Blueberry Ricotta Muffins

Here's a delicious way to use that leftover ricotta

Ricotta Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

3/4 cup ricotta, preferably at room temperature
2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/3 cups blueberries
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin tin, or fit the molds with paper muffin cups.

Whisk the ricotta, eggs and vanilla together, then stir in the melted butter.

Working in a large bowl and using your fingertips, rub the sugar and lime zest together until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Switch to a whisk and stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Put the ricotta mixture on top of the dry ingredients and, using a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend—don’t worry about being thorough. The batter will be thick and heavy and that’s fine. Fold in the blueberries.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin molds, slide the pan into the oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes. When fully baked, the tops of the muffins will be golden, springy to the touch and a knife inserted into the center of the muffins will come out clean. Pull the pan from the oven and carefully lift each muffin out of its mold and onto a rack to cool.

Autumn Gnocci

Cook up some gnocci.

In a skillet, saute some sausages (I like the fieldgrain vegan Italian brand), garlic, a big can of whole tomatoes broken up, a few handfuls of baby spinach, and a small can of white cannelini beans. Salt to taste.

Mix in the gnocci, and then top with broken up fresh mozzerella, chopped fresh basil, and freshly grated parm!

Best Granola

I have done a lot of granola baking, and I have a lot of great recipes, but I am happy to announce that I have finally perfected it.  Here it is, the best granola recipe.

Preheat oven to 325
Mix in a bowl:
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 canola oil
4 tsp vanilla

then add in
5 cups oats
2 cups nuts (I like pecans best)
dash of salt (optional)

Pour onto a baking sheet into a thick (maybe 1/2 inch) even layer. And here's the secret, press the granola firmly down with a spatula, creating an even and compressed sheet of granola.

Bake for 20 minutes, turn the baking sheet 180 degrees (but DO NOT STIR THE GRANOLA), and then bake another 15-20. Let cool in the sheet and then break apart into whatever sized chunks you like.  It is basically a giant crunchy granola bar that you break apart.

Add dried fruit.

Note: The recipe above works for a small baking sheet. It is important to use the right sized sheet so the granola can evenly cover the pan in an even layer. For my larger baking sheet, I increase everything 150% so

1/2 cup of each of the sweeteners
3/4 cup oil
2 T vanilla
7.5 cups oats
3 cups nuts

Baking time is the same.

Banana Cookies

Cream 1 stick butter with 2 very ripe bananas and 1- cup sugar. Add 1 egg and a splash of vanilla.

Dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1 t soda, 1/2 t each of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Combine dry into wet. Stir in 1 cup of pecans or walnuts.

Spoon dollops onto cookie sheet and place a dark chocolate Hershey kiss in the center of each. Alternatively you could add chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for 11 minutes

Clementine Cake

Boil 3-4 whole clementines for 2 hours (you will need to add water as necessary). Cut in half and remove seeds. Put the clementines (peel and all but not the seeds) in the cuisinart and pulse. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar, 2 1/4+ cups ground almonds (I ground the almonds beforehand in a cuisinart), and 1 heaping tsp baking powder. Crack in 6 eggs. Cuisinart it all until mixed and frothy. Pour into buttered 8 inch springform cake pan and bake for 45-60 minutes at 375. Cover with foil near the end if it starts to get too brown.

Let cool, then pop open the pan and use a sifter or sieve to cover the cake with powdered sugar.

Yum

Summer tacos

These are delicious with fresh summer corn! .

Filling:
Sauté 4 cloves garlic, 1 onion chopped, 1 yellow summer squash, and a handful sliced grape tomatoes. Meanwhile simmer 3 corn on the cobs until tender. Cut kernels off corn and add  to sauté along with one can black beans and one an black eyed peas.  Salt lightly

Avocado Sauce:
Blend in a cuisinart until smooth: 3 avocados, 2 cloves garlic handful parsley, handful cilantro, juice of a lime, tablespoon of olive oil, salt, pepper, and some hot pepper flakes.

Use warmed corn tortillas and fill with the filling above,  some shredded cheddar (optional) and the avocado sauce. 

Eat many!

Crunchy, Sweet Granola

As with all granolas, this is infinitely changeable depending on what is in your cupboard. You can play with the sweeteners, such as more maple and less honey for a maple flavored granola.  You can also cut the sugar by a lot for a less sweet granola.  But for now,  here is the basic recipe:

Preheat oven to 325 or Convect 300

In a big bowl combine:

8 cups oats
3 cups of some combination of wheat germ/wheat bran/oat bran/flax meal
3-4 cups of chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, hazelnuts, cashews...)
1 1/2 t salt

In a sauce pan combine:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2-3/4 cup honey (preferably raw local)
1 T vanilla
1 T cinnamon
1 cup oil (canola works well, but any will work, even olive oil)

Bring to a bubbling boil and then pour wet over dry and mix thoroughly to coat all the dry.

Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper and pour the granola onto the trays.

Bake in the oven 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and watching that it doesn't burn.  It will continue to harden as it cools, so take it out as soon as it starts to look toasted.

Enjoy!!