Homemade Ricotta

The recipe below makes a very simple homemade ricotta. It had a mild taste with a consistency of cream cheese. You could use this as it is but I wanted to give it some more flavor. I added roasted garlic, thyme, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to the ricotta. You can use this cheese as a spread on toasted bread, as a filling for ravioli, or as a flavoring for a pasta dish.

For the photo above I served plain ricotta with balsamic vinegar, roasted garlic, and fresh cut chives. I plan to make this cheese for my next party as an app because it can be made ahead of time and everyone will be impressed that I made my own cheese!

This cheese will last in the fridge for about a week. Use your nose to see if it smells bad or not before eating.

Ingredients:  (Makes about 1 cup of ricotta)
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
1. Pour the milk, cream and salt into a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan. Attach a candy or deep-fry thermometer. Heat the milk to 190°F, stirring it occasionally to keep it from scorching on the bottom.

2. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, then stir it once or twice, gently and slowly. Let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.

3. Line a colander with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl (to catch the whey). Pour the curds and whey into the colander and let the curds strain for at least an hour. At an hour, you’ll have a tender, spreadable ricotta. At two hours, it will be spreadable but a bit firmer, almost like cream cheese. (It will firm as it cools, so do not judge its final texture by what you have in your cheesecloth.) Discard the whey, or, if you’re one of those crafty people who use it for other things, of course, save it. Eat the ricotta right away or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Eric Ripert Fish Recipe

I was on twitter and I saw that Chef Eric Ripert had posted this fish recipe. It was so simple and Chef Ripert makes such delicious food that I had to try this. The fish tasted amazing once it was finished and it only took a total of 15 minutes to make!


Ingredients: 
Fillet of white fish like Halibut
salt and pepper
1 lemon, thinly sliced
4-6 sprigs of thyme
3-4 pats of cold butter
4 tbs. chicken stock

Directions:
1. Wash fish and pat dry with a paper towel. Season fillet with salt and pepper.

2.Cover the fish with thinly sliced lemons, sprigs of thyme and butter. Place fillet in tray with chicken stock.

3. Broil fish for 5-7 minutes. You will know when it's done when a skewer is inserted through the fish and it comes out warm.

4. Remove lemon and herbs when fish is finished.

5. Plate fish and add jus from the tray as sauce. 

Salmon Fillet with Creme Fraiche, Dill and Citrus Sauce

I was looking for a healthy sauce for salmon but I was tired of yogurt sauces. I decided to try creme fraiche. It isn't very healthy but it was delicious! I served my pan seared salmon with some microwavable brown rice which is fantastic. The rice is cooked well and it only takes 1 minute in the microwave. I suggest anyone with a busy schedule should try it. 


Sauce:
1/2 cup Creme Fraiche (could use greek yogurt instead)
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/4 lemon
1 tbs. chopped dill
Salt and Pepper

1 6-8 oz Salmon fillet per person
1 tsp. dried thyme
Olive Oil
Brown Rice
Green beans

Directions:
1. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

2. Clean salmon and remove pin bones and skin. Season salmon with salt, pepper, and dried thyme.

3. In a large non-stick skillet add 1 tbs. olive oil. Heat pan over medium-low heat. Add salmon fillets to pan and cook on each side for 3-5 miuntes or until fish is done to your liking.

4. Remove fish and set aside. Heat up rice and green beans. Plate everything together and spoon some sauce over the salmon. I garnished my salmon with caramelized shallots and a sprig of dill.