lemon ricotta cookies with lemon glaze

two thoughts:

1. parchment paper rocks my kitchen world. it is seriously the best kitchen invention ever & I'm not sure how I survived 31 years without it. it almost deserves an entire blog post, and no, it's not the same thing as waxed paper.

2. ricotta cheese & the whole reason for this post... I always buy ricotta cheese & then forget about it until it goes bad... or I don't use it all up in time. it almost happened again, so I googled ricotta cheese recipes & found this little gem; thanks, giada.
I just pulled them out of the oven, so I haven't glazed them yet or let them cool, but so far, so delicious! I'll bring some to book club on friday... if there are any left...

(photo by my iphone)

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese (I used "part skim")
  
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 1 lemon, zested (I used dried orange peel)
  

Oven to 375º F.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (giada says "about 2 tablespoons for each cookie," I say "1TB or less for each cookie & leave some space, these babies spread.") onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.

Ribolita

If you were smart(like me) and planted a garden you might have several of these ingredients just outside. This soup is so good! I combined 2 recipes to make it. It is a really yummy italian minestrone.

1 lb. italian sausage (I used regular, because that's what I had)
1 lg. onion, diced
Cook in soup kettle until done. Drain grease, then add:

2 carrots, cut up small
2 celery ribs, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
about 5- 6 cups beef or chicken broth (I didn't measure and I used water and Coscto's Chicken base that comes in a small round container. 1 tsp per cup of water)
1 can tomato paste
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 tsp basil (I used fresh because a neighbor gave me some and it's awesome)
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
salt to taste (already salty from chicken broth, keep in mind)
cayenne pepper to taste (3 dashes)

Boil for about 3 min, then add a little zucchini, spinach, or italian squash (I used gagutza and it is the best for soup becuase it doesn't get slimy. My neighbor gave me some plants last spring. I have used spinach before and it is also good.)

Next add:
1 can garbanzos, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. uncooked small pasta shells
3 T minced parsley or just a few sprinkles dried
I add more water if it is too thick at this point.

Cook until pasta is tender, then serve with grated parmesan cheese on top.
Add some delicious bread or cheese biscuit( red lobster recipe) and you have a very savory, extremely healthy italian dinner.
This is a lot easier than it might look like. Maybe I will just make it for a girls night since now that I think of it most of you probably won't try it on your own because of all the ingredients.

Mushroom Risotto

for sunday dinner we had sarah, erica/ella & stephanie/crew over.
we had pork tenderloin, mushroom risotto, fruit salad with honey-yogurt sauce, rolls, broccoli (sarah), cucumber/tomato salad (steph), peach kuchen (sarah) & cookies (erica). thanks for the company & the great food, girls (though I think aaron missed the guys)! why does the food always taste better when there are more people to enjoy it?

MUSHROOM RISOTTO (from this website...) ...this is how I made it tonight:
4 Tbsp smart balance butter
1 8oz package sliced baby bella mushrooms
1/3 cup cooking sherry
3/4 cup heavy cream
7 cups chicken broth (I cheat & use bullion)
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 large shallots, peeled and finely minced
1 3/4 cups arborio rice
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

*Note on the cleaning of mushrooms. If you are using any type of choice mushroom, try not to rinse them if you can avoid it. Brush off any remaining dirt lightly. Many mushrooms (including chanterelles) absorb water like sponges and washing them will make it much more difficult to cook properly.

1 Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté about 5 minutes. Add sherry, bring to a boil, and reduce liquid by half, about 3-4 minutes. Lower heat to medium, add cream, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

2 Bring broth to a simmer in a saucepan.

3 In a a deep, heavy, medium sized saucepan (I used my "pasta pot"), heat oil and remaining butter. Add shallots or onions and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat with butter and oil. Add simmering stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring enough to keep the rice from sticking to the edges of the pan. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. This process will take about 20+ minutes. The rice should be just cooked and slightly chewy.

4 Stir in the mushroom mixture, parsley & Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed.

Serves 4-6.

Rigatoni Mediterranean

This is from the July 2007 issue of Cooking Light magazine.

Ingredients:
1 pound uncooked rigatoni
1/4 cup olive oil
5 1/2 cups diced eggplant peeled
6 garlic cloves minced
2 cups sweet onions
1 large zuchinni thinly sliced
3/4 cup green onions (may be omitted)
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 cups shredded mozarella
cooking spray
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta, drain and set aside. Heat 2 T of olive oil in a large pan. Add eggplant and saute 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Heat remaining 2 T of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for 30 sec. Add the onion, zucchini and green onions and cook for 6 min. Add the spices, basil and tomatoes. Boil and than simmer for 15 minutes.

Combine pasta, eggplant and tomato mixture in a large bowl. Add the mozzarella and mix. Transer to a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evening with parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Let sit for 10-20 minute sto allowing flavors to meld.

Yeld 10 servings

Veggie Pizza

First of all, I must say, people need to post some recipes. I am waiting for the cheese ball from battle of the sexes, and all the recipes from Rachel's shower which I heard were all delicious!! Kristen, Thanks for the cinnamon apple cake, so good. I can't wait to make it!
So the reason I am posting this recipe is because this is what I was wanting to bring to the Battle of the Sexes night but was crazy working so I did not have time. I know nobody has tried it, but I was unable to contribute that night, so you can all make it and then think of me!

Veggie Pizza
1 pkg. crescent rolls
1/2 cup mayo
1 8oz pkg. cream cheese
1 pkg. hidden valley ranch salad dresssing or dip mix
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Green Onion
Shredded Cheese
Spread out crescent rolls onto a 9x13 pan, or large pizza pan, sealing it together to make a crust. Cook as directed on package, ( 375 for 11-13 minutes). Mix cream cheese, mayo, and ranch mix. Soften cream cheese first and mix together until smooth. Spread over COOLED crust.
Chop veggies and layer in above order. Top with cheddar cheese and ENJOY!
*TIP* Can use light mayo and cream cheese, and can use any variety of veggies you want!

Epicurious and Tomato Sauce

Epicurious is my all time favorite website for recipes! Check it out at www.epicurious.com!

Below is a recipe for fabulous tomato sauce! I never buy sauce from a jar since I love making my own sauce:

Fabulous Tomato Sauce

1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes with italian seasoning

4 oz of tomato paste

4 cloves of crushed garlic

3 T of olive oil

pinch of salt and pepper

1 t of oregano and basil

2 t of white wine vinegar

1 t of sugar

Directions:

Heat up the olive oil in a large pot and add the crushed garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until garlic is golden. Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, spices, vinegar and sugar. Cook on medium high until almost boiling. Remove from stove and puree in a blender until smooth. Add the sauce back to the pot and cook on simmer for 1-2 hours. Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy!