Swordfish in a Cajun Cream Crab Sauce

This is a really quick and easy recipe to make any time. Swordfish is a great option and is very filling. I made mine with white rice but it's also good with couscous or any grain you like. This recipe was given to me by a guy at the grocery store because the swordfish was on sale. I started with his recipe but improvised the rest. This recipe makes enough for four or more depending on the steaks, but I usually make half this amount. What I like about this recipe is it's really easy and fast but it impresses people when they come over, all while only dirtying one pan.

Rabbit Stew

This stew is made for a traditional Greek Easter meal and I got the recipe from my friend's family for Easter this year. The rabbit is simmered in red wine for a few hours until it is tender and tasty and then fried potatoes are added to soak up the extra juices so that it becomes a hardy stew that goes great with a salad and homemade bread. Make sure to start early if you have a whole rabbit because deboning can easily take an hour. This recipe makes enough for four.

White Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cake

This cake is a great alternative to the simple strawberry shortcake. Even if you don't like white chocolate, the white chocolate is not a strong flavor and instead is just a complementary flavor that enrichens the simple vanilla cake and balances the sweetness of the strawberry. The cake is composed of two dense white cake layers with a white chocolate strawberry mousse filling and a white cream covering. The mousse filling is super sweet from the strawberry puree that is used, without any additional suger, so if you are looking for a less sweet cake a I would reduce the amount of sugar that goes into the cake. Because of its natural sweetness, this will be a cake loved by your kids!

Chocolate Cake

This cake is so so simple, yet delicious. It is very moist and was suprisingly easy to work with and to decorate. The cake barely shed any crumbs as I was icing it and the cake layers were fairly symmetrical! I iced it with a chocolate buttercream and decorated it with chocolate pieces and chocolate leaves.

Gâteau Basque

     This is a recipe for a traditional Basque cake, courtesy of my friend Debbie. Her grandmother, who was from Biarritz used to make these cakes when she was little. They are a traditional French-Basque dessert and are fairly simple to make. It is a layered cake, usually made with almond flour but I just used normal flour, crème patissière (pastry cream), and if you'd like a fruity layer, usually done with a preservative, traditionally cherry in this particular cake. In this cake I chose to leave out the jam layer because I think pastry cream is delicious on it's own. This recipe also calls for a spring-form pan, which I do not have so I just made it in a 9 in. cake pan and had to work a little harder to get it out.

Banana Bread

    Banana bread is one of the yummiest things ever and is also super easy to make. It's great for breakfast or as just a snack. I once had warm banana bread with a layer of chocolate chips on the bottom served with vanilla ice cream. I just love banana bread and this recipe was given to my by one of the best bakers I have ever met when my friend (her daughter) left for college and I knew I wouldn't get to have her amazing baked goods as often. I have never been able to make this quite as well as her, but I have my own delicious version and hopefully you will too. I do like mine a little undercooked so if you want yours to be less soft turn the over up to 350 degrees F and/or keep it in about 10 minutes longer but be careful it doesn't dry out!

Bacon Pancakes and Spicy Sri Racha Syrup

    I have seen this recipe floating around on the internet and decided to try it when my boyfriend's roommate asked for anything with bacon as a treat. I had never candied bacon before so this was quite an experience for me, though it wasn't particularly hard and they were amazing. I also used a Sri Racha syrup on them which my cousin taught me how to make. If you have enough time to candy your bacon this is a super fun and delicious food which we had for dinner, though I wouldn't recommend having them too often.

Tamago 卵焼き

     

          This is a Japanese dessert that has been cooked in the Taiwanese style, meaning it is generally sweeter and simpler. It is easy to make but can be a bit slow waiting for the egg to cook, but it is a great treat even if you don't serve it after dinner and will always impress people by how sweet and tasty it is.

Dark Chocolate Torte with Raspberry Sauce

This flourless chocolate cake is divine and perfect for special occasions. The cake has a rich chocolate flavor that goes perfectly with the tangy raspberry sauce. Also a plus, it has a very low key assembly since you don't have to worry about icing it and it can be decorated simply with raspberries. Leave plenty of time to make the cake since it must be chilled for 6 to 8 hours before it can be served. This recipe is from the Mrs. Field's I Love Chocolate Cookbook.

Super Easy Customizable Burritos

Burritos are a delicious and quick meal to make for weekday dinners. The best part is that the recipe can easily be altered for preference. For this recipe I made chicken and rice burritos, but other meats such as steak, ground beef, or pulled pork can also be used and beans can be added.