Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Apple

Today I made these pancakes, from Gourmet by way of Smitten Kitchen. I think this may be my new favorite pancake recipe. The lemon and sweet ricotta mix are lovely. I also feel like these must be healthier for you in some way than regular pancakes, even though they are loaded down with cheese and eggs. At least cheese and eggs mean protien, calcium, and that special enzyme that's in eggs! Regular pancakes mean carbs. Anyway, I'd highly recommend giving these a shot (especially if you have a mixer to help with the egg whites).

Chard and Ricotta Lasagna

I recently made this lasagna, from the Times healthy food column. It did turn out very savory, though I must say not as rich as most lasagnas. Is this a good or a bad thing? Depends on how hungry you are, I guess.

Lime Pie

With Independence Day behind us, it's officially summer. Time for a tart, refreshing dessert. My friend at On the Hob gave me this recipe a while ago and I've been meaning to try it ever since. Here's to July!



Lime Pie

Crust

About 10 graham crackers
5 tablespoons butter, very soft
1/4 cup powdered sugar

- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In food processor, break up graham crackers into pieces and whir until you have crumbs. Add sugar and butter and mix until the mixture sticks together.
- Turn out into a pie plate and gently press into the bottom and up about 1 inch on the side.
- Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and the bottom is solid.

Filling

14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup lime juice (about 4)
zest of 1 or 2 limes
1 egg

- Wisk together milk, lime juice, zest and egg. Pour into baked crust and bake for 12 minutes at 350 F or until set. Cool, then refrigerate before serving.

All-Kinds-of-Deliciousness Sandwich

Hello to the two people in the world who read my food blog! Inspired by summer produce and, for the first time in weeks, having a little time to cook, I have made the bitchin'est sandwich ever. Nothing smells as good as roasting vegetables, especially with a solid helping of olive oil to get them sizzling. I like the Mediterranean combo of zucchini, eggplant, tomato, mushrooms, pepper... yum. There's a reason so many cultures eat these foods together.

Sandwiches also have a permanent place in my repertoire, and though I eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly, there is nothing says a sandwich has to be boring. This particular 'wich can be constructed with any combination of the veggies listed above. You could also put fresh basil on there, or parsley. I like cheese - try goat or provolone, but a little thinly sliced cheddar can be fine, as can a gooey cheese like brie (the milder the better, I find, to let the vegetables' taste shine through).

Today I used thinly sliced eggplant, zucchini, baby portobello mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes. Spread the first three on a baking sheet; give them a good drizzle of olive oil; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried Italian spice blend; and pop 'em under the broiler for about 5 minutes (just until tender; the eggplant will cook fastest). Oil is key so that they don't get dry, shrively, and unappealing. Meanwhile soak the dried tomatoes in boiling water to soften them (if you're using the regular kind - drain them if you're using the kind stored in olive oil). Cut open a long roll (definitely something Italian - sorry if you don't live in an Italian neighborhood like me, where even the Met Mart has Italian meats, cheeses, and baked goods!) and give it a quick toast under the broiler, too, cut side up (if you're using a cheese like provolone or cheddar, it's nice to melt it under the broiler on one half of the bread). Then assemble and consume!

Foolproof Pie Dough

I've been told by my dear pal at On the Hob that I need to post something new. She's right - it's been almost two months. Not much has been brewing in my kitchen lately! Mostly I stick to whole wheat pasta with Whole Foods marinara sauce and zucchini... spinach and lentils with carrots... chickpea salad... a fairly boring medley. I also find myself eating out a lot, which is nice for my taste buds but not so much for my blog. 

I think the most exciting and useful recipe I can post is for pie crust. At Thanksgiving, I made a delicious apple-cranberry pie. The recipe came from Cook's Illustrated, as did the recipe for the dough. The secret ingredient is vodka, which apparently keeps the dough wet while inhibiting gluten formation (which tends to make the finished crust tough). I made the dough again at Christmas time, for an apple pie. It was absolutely delicious both times: crunchy, crusty, crackly, and very easy to work with.

So here is the recipe, for your baking pleasure.

Foolproof Pie Dough

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter

1/2 cup cold vegtable shortening

1/4 cup cold vodka

1/4 cup cold water

1. Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, and salt together in large bowl. Cut the butter and shortening into pieces and work into the flour mixture with two knives or a pastry blender, until the pieces are the size of quarters. Add the remaining cup flour and cut it in until the fat pieces are the size of peas. (Alternately, you can do this in a food processor.)
2. Sprinkle water and vodka over mixture. With rubber spatula, using folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until it is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten into disks. Wrap each in Saran wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
3. Follow your pie recipe from here. This dough will make enough for one bottom and one top shell. Half it if you prefer to make just a bottom, as for custard pie.

*This recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated, November 2007.

Gingersnap and Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches

Now I love peppermint as much as the next girl, but once in a while you've got to shake things up. Christmas should not be limited to egg nog, pumpkin spice, and mint (no matter what Starbucks would have you believe). As I've gotten older, I've developed a fondness for gingersnaps, especially this excellent recipe from the Joy of Cooking. These cookies have a warmth that feels very homey in December, and of course they remind me of making gingerbread houses (and eating most of the gumdrops and licorice before they could be affixed to the roof). I really like lemon with gingersnaps, and instead of making a lemon icing, I made ice cream sandwiches (which have the added appeal of staying fresh in the freezer for several weeks). The ice cream couldn't be easier, and the recipe comes from The Perfect Scoop.

Ginger Snaps

3 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup dark molasses
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon zest

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. Line two cookie sheets with parchement paper.


• In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until very fluffy. Add the eggs, molasses, lemon juice, and zest and combine until well blended.


• Stir in the flour mixture until well-blended and smooth. Pull off pieces of dough and form one-inch balls in your hands. Space about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand. You can also use a damp glass dipped in sugar, which will add some sweetness and sparkle to the final product.


• Bake no more than 9-10 minutes for soft cookies; as long as 13 minutes for very, very crisp cookies. Cool on a wire rack.

Simple Lemon Ice Cream

2 lemons
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large or 3 small lemons)
2 cups half-n-half
Pinch of salt

• Zest the lemons directly into a food processor or good blender. Add the sugar and blend until the lemon zest is very fine. Add the lemon juice and blend until the sugar is completely dissolved. Blend in the half-in-half and salt until smooth.


• Chill 1 hour, then pour into your ice cream machine.

To make sandwiches, match up two cookies of the same size. Put about 1/4 cup ice cream (freshly churned or else softened) on one cookie and press the other on top. Ice cream will squeeze out the sides, and you can scrape it away with a rubber spatula. Wrap each sandwich individually in plastic wrap and freeze. They are much easier to eat once they've frozen solid.

Anise and Almond Biscotti

I used to be intimidated by biscotti. Then I actually made it. No cookie could be simpler.

My bible for cookies, the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion, has a dynamite recipe for true Italian biscotti. This cookie is not meant to be eaten plain, unless you are a baby who likes to gum her food. But Italian biscotti are simply sensational with coffee; the hot liquid immediately softens the biscuit while bringing out the subtle flavors (especially delicious when those flavors include hazelnut, chocolate, almond, or vanilla).


Since I had a big jar of anise leftover from a Mexican baking adventure (brush a flour tortilla with melted butter, sprinkle on cinnamon, sugar, and anise, bake for about 10 minutes, cut into triangles, and enjoy with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream), I decided to make King Arthur's "classic" biscotti, almond and anise. It has subtle licorice flavor that's pleasant but not too intense. Nice to serve if you have Italian neighbors or an Italian mother-in-law you want to impress.

For extra interest, throw in a cup of chopped toasted almonds with the flour.


Classic Italian Biscotti

2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp aniseed
2 cups all-purpose flour

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, baking powder, salt, and vanilla until creamy looking; the mixture will be light-colored and thick as pancake batter. Lower the mixer speed and add the flour and anise seed, beating gently just until it's totally incorporated. Add the almonds now if you're using them.
• Transfer the dough the baking sheet and shape into a log about 14 inches long, 2.5 inches wide, and .75 inches thick. Using a dough scraper or wet hands helps.
• Bake the dough for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit until cool to the touch, 5-25 minutes. About 5 minutes before cutting the cookie log, spritz it with water or pat it with wet hands - this will make the cutting easier.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325. Cut the biscotti into 1/2 inch slices, cutting an an angle across the cookie log. Make sure to slice straight up and down or the biscotti will topple over in the oven.
• Set the sliced biscotti upright on the baking sheet. Bake for another 25 minutes, then cool on a rack. The finished cookies can be stored up to two weeks in an air-tight container. Remember to enjoy them with tea, coffee, or hot chocolate!