Homemade Ricotta

Oh how I wish I had done this 20 years ago!  This was so easy and look at the creamy lemon-ish color to the ricotta!

Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp sea or kosher salt
3 TB white vinegar


Bring milk, cream and salt to a boil on med heat in a stainless or heavy pot, stirring occasionally.  When it comes to a full boil, turn off heat and add vinegar.  Let it sit for about 2 minutes, until it starts to curdle.  Wet some cheesecloth and line a strainer over a large bowl.  Pour milk mixture into strainer and let it sit for about 25-30 minutes.  The longer it sits, the thicker it gets!

Fresh tomato sauce

This was my grandma Rock's recipe.  She always used fresh tomatoes from the garden.

Ingredients:

5 lbs ripe, fresh tomatoes

1/4 c olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

2 bunches fresh basil, chopped

sea salt 

fresh ground pepper

1 carrot, whole

Directions:

Wash and cut tomatoes into small wedges.  Cook for about 10 minutes, until tomatoes are soft.  Cool.  Press through a strainer.  In a dutch oven, brown garlic and onions in olive oil.   Add tomato puree, salt, pepper, carrot and basil.  Cook uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours, or until thick.  Stir occasionally.  This should make enough for 1 lb pasta.  Remove carrot before serving.  The carrot adds a little sweetness.

Eggplant parmesean

I think there are two secrets to this dish.

1)  Slice the eggplant thin

2)  Soak the sliced eggplant in salt water for a bit before cooking

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced thin

2 sleeves TJ golden round crackers, crushed

11/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 eggs, scrambled

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

8 oz pasta, cooked

Marinara sauce

Olive oil (for frying)

1 ball of fresh mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300.  Crush crackers and mix with panko bread crumbs in a bowl.  Peel, slice the eggplant thin, and soak in a bowl of salt water for about 15-20 minutes.  While the eggplant is soaking, cook pasta according to directions on the box.  Put a plate on top of the eggplant so it gets covered with the salt water.  Beat eggs in a small bowl.  After the eggplant has soaked, drain and rinse well.  Heat the olive oil in a frying pan.  Dip the eggplant in egg, then the breadcrumb mixture.  Fry until golden brown, then turn.  Salt after you turn it over.  Pan fry till golden brown, and keep warm in a pan in the oven.  Slice mozzarella and put a slice on each piece of eggplant.  Melt in the oven for about 5 minutes.  Serve on top of pasta with your favorite marinara sauce and shredded Parmesan cheese.

Orzo comfort

I love orzo period.  Normally I like big, chunky food.  Tonight I diced the veggies small with my Progressive chopper.  Love the way it turned out! 

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 med onion, diced small 

1/2 red pepper, diced small

1/4 to 1/2 cup butternut squash, diced small 

1/4 to 1/2 cup acorn squash, diced small 

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup spinach, stems removed
1 cup orzo
2 1/2 (approx) cups chicken broth
2 TB Agave nectar
Juice from 2 limes
handful of cilantro, sliced
sprinkle of sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Cook orzo in chicken broth until all liquid is absorbed.  While orzo is cooking, saute garlic, onion, pepper and squash in a 3QT saucepan till translucent, about 8 minutes.  Add spinach and cook till spinach is wilted.  Add beans, agave, lime juice, salt and pepper and mix well.  When the orzo is done and the liquid is absorbed, mix it in with the bean mixture.  Stir in cilantro just before serving.  YUM!
**variation**  Serve with a sprinkling of feta cheese.

Corn & potato chowder

It's a great time of the year for soup!  I updated Meam's (my grandma) version.

Ingredients:

3 ears of corn, cut off the cob

3 med potatoes, peeled and diced

32 oz chicken broth

1 med onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 TB butter

6 tsp flour

12 oz half-n-half

sprinkle of sea salt and fresh ground pepper

2 TB cilantro, sliced

Directions:

Wash, peel and dice potatoes and bring just to a boil in a saucepan.  When the water starts to boil, remove from the heat and drain.  Melt butter in a 5 QT stockpot.  Saute onions, garlic and 2/3 (approximately) of the corn for about 5-7 minutes.  Add the flour and mix well to make a rue.  Mash the rest of the corn (I used my small food processor), and add to the pot.  Add the chicken broth and whisk until the rue is dissolved.  Add the potatoes, and keep the heat on med until it starts to boil.  Add half-n-half, a couple of shakes of sea salt and the fresh ground pepper and stir well.  Once the soup starts to bubble, turn down the heat to med-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.  It should thicken once it has bubbled.  Slice cilantro and add just before serving.

Blackberry turnovers

This is so easy!
Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry (I use Trader Joe's)
4 heaping tsp blackberry jam
egg wash
butter (to grease the pan)

Preheat oven to 400.  Butter a baking sheet.  Take one sheet of puff pastry out of the freezer and let it thaw for about ten minutes.  If you use TJ's puff pastry, I took one sheet and cut it into 6 pieces, making individual turnovers for my family members.  Eggwash the edges of pastry and spoon jam into the middle.  Fold over and "seal" the edges.  A little jam may squirt out, that's ok.  Eggwash the top and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Squash gratin

Squash Gratin Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb total, peeled, sliced butternut and acorn squash

1/2 cup half-n-half

sprinkle of nutmeg

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup crushed honey graham crackers

8 oz shredded white cheddar cheese

2 TB butter

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 2 QT dish with non stick spray.  Peel and slice squash. In a mixing bowl, toss squash with a light sprinkle of nutmeg.  Layer the squash and the cheese in the baking dish and add half-n-half.  Top with breadcrumbs and graham crackers.  Dot butter over breadcrumbs.  Bake at 375 until golden brown, about 45 minutes.  

**variation** I'm dying to try this with sautéed, sliced onions and apples mixed in with the squash!  

I think apples, onions and white cheddar is such a nice combination!  Let me know what you think!