Fresh Ricotta!

Of the few guilty pleasures that I have in life, cheese would have to be one of my favorites. And the one cheese that I most enjoy to indulge in is ricotta. Whether its used as a filling in a pasta dish or a rolantini, or as a key ingredient in an Easter cheese pie or cannoli, there is no denying that sweet, creamy ricotta is decadent, and sinfully delicious. Imagine my surprise when I found out how easy it is to make your own, homemade ricotta…and you don’t even need to milk you own cow to do so!

Unlike traditional cheese making, ricotta is the product of leftover milk from the production of other cheeses. Actually meaning “recooked”, ricotta comes together when you produce curds from heating and stirring up the leftover milk whey along with an acidic liquid (usually vinegar or lemon juice), then strained through cheesecloth and chilled.

Even if you are not producing your own cheeses at home, you can still make your own ricotta by following this simple recipe below that I found on Epicurious.com. All you need is whole milk, heavy cream, lemon juice, salt, cheese cloth and a few hours, and you will have the most delicious, creamy ricotta ever imagined. It can be used in any recipe that calls for ricotta. I’ve already made a few batches for family and friends, and they all agreed that the fresh ricotta is amazing. Even my friend’s 2 year old daughter, who is a ricotta connoisseur, gave my ricotta a thumbs-up. The only trick to using homemade is that because there are no preservatives, there is not much of a shelf life…only about 3-4 days to be exact. So you want to make sure that you have a purpose in mind when making homemade ricotta.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA
makes about 1 lb fresh ricotta
2 quarts whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tspn salt
4 tbspn lemon juice

In a large pot, slowly bring the milk, cream and salt to a rolling boil over moderate heat. Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Add lemon juice, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture curdles.

Pour the mixture into a sieve, or colander, lined with cheese cloth and let drain for just a few minutes. Once liquid is drained, cover and chill ricotta. Use within a few days.

Now that I’ve (hopefully) convinced you to give homemade ricotta a try, allow me share a quick and delicious recipe that will make for an unforgettable Valentine’s Day dessert. We’re going to make two ricotta dips, one with almond flavoring and one with nutella. Simply cut up some fresh fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and bananas work well), plate it with the ricotta, some chocolate pieces and cinnamon graham crackers. Spread a bit of the ricotta onto the cracker, top with sliced fruit or chocolate. Try drizzling the almond flavored ricotta with a little honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It’s better than just about any cannoli out there!

ALMOND HONEY RICOTTA 
Start by stirring in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 tspn confectioner’s sugar into home made ricotta. Adjust measurements according to taste.

 NUTELLA RICOTTA
Stir in 1 tspn nutella into ricotta. Add to cracker, top with fresh fruit. Heaven.

Braised Mahi Mahi in White Wine

*NOTE – There is a common misconception with mahi mahi. Although mahi mahi are a type of dolphin fish, they are not mammals and do not resemble the porpoises that most associate with the term “dolphin.”

A few weeks back I purchased a 5 quart double-dutch oven, which is a cast iron pot that can be used either on the stove top or in the oven (it’s double-dutch because the lid can also be inverted and used as a frying pan…neat, huh!). After a few night of using it to make popcorn – really good popcorn – I decided to put it to use to make an actual meal. Braising – a combination cooking method using both moist and dry heat (thank you, Wikipedia) – is an excellent cooking method to use with a dutch oven. The most common braised dishes are usually made up of a meat and vegetables – post roast with potatoes and carrots, and chicken cacciatore are two great examples of braised dishes. Typically the meat is first seared at a high temperature and then finished in a covered pot with vegetables and a variable amount of liquid. The liquid will usually thicken into a sauce, and will both tenderize and flavor the meat. A crock pot is another way to braise, over a longer period of time.

Because my wife and I aren’t big red meat eaters, I decided to give braised fish a try. I found some mahi mahi in the supermarket and thought it would be a good choice. It’s a meaty fish that serves well moist, but doesn’t flake apart as easily as flounder or salmon. Tuna would have worked well, but I wasn’t interested in the steak-like texture for this meal. Turns out that the mahi mahi worked fantastic! I braised it up with sliced zucchini and squash (my go-to veggies when preparing fish), diced tomatoes, a little white wine and lemon, and some fresh chopped herbs. Like most fresh fish, mahi mahi is more delicate that a cut of meat or chicken, so there was no need to sear it. I just rested it on top of the cooked vegetables and let all of the liquid and flavors work their magic. The end result was very fresh and flavorful, and the white wine and lemon created just enough of a sauce…almost making it a fish stew. When it came time to serve, the fish was so perfectly cooked that it started to fall apart. I plated it all together and served it family style with a loaf of crusty bread for dipping.

Now that I’ve made the dish, I’d give it a try with salmon as well, just checking up on it as it cooks to make sure it doesn’t fall apart before serving.

If you don’t have a dutch oven, a deep pan should also work well!

BRAISED MAHI MAHI IN WHITE WINE

Ingredients:

1 6oz. fresh Mahi Mahi fillet
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, juices drained
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tbspn olive oil, plus more to drizzle on fish
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup dry white wine
fresh chopped Italian parsley (about a half cup)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in dutch oven (or pan) over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots, cook for 1 minute. Add zucchini and squash, stir so the slices are well coated with the oil, garlic and shallots. Cook until softened. Add the diced tomatoes (remember to drain off the juices, stir together until warmed). Add half of the chopped parsley and some salt and pepper to taste, stir.

Meanwhile, rinse off the fillet, drizzle both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Shift the vegetables to the sides of the pot, creating a little well in the middle. Add the wine and lemon juice, let it heat up and thicken just a bit (about a minute). Stir all of the vegetables into the center again, so they are coated with the lemon and wine.

Place the fillet on top of the vegetables,skin-side down, making sure that it doesn’t sit in the liquid. Cover the pot tightly with a lid. Let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining parsley, cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until the fillet is opaque throughout.

Scoop out the vegetables, placing them on a serving plate. Gently remove the fillet, making sure that it doesn’t fall apart completely (it will most likely break into 2-3 parts). Carefully remove the skin. Break apart the fillet into chunks, spread on top of the vegetables.

Serve with crusty Italian bread!

Chicken Pizza

A few weeks back, Una Mamma Italiana and I hosted our first Food Challenge of 2012. We each brought to the table a dish that included a spirit/liqueur as an ingredient (Una Mamma going with Sambuca Shrimp, and I going with Tequila Lime Chicken Bites). We asked you to let us know which ingredient – tequila or sambuca – you would prefer to cook with. Now that the voting polls have closed on both of our sites, the results are in and it appears that both spirits are preferred almost equally! Regardless of which spirit, if any, you are partial to, I encourage you to try both of our recipes…you won’t be disappointed! You can click here to view both recipes.

And now I would like to take this time to introduce you to a friend of mine who will also be contributing occasionally to Cucina Domenico. Joe Sammartino is a certified personal trainer and a nutrition consultant, and is also the owner of Blue Steel Fitness. Joe takes pride in focusing on healthy attitude and lifestyle, and training his clients to better understand proper fitness and nutrition. Joe will be checking in every few weeks to share nutritional recipes with us! You can click here for Joe’s profile and special promotions that are offered! Also, be sure to visit his own web site, www.bluesteelfitness.com.  

This week, Joe is sharing with us a recipe for home made chicken pizza. Take it away, Joe!

CHICKEN PIZZA
Courtesy of Joe Sammartino 

Here is a quick homemade pizza that people can make in order to eat what they like but with fresh ingredients instead of getting it from a fast service pizza joint. This pizza is great for anyone who is on a healthy nutrition plan because it has a good amount of protein, veggies, chicken, and is on a whole wheat pita bread. Plus it is homemade…can’t get any better.

I have tried it and it is good! Give it a try.

Ingredients:

6 oz of cooked diced chicken breast
2 Tbsp of a good spaghetti sauce. ( you can use more if you desier but it is about the chicken and the veggies more than the sauce)
1/3 cup of low fat mozzarella cheese( shredded )
1 whole wheat pita bread
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup chopped onions
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Spread spaghetti sauce on one side of pita bread.

Top then with cooked chicken and veggies.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, salt, and pepper.

Bake in the oven at 375 degrees  for 15 minutes or until pita bread is crusty.

** A Tip: When the pizza is nearly done, turn it to broil and watch it carefully as the cheese turns to a golden brown just like the real thing.

Nutrition Facts per serving:
• Cal 410
• protein 44g
• carbs 36g
• fat 10g

Asparagus Crab Risotto

The cold winter air is finally settling in, which means it’s the perfect time to enjoy a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. Soups, stews and chili always make for a great comfort food this time of year. But one of my favorite dishes to make during the winter months is risotto. Accented with anything from herbs and wine, to fish and vegetables, a creamy bowl of risotto is as much of a treat as it is a meal.

Grant it, making risotto successfully can be a bit intimidating to some. While you are only looking at about a half an hour or so of cooking, it’s non-stop dedication and focus that makes for the perfect consistency. Once you get past the constant ‘ladle/stir/ladle/stir’ rhythm, it’s well worth the effort.

This week I’m sharing with you two simple ingredients that will raise a standard risotto dish to a whole new, tasty level. By simply adding chopped asparagus and one can of lump crab meat,  you will have a risotto dish that you will not forget.

ASPARAGUS CRAB RISOTTO

Ingredients
1lb fresh asparagus
3 tbspn plus 1 tspn butter
1/2 cup shallots, chopped
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine (Chardonnay works well)
3-1/2 cups broth or stock (your preference of chicken or vegetable)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 small can lump crabmeat
salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Prepare Asparagus

In a large sauce pan, bring a quart of water to a boil. Remove about 1-inch off of the tough end of the asparagus spear.

Place the asparagus into the boiling water, blanche for 2-3 minutes.

Remove asparagus from water and immediately place into a bowl of ice water to shock it (meaning to immediately stop the cooking process, yet keeping the vibrant green color).

Remove asparagus from ice water, pat dry, cut into 1-inch pieces, set aside.

Step 2: Prepare Risotto
The object of preparing risotto is to create a creamy texture by ladling simmering broth/stock over the rice, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until absorbed, then repeating the ladling/stirring process until you run out of broth.

In a medium sauce pan, bring broth/stock to a simmer (not a boil).

In a large sauce pan, heat 3 tbspn butter over medium heat.

Add chopped shallots, cook until translucent, about 1 minute. Add rice, toss until well coated.

Add the wine, stirring to allow rice to get fully coated. Once wine is absorbed, start to ladle in the broth, 1/2 cup at a time. Stir the rice constantly to avoid sticking. Once broth is absorbed, add another 1/2 cup of broth. Continue to add broth in 1/2 cup increments once absorbed, and continue to stir rice. This will take a total of about 15-20 minutes.

Once all the broth/stock is added and stirred, remove pot from heat. Add the remaining tspn of butter, grated parmesan cheese, chopped asparagus and lump crabmeat. Gently stir, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.