SWEET LEMON RICOTTA WITH MIXED BERRIES AND BISCOTTI

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

03.24.10-Lemon-Ricotta-Beauty

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Yield: serves 4

Time: 15 minutes

3 cups good quality ricotta cheese
1 cup strawberries, hulled and cut in half
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup powdered sugar, split in half

1 lemon, juice and zest
Store-bought almond biscotti
Begin by making the mixed berries.  Place the berries into a medium sized pot over low heat.  Add half of the powdered sugar and lemon juice then simmer for 7-10 minutes to allow the berries to macerate and break down slightly.  Shut off the heat and set aside to cool while you prepare the ricotta.

In a food processor, combine remaining sugar, lemon zest and ricotta and process until mixture is light and fluffy. To serve, place creamy, ricotta mix into a glass, spoon the berry compote over the top.  Place biscotti on the side and serve.

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Artichokes with Pork Sausage, Lemon and Sage

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

entrees_Artichokes-With-Lemon

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Serves: 8 servings

Handful fresh parsley
4 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
1 lemon, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 whole artichokes, split in 1/2
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 large pork sausages, about 1 1/2 pounds total
4 fresh sage leaves
2 shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lemon cut into paper-thin slices
1/2 cup homemade or store bought chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish
Fried sage leaves, for garnish

Directions
First thing to do is to steam the artichokes in a flavorful broth. Put the parsley, garlic, bay leaves, wine, and 1 of the halved lemons in a wide pot. Add 2 quarts of water and bring to a simmer. Season the broth with salt and pepper.
While that’s coming to a simmer, wash the artichokes under cold water. Then, using a paring knife, trim the bottom end of each stem and shave the stem down to expose the tender, light green flesh underneath. Snap or cut off the outer petals until you reach the soft, pale green leaves in the center. Slice off about 1 inch from the top of the artichoke with a large knife. Do the same to prepare the rest of the artichokes.
Slide the artichokes into the simmering broth. Then cover the pan and simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, until there is no resistance when a knife is inserted into the base of each artichoke. Remove the artichokes from the poaching liquid with tongs. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the hairy choke from the center of each and discard. Try and keep the artichoke halves intact as best you can; it looks great for presentation.
 Put a large, deep skillet over medium heat and cover the bottom with a 2-count of oil. When the oil is smoking hot, add the sausage and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until cooked through. Take them out of the pan and set them aside. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan. Add the sage leaves and cook 2 to 3 minutes to infuse the oil with their flavor. Add the shallots, garlic, and lemon slices and cook 2 minutes. Then add the stock to the pan, bring to a simmer and simmer until reduced and thickened. Swirl in the butter to emulsify, and a drizzle of olive oil. Return the artichokes to the pan and cook over low heat for a few minutes to warm up them up. Spoon the artichokes out onto plates and serve with the sausage

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GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH LEMON, YOGURT, POMEGRANATE AND MINT

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

11.04.09-GRILLED_EGGPLANT

8 small (4-inch-long) eggplants, trimmed, split in half, flesh scored
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini or smooth peanut butter
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
handful of fresh mint leaves
1 pomegranate, cracked open and seeds dug out
1 red Thai chile, sliced

Put a large grill pan on two burners over medium-high heat or pre-heat an outdoor gas or charcoal grill to medium. If you’re using an outdoor grill, take a few paper towels and fold them over several times to make a thick square.  Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel, then carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a non-stick surface.

Put the eggplant halves on a big platter or sheet pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on both sides with salt and pepper.  Put the eggplant slices on the grill and cook until golden, 4-5 minutes.  Then turn and continue cooking 4-5 minutes more until nicely browned on both sides and soft and creamy.

Meanwhile, put the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the cumin, and salt and pepper into a blender and puree until smooth.  Taste for salt and pepper.

To serve, spread the yogurt sauce over the bottom of a serving platter.  Shingle the eggplant halves on top and garnish with the mint, pomegranate seeds, and sliced chile.

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