Making Ricotta Cheese

One day I watched Ina Garten on the Barefoot Contessa MAKE her own ricotta cheese.  I thought, really, WHY?  Although she's all about "delicious and easy," I was skeptical.  Then I read about making your own cheeses in one of my Mother Earth magazines.  They gave recipes to make Fromage Blanc, Mascarpone and Paneer.  Each of these recipes seemed quite easy so I decided to give this cheese making a try.

It turned out to be quite fun AND delicious!


Homemade Ricotta Cheese

 Here's the process -

All you need is
  
2 quarts whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice

 

Line a large sieve with fine-mesh cheesecloth and place over a large bowl.
Slowly heat the milk, cream and salt in a heavy 6-quart pot over moderate heat.   Stir it occasionally to keep it from scorching. 

Heat this to about 180 F.  
 

 

Lower the heat and slowly add the lemon juice.  Let the mixture stand for a minute or two, as it begins to curdle. 

 



Pour the mixture into the lined sieve and bowl and let drain 20-30 minutes.  The longer it drains, the dryer the cheese will be.  Check it now and then to see if it's the consistency you want.

 



 

 Although this doesn't look very glamorous, it's necessary to allow
the whey to drain.

 

 

Yep, it does drain away.

 

RICOTTA!!!

Use immediately or store the cheese in a covered container for 2-3 days.

This recipe makes about 2 cups.

Here's a delicious recipe for Herbed Ricotta Cheese.
(based on recipe by Ina Garten)

2 cups ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons minced scallions
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

Lightly toast slices of sourdough or other thick bread. Spread with Herbed Ricotta and enjoy!!


Linking to these great parties:

Share Your Cup Thursday

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Fridays Unfolded




 

Friday Night Specials

Wonderful Hubby has worked second shift for almost all of our 25 years of marriage.  For many years, he wouldn't get home before 2 or 3 a.m., after working a 10 - 12 hour shift. The kids and I really only got to spend quality time with him on the weekends.  Several years ago, his overtime was cut and his shift time was adjusted so that he was able to come home around 11 p.m.   I was still teaching so I was usually in bed by 11 during the week.  One Friday, I decided to stay up and surprise him with a little snack and a glass of wine when he got home.  I think I had something simple like cheese and crackers.  It was so nice to sit and visit and catch up with each other!  He really appreciated my effort (which wasn't that much!) so I decided to give it a try the next week. 
 
Over the next year and a half, my 'Friday Night Specials' became more elaborate.  I wasn't a very confident cook but it really didn't matter since I always kept some brie and cheddar on hand.  I tried quite a few appetizer recipes and actually amassed quite a collection of recipes we liked. 
 
Precious Daughter and Favorite Son took notice and had a habit of showing up about the time Dad got home to see what Mom had fixed to eat.  (I always made extras, just in case!) 
 
I've really enjoyed finding recipes and preparing these appetizers JUST FOR FUN!  Most of them were good, a few not so much, but that was ok.  Wonderful Hubby and I always enjoyed a bottle of wine and being together. 
 
Now, Wonderful Hubby is on first shift so I get to cook supper for him every night!  That requires a whole new kind of planning but I really enjoy it!  I believe I've become a better cook because of those Friday Night Specials and I certainly feel more confident.  Rumor has it, he may go back to second shift sometime this next year.  If that happens, I'll be ready to welcome our weekends!

Each month this year, I'll share one of our favorite appetizer recipes.   I hope you find time to make and enjoy them with the special people in your life!



This month's recipe is a spicy dip made with roasted eggplant, peppers, olives and lots of seasonings and fresh herbs.  Make it a bit ahead so the flavors have time to blend.  You can serve it with store bought chips but, if you have the time, the homemade pita chips go so well with it!

Roasted Eggplant Caponata
    A recipe by Ina Garten

1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
Olive Oil
4 oz. jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
1/3- 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons parsley, minced
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
Toasted pita wedges, for serving

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line a half sheet pan with foil.

Place the whole eggplant on the pan, prick with a fork in several places, and rub with olive oil. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, until the eggplant is very soft when pierced with a knife. Set aside to cool. Halve the eggplant, peel, and discard the skin. Place the eggplant, peppers, and olives in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until coarsely chopped. Pour into a mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sauté pan. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onion is lightly browned. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, and add to the eggplant mixture. Add the parsley, pine nuts, lemon juice, capers, tomato paste, vinegar, salt, and pepper and mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop. Taste for seasonings and serve at room temperature with toasted pita triangles.

Toasted Pita Wedges
1 package pita wedges
Olive Oil
Seasoned salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut each pita bread in quarters and each quarter in half to make 8 triangles. Place them in a single layer on a sheet pan and brush lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake for about 10 minutes, until crisp, turning once.

Enjoy!

 

Linking to these great parties:

 

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Italian Wedding Soup

I've joined a Facebook Cookbook Club and this month's theme is Italian.  Wonderful Hubby and I will be celebrating our 25th next month (WOW!!) and have been making plans for our 'celebration.'  I have wanted to try Ina Garten's Italian Wedding Soup recipe and this month seemed like a good time!

This soup boasts chicken meatballs and this was the first time I've ever used ground chicken or chicken sausage.  (Actually, my local grocer didn't have chicken sausage so I substituted with turkey sausage.)

For the meatballs:
     3/4 lb. ground chicken  (I used the whole pound)
     1/2 lb. chicken sausage  (I used turkey sausage)
     2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs (I used whole bread I had on hand)
     2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
     3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
     1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
     1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
     3 tablespoons milk (which is not pictured here)  
     1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
     Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Percorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and gently combine with a fork. 

With a teaspoon or small ice cream scoop and drop onto a sheet pan lines with parchment paper.  This should give you about 40 meatballs.  They don't have to be perfectly round.

 

Bake the meatballs at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned.  Set aside.  (I actually made these the day before, let them cool and stored them in a plastic container in the frig. until I made the soup the next day.)

 

For the Soup:

     2 tablespoons of good olive oil

     1 cup minced yellow onion

     1 cup 1/4-inch diced carrots (about 3 carrots)

     3/4 cup 1/4-inch diced celery (about 2 stalks)

     10 cups chicken stock  (Ina always suggests homemade, but if you don't have it .... store bought is fine!)

     1/2 cup dry white wine

     1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars  ( I used acini di pepe)

     1/4 cup mined fresh dill

     12 oz. baby spinach, washed and trimmed

 

For the soup, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 - 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

 



Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil.  Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 - 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender.  Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for one minute.  Taste for salt and pepper.  Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for one minute more, until the spinach is just wilted.

 

Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese.

 

 

We enjoyed this last weekend when the weather had turned a bit chilly for May.  It really was delicious and quite filling.  I thought about serving a salad with it but decided not when I put the whole bag of spinach in! 

 

Ina Garten scores again!!