Ricotta

Slow Cooker Italian Style Cheesecake

February 24, 2014

Oh another Monday. I hate to see the weekends go. They always go by way too fast. Just 2 days to savor the time off from work, for all 3 of us to hang out, to relax or power through the to-do list… ah just 2 days. But the hardest part now is accepting that with every Monday it means Autumn is another week older. Gah! Stop growing up so fast!!

Anyway, today is the day for my monthly Secret Recipe Club post!

When I received my assignment I immediately picked out the Slow Cooker Italian Style Cheesecake that Dena had featured on her blog, Oh, You Cook!. When I read it I was intrigued about the idea of making a cheesecake in a slow cooker.

As well, I couldn’t resist an Italian style cheesecake. It’s very different compared to cheesecakes made with cream cheese, but just as good. Since it’s base is made of ricotta it reminds me of the ricotta pies, which always reminds me of my paternal grandparents. We’d enjoy ricotta pie during the holidays at their house in New Jersey. So this was a fun way to enjoy flavors similar to ricotta pie right at home.

So here is the thing, I procrastinate A LOT. So I made this recipe this weekend (and promptly inhaled it) since I waited to the last minute. (sigh!) But it was then when I realized that I didn’t have a 6″ spring-form pan. (ruh-roh!) I didn’t have time to order a 6″ pan so I had to improve and used for mini loaf pans. Then I figured out that only 2 would fit in the slow cooker. (ugh!) Well, I was going to do the cheesecake batches back to back but then I decided to conduct a little experiment and do 2 loaves in the slow cooker and 2 in the oven. Oh my gosh! Big difference! The slow cooker method was lighter in color and lighter in texture as well. I am definitely going to be making cheesecake in a slow cooker whenever possible from now on.

Go to Dena’s blog to see all the other wonderful recipes she has made. As well, she has a cookbook too! Umm, so cool!!! Something to check out if you are looking for slowcooker meals that are Kosher. Would make for a great gift for the foodie in your life.

Slow Cooker Italian Style Cheesecake

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 (15 oz.) container of ricotta cheese, room temperature
6 oz (approx. 1 cup) ground almonds
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 Tablespoon corn starch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds (for garnish)

Process

Place the ricotta in a colander lined with several layers of paper towels over a bowl or in your sink. Cover with another paper towel and weigh down with a bowl. Let drain for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the ground almonds and butter in a small bowl.
Spray a 6 inch spring-form pan (or a similarly sized pan lined with foil or 4 mini loaf pans) with the cooking spray. Press the almond mixture onto the bottom and up the sides. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the drained ricotta, sugar, honey, eggs, vanilla, corn starch, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt until completely smooth. Pour into the prepared pan.
Pour the cup of water into the bottom of a 4 or 6-quart slow cooker. Place a heat-safe trivet or 3 wadded-up balls of aluminum foil in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the pan onto the trivet or balls of aluminum. If using the foil balls, press the pan down to leveling balls and pan.
Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Turn off the slow cooker and let the cheesecake at and steam for 80-90 minutes with the lid on, or until the center is firm. Remove the cheesecake from the slow cooker and garnish with the sliced almonds.

Sourced from Oh. you Cook!

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Skillet Spinach Pie

February 21, 2014

Hi my name is Popeye.

Well, it might as well be considering how much spinach I’ve been eating lately. I basically eat spinach every day. For real. I have spinach in salad every day for lunch and then I add more spinach to my diet for breakfast or dinner too in different ways as well. The Greek Quiche I recently made is a perfect option for either meal.

Spinach is just so good for you. It is a low fat food that is high in fiber, protein. As well, it loaded with vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese, niacin, and zinc. Flavonids in spinach also help as antioxidants to keep cholesterol from oxidizing and protect your body from free radicals. If heart health is a concern that spinach is your friend as it’s great for you cardiovascular system as the magnesium in it helps lower high blood pressure. Overall spinach is a great super food that can be enjoyed in juice form, raw, and cooked. It’s versatile nature makes it easy to incorporate into your healthy diet.

So, here I go again making another spinach packed pie!

This is a fun play on Spanokopita in that it’s served just like a pie instead of the handheld triangles I normally see. They are great as well but I like this ratio of filling to phyllo much more in this pie. I just love spinach and feta so much so my craving is satisfied with this pie. The original recipe called for dill but I just don’t like dill that much so I added some oregano, which pairs well with Greek recipes, instead.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s pie recipe! Get ready for a sweet treat for next week!

Skillet Spinach Pie

Makes 8 serving

Ingredients

1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
20 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 pinch of crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 sheets frozen #10 phyllo dough, thawed

Process

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a 10-inch non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, reserve 2 tablespoons in a small bowl.
Add the onion to the skillet and stir while cooking until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and let cool slightly.
Stir in the spinach, ricotta, eggs, feta, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper.
Lay 1 sheet phyllo on a work surface and lightly brush with the reserved melted butter. Lay the sheet, butter side up, over the spinach mixture, folding edges under to fit inside skillet. (Keep the extra phyllo covered while you work.) One at a time, brush remaining 3 sheets and add to the top of the skillet, rotating and scrunching each sheet slightly so edges are offset and the top is ruffled.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and heated through.

Slightly adapted from Everyday Food, Oct 2013

It’s a wrap pizza

July 12, 2010

One night, while falling asleep on the Cos I was ‘watching’ a recorded episode of Everyday Food and I managed to actually take in the genius that was making a pizza with a sandwich wrap. Yeah genius. I love all the Martha does. Martha is hardcore. She is a Jersey girl through and through and will give you the stink eye on her show if you ‘f up the cooking/decorating segment. So going to prison just made her more bad ass to me.You know she had the best decorated cell in there too. So I love her more now, esp since her staff made this amazing looking pizza starting with a sandwich wrap. Feel free to check out their Thinnest Crust Pizza with Mushrooms and Ricotta since I used that to inspire me for my own pizza.

I really like pizza but I’m not often in the mood for making dough or getting it at the store. It is so much work and is so heavy. While, I enjoy regular pizza, using a whole wheat sandwich wrap will be my go to crust for pizzas. Why? Inexpensive. Fast. Thin. And fast. In total you can assemble one of these thin crust pizzas in 30 minutes. It’s a quick assembly and pretty quick baking time too. It produces a light thin crust pizza that makes for a great appetizer for a party or a personal meal.

I really suggest getting a whole wheat wrap since it has more flavor than the regular white ones. It’s like getting whole wheat bread or Wonder. Put down the Wonder Bread. You can use a tomato sauce, pesto, or just cheese, but just be sure generously top it with thinly sliced veggies. The thinner the veggie, faster it cooks. So if you are considering mushrooms I suggest that you purchase them whole and slice them yourself to regulate the thickness. Don’t be cheap with the toppings either- you basically want to completely cover the wrap since unadorned spots will be naked and may burn.

Whole Wheat Pesto Pizza with Ricotta, Mushrooms, and Red Onions

1 whole wheat sandwich wrap

1 teaspoon olive oil

4-5 tablesppons pesto

5 tablespoons of part skim ricotta

4-5 white button musrooms, sliced very thinly

3 very thin slices of red onion

salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil

Lightly oil the edge of the whole wheat wrap. Evenly coat the wrap with pesto.

Place 5 spoonfuls of ricotta on the wrap. Place your sliced mushrooms evenly, covering most of the surface. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the red onion on top of the mushrooms

Bake for 20-25 minutes.