Ricotta Two Ways July 20, 2011

I worked at Cafe Gratitude for a month doing their books. Like a chump, I didn’t take full advantage of my employee discount. I did use it once at their location on Harrison St and had an amazing polenta (I AM WARM-HEARTED) with faux-ricotta made with cashews. It was sooo damn good that I have been searching the web for recipes. In my searching I also noticed a few recipes for real ricotta and was surprised how easy it is. I think I’ll be making both kinds on a regular basis.

These are the recipes I tried out:

Fauxcotta

1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 lb extra firm tofu, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or kosher salt
1/4 cup basil, parsley or herb of choice (optional)

Throw the first four ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth, crumble the tofu into the blender and add the remaining ingredients. Blend until desired consistency is reached.

Homemade Ricotta (dairy)

4 cups whole milk (1 quart)
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup buttermilk *optional – give you a creamier cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Slowly heat dairy in a nonreactive pot, be careful not to burn the milks. Just before boiling, add lemon juice and salt and stir. As it boils it should start to curdle, the longer you let it boil the firmer the ricotta will be. When it is the desired consistency,  drain the curds from the whey through a strainer lined with a few layers of cheese cloth. Set the strainer on top of a bowl and let it slowly drain and cool. Twist the cheesecloth and give it a little squeeze to shape the cheese and remove any extra liquid. Refrigerate and enjoy!

The eyes have it November 5, 2009

This post is a little late, but still fun I hope.

We had a “scary food” potluck at the office for Halloween and instead of making another oddly colored food item, I made Monster Caprese Salad. I got the idea from a blog I like, Evil Mad Scientist. The idea is simple, but a little tedious.

Monster Caprese Salad

fresh mozzarella
tomato about the same diameter as the cheese
basil
fresh/firm green olives, whole or pitted
firm black olives, pitted
olive oil
salt and pepper

Slice the tomato and mozzarella into rounds, about the same thickness and place in a stack on top of a few basil leaves. You can leave them whole or shred.

Now the tricky part. With a sharp paring knife, cut the bottoms off of the green olives. Cut about a half an inch down. Then, turn the olive piece upside down and punch a hole out of the middle using a drinking straw. You can get a pretty good guideline where to poke the hole from the indentation where the pit was. You now have the outside part of the eye!

For the inside part of the eye. Repeat the process with the black olive, but this time use the bit from inside the straw. You can poke several holes in the black olives and I recommend using a bamboo skewer to get the bits out of the straw.

Sprinkle some salt and pepper and you are set! Enjoy your ‘spooky’ snack.

 

Mangez comme le Français September 29, 2009

Since I haven’t posted enough recipes lately, I figured I’d post a fancy one for you today. Now it sounds fancy and you should sell it that way, but it’s not that hard to make.

The version I’m posting is vegetarian. But the original recipe has ground meat, feel free to add if you like.

Aubergine au Gratin

1 large eggplant
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 can of chopped tomatoes  or one large tomato chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup white wine
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon Herbs du Provence (or a mix of Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, Sage and Basil – or what you have on hand)
1 cup grated Swiss cheese

Slice eggplant into cubes or 1/4″ rounds. Heat a large skillet and cover the bottom with olive oil, add eggplant slices once the oil is hot, if you do it before it will suck up all the oil. Cook for about 10 min on each side. Do not crowd the pan too much, do a few rounds at a time if necessary. Remove eggplant and set aside.

In the same pan, add a little more oil and the mirepox (onion, carrot and celery) and cook until onions are translucent. Add crushed tomatoes, white wine, garlic and herbs. Cook for another 10 min then add cream and stir until incorporated.

Place half of the eggplant pieces into a greased baking dish, then place half of the sauce on top, add second layer of eggplant and remainder of sauce. Cover with grated cheese and bake at 350 for about a 30 min or until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

Bake Sale August 11, 2009

A friend of mine is fundraising for Team in Training, I donated the baked goodies. I made 5 different kinds of fudge, cherry pie pops and pumpkin cream cheese muffins.

The muffins are not a far cry from the pumpkin spice cake roll I posted a while back, but in cupcake form. Here is the simplified recipe, enjoy!

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins

2 cups flour
6 large eggs
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 can pumpkin pie mix (with spices)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

preheat the oven to 350. Mix flour, salt and baking soda, then add eggs and pie mix. In a large ziploc bag, incorporate the cream cheese and vanilla, kneading the bag from the outside (keeping your hands clean!). Line your cupcake pan and fill about half way with batter. Cut off a small corner from the bag and pipe a small amount of cheese into the batter.

Bake for about 18 min or until cupcakes look done and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the cake.

Another fan favorite July 17, 2009

For my last housewarming (a year ago) I made a giant pot of black bean soup with chorizo meatballs. I promised for a year that I would write up the recipe and never got around to it.

Well here it is, sorry for the delay. I am not including the recipe for the meatballs, it is a variant of my albodigas using half chorizo and half ground meat. I made a vegan version and it was just as good. The entire meal can be made vegan easily without losing much taste.

Black Bean Soup

2 onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken broth or veggie stock
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
pinch of oregano
4 cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
Juice of one lime

Garnish options:

cilantro
lime slices
chopped green onions
Sour cream
Grated cheddar
crumbled cojita cheese (or feta)
Chorizo pieces
tortilla chips or fried tortilla slices

Dump all ingredients into a large pot and let cook on a medium temperature for at least an hour. I let mine cook overnight on the lowest setting and added a lot more stock – it cooked down quite a bit. I you prefer a smooth consistency (I do) use a hand blender to bend ingredients in the pot and let cook for another 15 min at least, salt and pepper to taste.

I serve the soup plain and fill the table with toppings. You can end up with a whole meal in the bowl or just enjoy it simple… both tasty

Enjoy!

Special Request July 14, 2009

Twitter friend Nick has requested recipes with a Spanish flair and I aim to please. Tapas are great for parties, you can impress your guests with several small dishes without spending the whole day in the kitchen. These two recipes are pretty easy and one should be done ahead of time, allowing you to enjoy your guests.

Ceviche

1 lb shrimp, salmon, octopus, halibut or sea bass (or combination)
Juice of 2-3 limes
1-2 jalapenos, chopped fine
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large firm tomatoes, diced
1 ripe avocado
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

Clean and roughly chop seafood and place in a large container with lid. If working with octopus, tenderize the meat before chopping. Juice limes, add oil and jalapenos and lightly mix with seafood. Let sit for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Before serving add chopped tomatoes, avocado and cilantro, season with salt and lemon juice as needed. Serve on a tostada or with corn chips.

Plantain and Black Bean Empanadillas

1 can refried (or whole) black beans
1 large ripe plantain (black or close to it)
1 package puff pastry
4 oz crumbled goat cheese
1 onion, chopped

Defrost puff pastry and preheat oven to 350.  Peel and slice plantain and saute in butter until soft, mix in beans and cheese and let cool. Roll out pastry dough and out cut circles, spoon some of the mixture on each circle, top with a little onion  and fold dough over. Be careful not to overfill the empanadillas, they will burst while cooking. Use fingers or a fork to seal the edges and place on a baking sheet, I like to line mine with parchment paper but you can grease the sheet if that’s easier for you. Bake until golden brown and lightly sprinkle with paprika.

Bacon is a vegetable April 20, 2009

No it’s not, but is has a special place on the food pyramid in my heart.

Saturday I participated in an “Iron Chef” type competition, with the secret ingredient being apple. I knew that the key to first place was bacon… Here is the appetizer I entered, enjoy

Bacon Wrapped Apples

2 Apples cored and sliced in wedges
1 cup rum
1/2 cup amaretto
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla
1lb bacon
8 oz. feta cheese

Mix rum, amaretto, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla into a wide pot. Place apples in and let soak for a few min, then heat pot and cook off some of the alcohol. Cook for about 10 min. Remove apples and cool. Preheat over to 500.

Take an apple slice, press some feta along the side and wrap a slice of bacon around the apple, pinning the edge with a toothpick.

Place the wrapped bacon in a pan and bake for 15min or until bacon is cooked, then broil for 5 min to crisp the bacon.

I do, You do, we all Fondue March 9, 2009

Someone asked about using a crock pot instead of a fondue pot, which works in a pinch; and inspired a new recipe.

Enjoy!

Apple Cider Fondue

4 cups coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (about 1 pound)
2 cloves of garlic
dash of nutmeg
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup hard apple cider
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brandy, apple or pear brandy even better

Toss cheese and cornstarch in large bowl to coat. Bring hard cider, vinegar, nutmeg and garlic just to simmer in medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low (mixture should be barely simmering). Add a handful of cheese to simmering cider mixture. Stir until cheese is melted. Add remaining cheese 1 handful at a time, stirring until melted between additions. Increase heat to medium and cook until fondue begins to bubble, stirring constantly. Stir in brandy. Season to taste with pepper.

This is a little sweet and works well with meats, potatoes, apples and of course bread.

Tea Party January 21, 2009

This year for my birthday, I’m having a tea party. Complete with funny hats and a few characters from Alice in Wonderland.So in the spirit of the celebration, here are some tea cookie recipes:

Lavender and Lemon Sugar Cookies

1/4 tsp. dried lavender buds
1/4 cup sugar1 cup soft butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
2 1/8 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp.lemon extract

In a food processor or blender, grind lavender with sugar. Cream sugar with butter and powdered sugar, and add egg. Stir in lemon extract, then flour, soda, tartar and salt; blending well. Place a tablespoon of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten dough with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in sugar, and sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

Cream Cheese Cookies

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
raspberry or strawberry preserves

Combine the cream cheese, butter and flour and blend completely. Chill. Roll out the dough, half at a time, to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into small rounds or other dainty shapes. Make a small depression in the center of each cookie and place 1/2 tsp. preserves. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Cool, and dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired. Makes about 2 dozen.

Old Fashioned Anise Seed Cookies

2 cups granulated sugar
2 medium eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups shortening
2 tsp. finely crushed anise seeds
4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger

Cream the sugar, eggs, molasses, shortening and ground anise until it resembles a smooth paste. Sift the dry ingredients remaining three times and add to the anise mixture. Mix well. Roll the dough into balls and coat each one in granulated sugar. Place on lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Makes 3-4 dozen.

Lemon Basil Cookies

1/4 cup butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons dried basil, crushed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 package lemon cake mix
1/2 cup crushed walnuts or pecans

Mix together the butter, cheese, yolk and juice. Add the cake mix, and blend well. Stir in the nuts, peel and basil. Chill for 1/2 hour or more. Roll into small 1/2 inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Parchment paper works well. Flatten with a fork dipped in sugar. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

Cream Cheese Coconut Cookies

1(8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1 (18.5 ounce) package yellow cake mix
Optional:
1/2 cup coconut
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in the egg and extract. Add cake mix, and stir until well blended. Roll into 1 inch balls and coat in the confectioners’ sugar. Place 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. (I used parchment paper). Bake for 10 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven. After a few minutes remove from baking sheets to cool.

Comfort food September 11, 2008

I’ve been in a mood lately. Perhaps it’s a feeling of displacement after moving. Whatever it is, I’ve been craving comfort food. Rich starchy goodness that hugs me from the inside. Here are a few goodies in case you are feeling down.

Potato and portobello mushroom gratin

1 1/2 cups hot water
1 1/2-ounce package dried porcini mushrooms – or any wild mushroom of your liking
1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms
12 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes or white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine 1 1/2 cups hot water and porcini in small bowl. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 2/3 cup soaking liquid. Chop porcini; set aside. Remove and chop stems from portobellos; place in large bowl. Using small spoon, scrape away dark gills from portobellos and discard. Cut portobello caps into 1/2-inch pieces; add to bowl.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped portobello stems and caps and sauté 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and reserved porcini and sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat each of two 13x9x2-inch glass baking dishes with 1 tablespoon oil. Combine remaining 7 tablespoons oil, potatoes, parsley, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in large bowl; toss to coat. Layer 1/6 of potato mixture in each prepared dish (there will not be enough to overlap slices). Top potatoes in each with 1/4 of mushroom mixture. Repeat layering. Top with remaining potatoes. Pour 1/3 cup reserved porcini soaking liquid over potatoes in each dish. Cover dishes with foil.

Bake gratins 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until tops are brown and potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes longer. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Cover with foil and rewarm in 350°F oven about 20 minutes.)

Rice Porridge or Jook

This is a traditional Chinese breakfast. Super easy and yummy, a perfect way to start a cold winter’s day.

1/2 cup rice: white, long grain or glutinous works (jasmine is my standard)
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of sesame oil or peanut oil
2-4 cups water (depending on desired thickness)
2-4 cups chicken stock (depending on desired thickness)
a good chunk of ginger, sliced
an equal amount of chopped green onion
1 tablespoon of soy sauce

Rinse the rice, then add all ingredients into a large pot. Slow cook the rice for about 1 1/2 hours, time will differ depending on the amount of fluid used. After about a half hour, stir to loosen the grains on the bottom of the pot. Stir occasionally and add more water/stock as you see fit.
I like my jook nice and thick, but traditionally it’s pretty thin. You must decide what works for you… Just remember that the more water you add the thinner the taste.

Once the porridge is about the consistency of cream of wheat it’s ready to go. By itself it’s pretty plain, that’s where toppings come into play. Leftovers are a good place to start. Meat, sausage, diced onion, cilantro, tuna and fishballs are all great , chop it up small and toss it in and enjoy. My fav is egg and bonito flakes with a little extra soy.