Pistachio Covered Carrot Cake

The Holidays are a perfect time for Pistachio Nut based deserts. One of my favorites is a Pistachio encrusted carrot cake. It looks great and tastes so good! One word of warning: it won’t last long!!! Here’s my recipe:

Kathy’s Pistachio Covered Carrot Cake

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
¾ cup coconut oil
¾ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots
8-ounce can crushed pineapple
3 ½ ounce can flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pistachios

Instructions

Stir together first four ingredients. Beat eggs and next four ingredients until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating until blended. Fold in carrots and next three ingredients. Pour batter into greased and floured 13X9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45  minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Soften ½ cup boutter and mix with 8-ounce package of softened Cream Cheese and one 16 ounce package of powdered sugar. Blend in 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Spread Cream Cheese frosting evenly over cake.

Finally, sprinkle one cup chopped unsalted pistachios evenly over top of frosting. Yummmmm!

Winston and I in the Orchard

Winston and I went out to the orchard to check on the trees and they are really looking good. That is good news for me as I just love having lots of Pistachio Nuts around for treats and snacks. Here are just a few ideas to healthy up your diet:

• Include pistachios with “high-carb” meals. Pistachios, when eaten with some high-carbohydrate foods, result in a lower than expected blood sugar level, helping you avoid the sugar-highs and crashes often associated with highly refined carbohydrates. In general, foods that do not quickly raise blood sugar are often considered healthier than their more refined counterparts.
• Instead of adding a banana to your morning cereal or oatmeal, switch it out for some pistachios. One serving of pistachios has as much potassium as half of one large banana.
• Trade those unhealthy snacks for pistachios! You can eat up to 49 pistachios per serving and stay satisfied longer with zero guilt. They give you protein, fiber and healthy fats to get through the day.
• Snack and hydrate! To avoid overeating, never let yourself get famished. Try keeping a handy pack of pistachios with you at all times in case hunger hits unexpectedly. And make sure to drink plenty of water — when you are dehydrated you feel hungrier.

You can find more healthy tips about using Pistachios in your diet at www.thegreennut.com

Pistachio Encrusted Halibut

Here is a great dinner to prepare as the days get warmer. Nice and light and fresh.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped pistachios
• 1 cup coarse breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 4 each Alaskan Halibut fillets (5 oz each)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kathy’s Stirfried Chicken and Asparagus with Pistachios

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
* 1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 pound chicken tenders cut into bite-size pieces
* 4 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
* 1 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauce
* 1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce
* 1/4 cup SLO Farm unsalted pistachio kernels

* Yield: 4 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each
* Prep Time: 25 minutes

Instructions

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add asparagus; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add chicken; cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Stir in scallions, ginger, oyster sauce and chile-garlic sauce; cook, stirring, until the chicken is juicy and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in pistachios and serve immediately.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes

Ingredients:

* 2 cups whole-wheat flour
* 3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
* 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
* 1/4 cup natural pistachio nuts, chopped
* 1 Tbsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 3/4 cup low-fat (2 percent) milk
* 1/2 cup applesauce
* 1/2 cup canola oil
* 1 egg

* Topping:
* 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
* 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar

Preparation:
Mix flour, sugar, oats, pistachios, baking powder, and salt in bowl, stirring with spoon until well blended. Add milk, applesauce, oil, and egg all at once. Stir lightly just to mix. Don’t overmix or texture will suffer.

Spoon into 12 greased, paper-lined muffin cups. Spoon topping over batter. Bake at 400 F. for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown, turning pan around after 15 minutes for even browning. Cool 5 minutes; then remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Topping:
Mix pistachios with brown sugar. Sprinkle on top of muffin batter before baking.