a T.
To me, the perfect filet mignon has a crispy outside and a tender, juicy, rare or medium rare center. Why rare? Because filet is very lean to begin with, which means very little fat to melt and lubricate as it cooks. So the longer you cook it (to medium or well done) that tiny amount of fat melts away and the meat will be dry. 

As a bonus, I made some Horseradish Yorkshire Puddings, which we always think of with roast beef, but they are amazing with any cut of beef. The only change I would make to this recipe is to add 2 tablespoons of the horseradish cream, because 1 tablespoon just didn't cut it.
Remember, they're like popovers, so they puff up when baking and sink a bit when out of the oven. These little puddings are NOT an Ina recipe, but a Donna Hay find. I think you'll like them with Ina's filet and you'll want to make them often when you're grilling steak.

Filet of Beef au Poivre
Copyright 2004, Barefoot in Paris

Ingredients:

6 filet mignon, cut 1 1/4 inches thick 

Kosher salt 

2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper 

3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 

3/4 cup chopped shallots (3 to 4 shallots) 

1 cup canned beef broth 

1/2 cup good Cognac or brandy

Method:

Place the filets on a board and pat them dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the filets with salt and then press the black pepper evenly on both sides. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. 

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until the butter almost smokes. Place the steaks in the pan and lower the heat to medium. Saute the steaks for 4 minutes on 1 side and then for 3 minutes on the other side, for medium rare. Remove the steaks to a serving platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. 

Meanwhile, pour all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the saute pan. Add the shallots and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the beef broth and cook over high heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until reduced by half, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the Cognac and cook for 2 more minutes. Off the heat, swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Serve the steaks hot with the sauce poured on top.

                                                                 
Horseradish Yorkshire Puddings
Donna Hay, Issue 69

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon horseradish cream (I think this should be 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
clarified butter or ghee 

Method:
Preheat oven to 425.
Place eggs, milk and horseradish cream in a bowl and whisk. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Divide the clarified butter between 6 half cup muffin tins. Place the tins on a tray, place in the oven about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and divide the batter between the tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serves 2.

                                                                              *******************************************

Ina Fridays participants:

Alyce from moretimeatthetable.blogspot.com 

Mireya from myhealthyeatinghabits.com

Nancy from mypicadillo.com  

Veronica from mycatholickitchen.com

Linda from There and Back Again 

Chaya from bizzybakes.blogspot.com

Ansh from spiceroots.com  

Martha from simple-nourished-living.com
Minnie from TheLady8home.com

Bhavna from justagirlfromaamchimumbai.com/ 

B. from The Rocky MountainWoman 
Ria from Ria's Collection
Linda from Tumbleweed Contessa

Roasted Carrots with Shallots and Thyme

Last week I came home with a big bunch of these lovely multi-colored carrots. Don't they look delicious? And because I love them roasted, this time I wanted a little something extra so searched online a bit and discovered a recipe that suggested adding fresh thyme and shallots to the roasting pan. Sounded awesome. The result?
Do you see that enormous plate of cooked carrots below? Well, I ate the entire plate for dinner. OMG, they were soooooo good. That was all I ate too....just those carrots. Carrot heaven, my friends. Caramelizing veggies brings out their sweetness and while I love most vegetables done this way, these carrots are now my favorite, displacing roasted fennel by a hair. The shallot addition was genius (slice them in big chunks as they burn if you slice them thinly) and because I didn't have any fresh thyme, I sprinkled on some dried thyme; you needn't hesitate to do that in a pinch, the flavor was still amazing.

Roasted Carrots with Shallots & Thyme
From Meals

Ingredients:

2 pounds small- to medium-size carrots

1 cup sliced shallots

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and ground black pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 425° F. Place rack in center of oven.

Peel carrots if desired and trim green top, leaving about 1/2–inch. Cut larger carrots in half lengthwise and place in a rimmed baking sheet. Add shallots and thyme; drizzle with oil and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for about 30 to 35 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.