4.06.2010

What to do with the remnant of your ricotta?! (and chicken!?)


How many times do you left food, and than forgot it in your fridge for days until the only thing to do is throw it away (unless you want to experience a visit to the nearest hospital!)?
Considering that it's understandable that you don't feel like eating the same food for days and considering that throw food away it's a bad act here I am with an easy recipe! I made it yesterday for dinner to use remnant ricotta and chicken!
(I apologize for the bad quality of the photos, but it was night and my boyfriend was very very hungry "I don't wanna photos....I want to eat!" Yes sweetheart, can you just hold the white paper more on the left so that the light would be better?" "...")

POLPETTE DI POLLO E RICOTTA (Chicken and ricotta meatballs)

Tools:
  • 1 pan
  • 1 frying pan
Timing:
  • 35 minutes
Ingredients (for 2):
  • 7 oz ricotta (200 gr)
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 egg
  • 4 spoons of breadcrumbs
  • a pinch of parsley
  • salt
  • 3 spoons of oil
FIRST STEP:
  • in a pan of boiling and salted water, boil the chicken for about 10/15 minutes
...in the meanwhile...

SECOND STEP:
  • put ricotta in a bowl
  • add salt, minced parsley, the grated lemon zest
  • in a little bowl whisk the egg
THIRD STEP:
  • Mince the chicken breast and add it to the other ingredients
  • Melt
FORTH STEP:
  • shape meatballs
  • pass them in the egg and than in the breadcrumbs
  • fry on low heat in hot oil until they become slightly brown
  • adjust with salt
  • dish with a fresh green salad!
Buon appetito!





4.04.2010

Buona Pasqua! Happy Easter to everyone...

I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful day!
I have read the post I wrote yesterday and suddenly I have realized that I have published a pasta recipe without saying nothing about the most important ingredient: PASTA!
Next week I promise I will make up for it with a post about pasta: which rules to follow for a perfect dish, which brands are better to buy here in the USA and some other tips.
And now let's just enjoy this day of relax...
Buona giornata!

4.03.2010

Ricotta time

Ciao!
I'm so happy we are going to start with the recipes! Here is the first one. It's an easy dish, very good to comfort oneself in a sunny day. I have done it today at lunch and it took me really few minutes: I'm talking about Pasta con la Ricotta.
Before starting with the directions I want to spend some words on this wonderful cheese.
To be accurate ricotta isn't a "cheese". In fact it's obtained by the re-cooking (ricotta=re-cooked) of the siero (whey) produced during the process of making cheese. For this reason ricotta it's already LOW FAT and you don't need to buy the skim or low fat type.
Remember: less process had undergo the food, the better it is for your health!
Another advice to buy a good product is looking at the ingredients on the pack.
Yesterday I have been in Wholefood in Union Square and I have found many kinds of "Ricotta". I had to discard some because of the ingredients. Ricotta ingredients must be Whole Milk, Salt and Curd. That's it. No vinegar or other weird stuff in it!
And now ... let's start with the recipe, at least!

PASTA CON LA RICOTTA

Tools:
  • 1 pot
  • 1 bowl
Timing:
  • 15 minutes
Ingredients (for 2):
  • 5 onces of ricotta
  • 1 tomato (costoluto is in season, and it's very tasty ... soon a post about this too!)
  • 5 onces of pasta (short is better, like "mezze penne")
  • 2 spoons of oil
  • salt
  • basil
FIRST STEP
  • put water in the pot and bring to a boil
  • add salt when boiling
  • add pasta in the pan and cook it ... al dente!
...in the meanwhile...

SECOND STEP
  • put the ricotta in a bowl
  • cut the tomato in little parts and add it to the ricotta
  • melt
THIRD STEP
  • add 2 or 3 spoons of hot water from your pasta pot into the ricotta
  • add oil, salt and basil
  • melt
FORTH STEP
  • strain pasta and, once strained, put it in the hot pot but not on the stove
  • add your sauce and melt
  • dish
A tavola!

Buona appetito!



4.01.2010

Welcome everyone!

Today it's Spring in New York. Spring means begin again after months of grey skys, freeze wind and snow. So here I am, ready to start a new chapter of my life with this blog. Before starting I would beg your mercy for my english: I'm very sorry, but I'm italian and I will need some time to improve the language. Please be patient!
And now: let's start!
What about this blog? Primarily here you will find recipes, italian recipes, easy and simple way to comfort yourselves and your family and friends with food. I know that everyone has a job and lots of things to do every day. I know that many times it's easier order food, buy prepared food or going out, but I want to show you that cooking something good, tasty and natural it's not that difficult. It could also be a relaxing and enjoyng moment of your day.
Talking about recipes means also talking about ingredients. Ingredients are the most important thing for cooking a wonderful meal. For this reason I will go with you all around New York to find good places where buy exceptional ingredients for a fair price. I will suggest you useful books and web sites in which you could find infos and ideas for your everyday cooking-life.
Don't expect a blog full of beautiful pictures about chic dishes. I love that kind of blogs, but this is not my purpose. I want to give you practical infos and suggestions that you could really make again in your home.
That's all, I mean for now! I hope we could cook together soon ... enjoy!