Tag Archives: recipe

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Making Ricotta Cheese

I was inspired by a blog post on Smitten Kitchen on how to make homemade ricotta cheese. I always like to experiment with new things and have never made cheese so decided I just had to try it.

We had some friends over to celebrate the 4th and figured this was as good a time as any. As has been tradition for several years, I made a Grilled Turkey for the main course, so ricotta bruschetta for an appetizer seemed like a good idea.

As with any good cheese, you start with good quality, high-fat content milk. I purchased whole milk and fresh cream at our Franklin Farmer’s Market on Saturday. Making the cheese is a simple four-step process and does not take very long.

Step 1 – Add 3 cups whole milk and 1 cup cream to a non-reactive pan. Heat over medium heat until a candy thermometer or instant read thermometer shows 175 to 185. Do not let it boil. The above recipe calls for 190 degrees but, after some research, I found that this range worked well for me.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Step 2 – Off the heat, add 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and stir twice slowly and gently. Set a timer for 5 minutes.

Step 3 – After 5 minutes pour the mixture into a colander lined with cheesecloth set over a large bowl. Leave undisturbed for 1 to 2 hours to allow the whey to separate from the curds.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Step 4 – Serve. (I put the cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator until I was ready to serve.) The cheese should be good for a couple of days.

I allowed guests to make their own bruschetta, serving a very good olive oil, wildflower honey from Whole Foods, and Balsamic Vinegar with sea salt. The salt does improve the taste. I also made shaved baby zucchini and shaved asparagus dressed with olive oil and salt and pepper to use as an additional topping.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

People were skeptical at first but changed their mind after the first bite. This will definitely not be the last time I make homemade ricotta. My next experiment will be to use it with homemade pasta. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

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Grilled Stuffed Flank Steak

Cooks Illustrated is one of my favorite cooking magazines. It does not have a lot of recipes in each issue but what is included is well tested and generally very good. This month’s issue has a grilled stuffed flank steak that just looked fun so I had to try it.

Here is the recipe.

Depending on the steak’s size, you may have between 8 and 12 pinwheels of stuffed meat at the end of step 2. Freezing the steak for 30 minutes will make butterflying easier. You will need both wooden skewers and twine for this recipe.

Ingredients

2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

1 small shallot , minced (about 2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves , finely minced

1 teaspoon sage leaves , finely minced

2 tablespoons olive oil , plus extra for oiling grate

1 flank steak (2- to 2 1/2-pounds) (see note)

4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

4 ounces thinly sliced provolone

8–12 skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Instructions
  1. Combine garlic, shallot, parsley, sage, and olive oil in small bowl. Following illustrations below, butterfly and pound flank steak into rough rectangle. With steak positioned so that grain runs parallel to edge of counter and opened side faces up, spread herb mixture evenly over surface of steak. Lay prosciutto evenly over steak, leaving 2-inch border along top edge. Cover prosciutto with even layer of cheese, leaving 2-inch border along top edge. Starting from bottom edge and rolling away from you, roll beef into tight log and place on cutting board seam-side down.
  2. Starting ½ inch from end of rolled steak, evenly space 8 to twelve 14-inch pieces of butcher’s twine at 1-inch intervals underneath steak. Tie middle string first; then working from outermost strings toward center, tightly tie roll and turn tied steak 90 degrees so seam is facing you. Skewer beef directly through outermost flap of steak near seam through each piece of string, allowing skewer to extend ½ inch on opposite side. Using chef’s knife, slice roll between pieces of twine into 1-inch-thick pinwheels. Season pinwheels lightly with kosher salt and black pepper.
  3. Turn all burners to high and heat with lid down until very hot, about 15 minutes. Scrape grate clean with grill brush. Dip wad of paper towels in oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).
  4. Grill pinwheels directly over hot side of grill until well browned, 3 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip pinwheels; grill until second side is well browned, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer pinwheels to cooler side of grill, cover, and continue to cook until center of pinwheels registers 125 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 1 to 4 minutes (slightly thinner pinwheels may not need time on cooler side of grill). Transfer pinwheels to large plate, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Remove and discard skewers and twine and serve immediately.
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Stir-Fried Sesame Asparagus

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
  • 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed, cut on diagonal into 2-inch-long pieces
  • 4 teaspoons sesame seeds

Preparation
Stir soy sauce and sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Heat oil in heavy large skillet. Add garlic and stir 15 seconds. Add asparagus and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add soy mixture and toss until asparagus is coated, about 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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Blue Cheese and Caramelized Shallot Dip

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 4 ounces)
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 4 ounces blue cheese, room temperature

Preparation
Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallots. Cover and cook until shallots are deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool.

Whisk together mayonnaise and sour cream in medium bowl to blend. Add blue cheese. Using rubber spatula, mash mixture until smooth. Stir in caramelized shallots. Season dip to taste with salt and pepper. Cover dip and refrigerate until flavors blend, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Serve dip chilled or at room temperature.

Makes about 2 cups.

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Top Sirloin Steak with Bell Pepper and Onion Sauté

Ingredients
Gorgonzola cheese flavors this hearty main course. Serve with a chilled Beaujolais.

  • 2 1 1/2-pound top sirloin steaks (or one 2- to 3-pound steak), 1 inch thick
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 large green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 cup unsalted beef broth or low-salt chicken broth
  • Crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
  • Minced fresh Italian parsley

Preparation
Place steaks in glass baking dish. Mix 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar and half of garlic in small bowl. Pour over steaks; turn to coat. Marinate 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate 3 hours.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers and remaining garlic and sauté 8 minutes. Add broth, increase heat and boil until vegetables are tender and liquid thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Prepare barbeque (high heat) or preheat broiler. Remove steaks from marinade. Sprinkle with salt and generous amount of pepper. Grill steaks until cooked as desired, about 5 minutes per side for rare. Transfer steaks to platter and let stand 5 minutes. Bring vegetables to simmer. Slice steaks; arrange on platter. Top with vegetables and skillet juices. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley.

Serves 4.

Bon Appétit
August 1993