Grasshopper Pie

This pie is perfect for St. Patrick's Day, the holidays or during those times when only pie will do. I'm curious - are you a cake or pie type of person? My husband is strictly pie. He'll eat cake but only if it's drowning in ice cream or even better when it's in an ice cream cake.

I'm not so picky. For me cake satisfies that nostalgic 'I want to relive my fifth birthday' craving while pie is more immediately gratifying and sinful - just a good 'ole down and dirty sugar fix. And the older I get the more types of pie I like which is GREAT news for my figure as I begin the downward spiral called the mid thirties. Take that, metabolism!

But of all the pies out there, this may be the most lethal kind. It is so light and fluffy and cool, disappearing like a snowflake on the tongue, that you might trick yourself into thinking it's just a bunch of calorie-free air. Well just go on and think that sweetheart. I for one won't spoil the fantasy.

By the way I had my reservations about using marshmallow fluff. I worried that it would make the pie taste 'fake' or sickly sweet. I've never been happier to be wrong. I also have to add that this was a 'cover my bases' pie I made for Christmas - an extra dessert just in case we blew through the rest. I even used one of those pre-made graham crusts so my expectations were fairly low. And OH the irony - it was the favorite dessert of the night even over the fancy desserts I actually slaved over.

Grasshopper Pie
This pie is so easy you could make it in your sleep. The other great thing about this pie is you can play artist when adding the green food coloring. Add a little as I did for that classic mint green or go whole hog and make it wake-me-up-before-you-go-go-green.

Ingredients:
1 chocolate graham crust (store bought is fine)
1 jar 'jet puffed' marshmallow creme (7 oz)
1/4 cup creme de cacao blanc
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
few drops green food coloring, to color preference
silver dragees or colored sprinkles for decorating, optional

Directions:
In a medium/large bowl, mix together the marshmallow creme, creme de cacao, and mint extract. Set aside while you whip the heavy cream in a standing mixer or in another bowl with a hand held mixer until the cream holds soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the marshmallow mixture then add a couple drops of food coloring and gently stir to mix. Pour into the prepared pie crust and refrigerate at least 4 hours until firm. Decorate with dragees or sprinkles if desired before serving.

You can also freeze the pie if you like more of a frozen texture or for just a few minutes if it needs firming up before slicing but I personally like it straight from the fridge with that soft as air texture that the fridge gives it.

Drunken Irish Filets over Creamy Gorgonzola Grits

I have been dying to make 'drunk and dirty tenderloin' ever since I saw the recipe in an old book last year. The only problem is you need an entire filet of beef to marinate. And since my husband and I have been in perpetual house hunting mode it's hard to motivate oneself to go out and splurge on a $100 slab of beef. Then the damnest thing happened. The lovely people of Omaha Steaks contacted me asking if I'd care to review their products. Well, hell yes!

As a blogger you get the weirdest offers for free stuff to 'review.' I'm ashamed to say I've turned most of them down because I can't find it in my heart to say 'hey y'all - so and so's BBQ sauce is top notch!' if I've never actually used it before or don't believe in it.

Well the good news is Omaha Steaks and I have a little history. In high school I won a writing contest with a story about a horse we had rescued and the prize, among other things, was a delivery of tender-as-butter filet mignons from Omaha Steaks. I was hooked. And it so happens I send Omaha Steaks to friends and family every year at Christmas so I can stand proud in recommending them to my lovely readers out there. They are great gift for people who love good food but don't love to cook as they have entire meal packages including chocolate cake, twice baked potatoes, appetizers, etc. You just throw everything in the oven or on the grill and you have a party. In fact they're tagline says it perfectly - "Mix with Company." Love it.

Okay so back to that recipe I was telling you about. Well it was every bit as delicious as I hoped although the soy did make the beef appear a little parched in the photo (the end product was more delicious than the picture implies.) If you ever make this with individual steaks like I did and not an entire filet cut your marinating time to 4 hours max as the exposed surface of 'cut' meat will drink in the soy very quickly. The only changes I made were to use fresh ginger, since I was only marinating a short time, and to sub Jameson Irish Whiskey for the bourbon in the recipe. It's smooth as butter and is my marinade liquor of choice. And it's almost St. Patty's day so this is what you should be drinking and cooking with and filling your bathtub with anyway.

So thank you again Omaha Steaks! I was going to just blog about the filets but after making their pork chops last night I think you'll hear a little more about them in the coming weeks...

Drunken Irish Filets
Serves 2, easily doubled

Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce (suggest lite soy if marinating longer than 3 hours)
1/4 cup Whiskey (Jameson)
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
2 garlic cloves , minced
2 beef filets

Directions:
Mix the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl until the brown sugar has dissolved and everything has made friends. Transfer to a large ziploc, add the steaks in and seal. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Remove from the marinade and pat off excess moisture.

Grill to your liking and serve with Gorgonzola grits. See below.

Creamy Gorgonzola Grits:
Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of a small/medium pot
1/2 cup chopped shallots
3/4 cup instant 'quick cook' grits
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
pinch fresh grated nutmeg
3/4-1 cup gorgonzola
1 tablespoon butter, optional
1/2 cup chopped green onions, divided

Directions:
Heat the olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper and sauté until translucent. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, stir in the grits along with a pinch of salt. Reduce heat slightly to an active simmer and stir constantly until grits are to the consistency you like (about 4-5 minutes.) Reduce heat to low and stir in the thyme, garlic powder, nutmeg, gorgonzola, butter and 1/4 cup of green onions. Taste for seasoning - I find I usually need to add quite a bit more salt but it depends on the stock you used, etc.

Serve the grits as a 'bed' for the steaks and garnish with additional green onion and more gorgonzola if desired.