Fresh Ricotta in Five Minutes

This recipe is surprisingly easy and turned out great both times I tried it. We have made gnocchi and lasagna with it, and both were wonderful! Here is the original article that goes into more detail about the process: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/02/how-to-make-fresh-ricotta-fast-easy-homemade-cheese-the-food-lab.html. Enjoy!















Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar or lemon juice (I used vinegar both times)

Using slotted spoon or wire skimmer, transfer curds to prepared colander, cover exposed top with plastic wrap, and allow to drain until desired texture is reached. For the gnicchi I drained for 2-5 hours to get a firmer cheese. For something like lasagna or ravioli, 15-20 minutes should do the trick. Check out the link about for draining time information. Store in covered container in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/02/how-to-make-fresh-ricotta-fast-easy-homemade-cheese-the-food-lab-recipe.html

Grandma DiLaura's Italian Ricotta Gnocchi

These gnocchi are amazing. Make them with fresh ricotta cheese and fresh tomato sauce for a special meal. Freeze them in the freezer in ziplock bags for an quick and easy meal.









Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• freshly grated nutmeg to taste
• 2 cups flour, sifted, plus extra for rolling dough 

1. Add egg to ricotta cheese and oil and mix thoroughly.
2. Add grated parmesan cheese to mixture and sprinkle with nutmeg to taste.
3. Add sifted flour a little at a time and continue to mix thoroughly until dough comes together.
4. Dump onto generously floured surface and work with hands to bring together into a smooth ball. Add more flour as necessary until dough is smooth and no longer sticks to your hands.
5. Cut off slices of dough like cutting a loaf of bread and roll into ropes thumb size thick by spreading hands and fingers and rolling from center out to each edge of the rope.
6. Line one rope parallel to another and cut 2 at a time into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece off the back of a fork to make imprints that will help hold the sauce.
7. Transfer gnocchi pieces to a lightly floured or non-stick baking sheet so they don’t stick together and put in the freezer while making the rest of batch. If you plan to save any gnocchi for future use, allow them to freeze entirely on the baking sheet before storing in a ziplock bag to prevent sticking together.
8. When ready to prepare, bring a large stockpot of generously salted water to a boil.
9. Add gnocchi to boiling water and gently stir once with a wooden spoon to create movement and prevent gnocchi from sticking to the bottom. As gnocchi rise to the top {a sign they are done cooking} scoop them out with a mesh strainer or a bamboo wire skimmer and immediately place in serving bowl shaking off excess water.
10. Scoop some sauce on top of each layer of gnocchi as they are placed in the bowl to eliminate the need to stir them with sauce in the end and risk damaging or smashing the pasta. Generously grate parmesan over the top and serve.

Source: http://food52.com/recipes/9460_grandma_dilauras_italian_ricotta_gnocchi

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Ingredients

For the gnocchi:

• 3lb butternut squash
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, whisked
• 2-1/4 cups flour, plus more for rolling

For the Garlic Butter & Sage Sauce (for two, 1-cup servings)

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 7-8 leaves fresh sage, chopped
• salt & pepper

Procedures

•  Preheat over to 400 degrees. Pierce squash with a sharp knife a few times and then microwave for 3 minutes, flipping halfway through. Slice off top and bottom of squash and cut in half lengthwise. Remove seeds with a spoon. Place squash halves cut side up on a foil-lined baking street and brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 50-60 minutes or until somewhat soft.
• When squash is cool enough to handle, peel and place in a food processor. Process until very smooth and place puree in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook until it is no longer extremely moist, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If squash is too moist, you will have to add too much flour to make it into a dough. Spread squash puree on a plate then refrigerate until cool, about 20 minutes (doesn't have to be cold - but will be more difficult to roll out.)
• Measure out 2 cups cold squash then place in a large bowl and stir in whisked egg and salt. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, and stir until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Turn out onto a heavily floured surface and knead until dough comes together.
• Remove large hunks of the dough then roll into a rope and cut into 1″ sections to form the gnocchi. Place onto a wax paper or foil-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid then transfer to a freezer bag, or cook gnocchi immediately. Cook frozen gnocchi the same as fresh (do not thaw.)

To cook gnocchi:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil then salt lightly. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add garlic and sage. Cook until garlic is just starting to turn golden brown.
• Add 1 cup gnocchi at a time and to the salted, boiling water, then cook at a gentle boil until gnocchi float to the top, about 2 minutes. Transfer using a slotted spoon or spider to the garlic butter & sage sauce. Cook remaining gnocchi then add to the skillet. Season with salt & pepper then toss to coat, and plate.

Source: http://iowagirleats.com/recipes/?recipe_id=6033647

Purple Potato-Crusted Trout a la Francaise

Ingredients

• 4 1/2-pound filets of trout, tilapia, or snapper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 4 medium or 8 small purple potatoes, sliced chip fine on a mandolin (I sliced them thinly with a knife since I don't have a mandolin)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup whole fresh parsley leaves

Procedures

1. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
2. Rub both sides of each filet with just shy of 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with nonstick spray, and lay the filets skin-side down on the pan. Tile the top of the trout with the slices of purple potato, overlapping them like shingles. Season the potato with salt and pepper as well, and drizzle with the remaining oil.
3. Roast for 12 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the lemon brown butter sauce. Melt the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Allow the butter to begin to foam and froth, and finally it will begin to turn golden around the edges. Once this starts to happen, the butter will burn very quickly, so you don't want to walk away. Just when the butter turns golden, take the pan off the heat, stand back, and add the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, and add the lemon zest, and parsley.
   
   
5. Present the fish on a platter, and spoon some of the sauce à la française on top.
   
   Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/05/purple-potatocrusted-trout-a-la-francaise-recipe.html?ref=search

La Mouclade

Ingredients 

• good pinch saffron
• 1 tbsp warm water
• 4 lb mussels, cleaned
• 4 oz dry white wine
• 1 oz butter
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• handful of grape tomatoes 
• 1/2 to 1 cup corn
• 1/2 tsp medium curry powder 
• 2 tbsp cognac
• 2 tsp flour
• 7 oz creme fraiche 
• salt and pepper 
• 3 tbsp chopped parsley

Procedures 

1. Put saffron in a small bowl with water
2. Put mussels and wind in a large pan, cover and cook over high heat for 304 min, shaking pan occasionally until mussels have opened up
3. Tip mussels into colander set over large bowl to catch juices. Discard any mussels that have not opened up. Transfer mussels to serving bowl and keep warm.
4. Melt butter in a pan, add onion, garlic, and curry powder and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and corn. Add cognac and cook until almost all liquid has evaporate. 
5. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in saffron liquid and almost all mussel liquor (try not to add grit). Simmer for a further 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, stir in parsley, and pour sauce over mussels.

Source: http://www.myrecipefriends.com/recipe/3837.html?PHPSESSID=a4d71bd12bc07d71e42b60caafb9a49f

Chicken that Fancies Itself Spanish with Lemons, Onions & Olives

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into parts (I actually used some legs and thighs instead of a whole chicken)
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 cup grated pecorino
• 3 teaspoons smoked paprika 
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 medium lemons 
• 2 large yellow onions, sliced 
• 1 large fennel bulb, halved and sliced
• 12 whole garlic cloves, 
• 3/4 cups pitted green olives
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon 
• 1 cup whole peeled tomatoes, crushes 
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 bunch cilantro roughly chopped

Procedures

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine 1/2 cup of the flour, pecorino and 1 teaspoon of the smoked paprika in a large bowl. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot (a big Dutch oven, perhaps?) over medium-high heat. Dry the chicken parts thoroughly with paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour and then place in your pot in batches. Allow the chicken to thoroughly brown, about 5 minutes per side. Don't crowd the pan! Remove the chicken to a plate and repeat until all of your chicken pieces are golden and crispy-looking.
2. Quarter the lemons, but zest one of them first; reserve the zest. (If your lemons have a thick pith, you'll want to zest all 3 and then juice them, discarding the pith; this will help you avoid a bitter sauce.) Add the onion, quartered lemons (or zest of 2 lemons and the juice of all 3), fennel, garlic, green olives, the remaining 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, and cinnamon to the pot; cook until softened, golden, and overall mushy-looking, about 10 minutes. Taste for salt. Sprinkle the mixture with the remaining tablespoon of flour and stir over the heat for two minutes. Add the tomatoes and the wine and bring to a boil -- let bubble away for a minute or two. Add the lemon zest.
3. Place the chicken pieces back into the pot, skin side up, along with any drippings from the plate. Poke the onion/fennel/garlic/olive mixture so it surrounds the chicken on all sides. Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Garnish with cilantro. Serve warm. Delicious!
   
   
   Source: http://food52.com/recipes/9455_chicken_that_fancies_itself_spanish_with_lemons_onions_olives

Thomas Keller's Chicken Breasts with Tarragon

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
• 4 large (about 8 ounces each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt
• Canola oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• Freshly ground black pepper

Procedures

1. In a small bowl, combine the paprika and curry powder. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of the chicken breasts. If time permits, cover and refrigerate for a couple hours.
2. Lay the chicken breasts between two large pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound them until they are uniformly of 1/4-inch thickness. Season both sides liberally with salt.
3. Preheat an over to 200F, and place a baking sheet with a cooling rack set over it in the center. In a large (14-inch) skillet, heat a film of canola oil over high heat until almost smoking. Lay two of the chicken breasts presentation (smooth) side down into the pan and cook until golden, 1-2 minutes. Flip the breasts and cook the other side until golden, being careful not to overcook the thin breasts. Transfer to the rack, add a little more oil to the pan if needed, and repeat with the other breasts.
4. Pour out any remaining oil in the pan and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the shallot and cook until just soft, about 3 seconds, then add the wine and cook until reduced by half.
5. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and reduce until thickened to a sauce consistency. Stir in the chopped tarragon and remove from the heat. Add the remaining butter and swirl the pan until just melted into a glossy sauce. Pour in any accumulated juices on the baking sheet and swirl to combine.
6. Arrange the chicken on a platter, pour the sauce over it, and serve immediately.
   
   Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/08/thomas-kellers-chicken-breasts-with-tarragon.html