Raspberries and Pineapple with Mint and White Balsamic

I’m terrible about eating fruit, partially because there aren’t a ton of fruits I get excited about. But this pseudo-fruit salad actually makes me want to eat fruit. Add some whipped cream and it’s dessert.

Steak Salad with Asparagus and Ranch Dressing

I liked the homemade light ranch dressing from last week’s crab cakes so much that I ended up remaking it for two more salads over the weekend. It worked well both for a Lobster Cobb and for this steak salad I whipped up.

Stuffed Portabellos with Ricotta and Lamb Sausage

I love it when dishes I make up turn out well.

This doesn’t look pretty, but it tasted terrific. I got the idea when watching someone on Food Network make calzones. My thought process: “I could go for a calzone. Not exactly low-carb. Hmm.” I used homemade ricotta for this; I think that plus the excellent lamb sausage really made a difference here (we also had really nice mushrooms from the market).

We served this with broccoli rabe and some strawberries tossed with basil, a pinch of sugar and white balsamic vinegar.

Jon’s Pork Chops

Our friend Jon is great at grilling, and John has been talking up this pork chop marinade of his. He made it last week and it was just terrific. He changed the recipe only slightly (a bit more cider, threw in a star anise).

Crab Cakes with Buttermilk Ranch

Yay for this Cooking Light recipe. Not only did it make a tasty crab cake that didn’t fall apart, but the homemade ranch dressing was quite nice, too.

Note: Since crabmeat is kind of expensive, you can do what I did to make this a more affordable weeknight meal: just halve the recipe (and don’t count on leftovers if you’re cooking for two like we were).

Cherry Marcona Almond Blondies

I knew I had to make this recipe when I saw it, given I love marcona almonds and blondies are one of the few desserts I really like (and make well).

I ended up using rosemary marconas because that’s what I got at the store. I thought the rosemary worked well in the dish, but I could see that not being for everyone. If you bring these to a party, I recommend making a double batch.

Note: I recommend putting a layer of greased parchment paper in the pan when baking them. I made one this way (a trick I learned making bourbon blondies) and one the recipe’s way, and the parchment ones came out better and were easier to remove from the pan.

Recipe Variation: Quinoa Stuffed Pepper Casserole

This is a lower-carb variation on my inside out stuffed peppers.

Fajita Peppers

This is just a good easy side when I’m making a meaty Mexican dish.

Pinto Beans with Bacon

This dish couldn’t be easier, and turns out really satisfying. I think I based this off of a Pioneer Woman recipe.

Negro Modelo Short Ribs

I still remember the Negro Modelo-braised short ribs John had years ago at El Vez. I had serious food order envy.

We’ve had short ribs hanging out in the depths of our second freezer forever, courtesy of Franz the Cow. I decided to try to recreate the short ribs of my memory for Cinco De Mayo tonight. I’m not sure they’re particularly similar, but they are delicious. These would be good over polenta or in tortillas; we’re having them with Fajita peppers and a big pot of pinto beans (recipes to follow).