Whipped Ricotta Berry Tart

This is one of those desserts that is just so satisfying, its light, not to sweet, it uses fresh berries in season. There’s lemon and vanilla flavor in the background and it’s all surrounded by crunchy phyllo dough. It’s a whipped ricotta tart and you don’t even need to pull out your mixer!

berry ricotta tart

I love making tarts with ricotta and love using phyllo, which by the way is VERY forgiving. Of course this would be just as delicious if you make or buy your own pie crust and use that, but you’ll need to blind bake that as well. You can also mix up the berries you use, I did sliced strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.

I wouldn’t do too many strawberries they’re not as sturdy as the other ones I mentioned, they tend to soften the tart up much quicker, but if you’re eating it right away that won’t matter.

berry ricotta slice

The hardest part will be waiting for it to cool down so you can have a slice with some coffee, don’t forget to sprinkle it with a nice shower of powdered sugar! With Mother’s day around the corner this just might be one to make for that special mom in your life.

Whipped Ricotta Berry Tart
 
A berry ricotta tart, not too sweet but oh so delicious with a nice crunchy phyllo crust.
Author:
Ingredients
  • ½ stick of unsalted butter, melted
  • 8 sheets of phyllo dough
  • tart pan with removable bottom, I used an 11 x 8 rectangle pan
  • FILLING:
  • 2 cups whole milk ricotta, make sure it's well drained if it's from a deli, or use a good one from a grocery in the cheese section
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup of sugar
  • ¼ cup of heavy cream
  • the zest of 1 lemon
  • ½ teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • a mix of berries, I don't measure those, I just fill in and cover the top of the tart to my liking
  • powder sugar for sprinkling the tart when cooled
Instructions
  1. Heat your oven to 350F, you're going to pre-bake the phyllo for 15 minutes.
  2. With the melted butter, brush your tart pan all over.
  3. Working fast,add 1 sheet of phyllo at a time brushing it all over with the melted butter, repeat brushing the butter on to all the rest of the phyllo sheets.
  4. You're going to layer them on top of each other, squishing them around the sides of the pan, don't worry if they rip, no one will know, phyllo is very for giving.
  5. Put the tart pan onto a cookie sheet for easy in and out of the oven and place into your pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.
  6. If it puffs up when you take it out just press it down with the back of a spoon, set it aside, now make your filling.
  7. Raise the oven temp to 375F now.
  8. In a medium size bowl whisk together the ricotta, eggs, heavy cream, sugar, zest and extracts til nice and smooth.
  9. Pour the filling on top of the pre-baked phyllo dough.
  10. Sprinkle your berries all around filling in and covering the top of the ricotta mixture.
  11. Bake for another 30- 45 minutes, remember it all depends on your oven, everyone is different and also if the ricotta has a lot of moisture and is not drained properly, that could affect the cooking time as well, I didn't use the deli kind.
  12. Take the tip of a knife after 30 minutes and see if it comes out pretty clean in the center, if not check every 5 more minutes.
  13. Let the tart cool down before you slice into it then sprinkle powder sugar all over it.
  14. Enjoy this creamy, crunchy berry bite!

 

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Summer Bean Salad

bean salad

I’ve been on a salad kick lately, I think it’s the change of weather and the fact that we started using our grill again. If you’re looking for a side dish to any of your grilled meats or fish you need to make this summer bean salad.

It’s quick to put together because it’s made with canned beans and jars of antipasto, usually sun-dried, packed in oil or marinated with some fresh ingredients added in as well.

cold side salad

I used a combination of cannellini and garbanzo beans but you can use all cannellini or all garbanzo, it’s your choice, same thing goes with the other ingredients, make it your own.

summer side dish

This keeps well for a couple of days in the fridge and delicious served cold or at room temperature, plus it can sit out and you don’t have to worry about it going bad, the dressing is simply olive oil and fresh lemon. A great side dish for all your summer parties!

Here’s how I made mine.

Summer Bean Salad
 
Make this side dish salad for all your summer grilling.
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 can each, cannellini and garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained then patted dry
  • 1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained
  • sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, scooped out and chopped
  • jarred roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
  • 2 small garlic cloves, minced finely
  • ½ teaspoon of Calabrian chili paste, (optional for a little heat)
  • olives of your choice
  • bocconcini balls, ( fresh mozzarella) drained and sliced in half
  • chopped red onion
  • chopped parsley
  • a few thin lemon slices
  • a handful of arugula
Instructions
  1. Toss everything into a big bowl, let the flavors meld together then place into your serving dish!
  2. (Amounts of ingredients vary to your liking and how much you will be making.)
  3. The dressing is simply fresh lemon and olive oil whisked together and drizzled all around.

 

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Grilled Eggplant With Fresh Tomato Salad

grilled eggplant

I can’t think of a more enjoyable salad to make during the warm summer months ahead than this grilled eggplant with fresh tomato salad.

It’s fun to serve for picnics, BBQ’s and any of your upcoming parties you’re planning. All I can say is that whenever I make this and lay it out on a buffet table people gravitate right towards it, not only is it super delicious, it has a pretty presentation and as an added bonus it holds up very well at room temperature.

charred eggplant

Grilling eggplant is so easy, just salt, pepper and olive oil both sides, place on the grill until tender with nice looking grill marks.

I like to look for medium size more slender eggplant rather than the rounder fatter kind, to me there’s less seeds, less bitterness. I also like to peel the skin off in strips, using a vegetable peeler go around the whole eggplant lengthwise making “zebra stripes”. If you take the skin completely off, the eggplant slices collapse and have no structure.

You can even grill up the eggplant the day before, then all you have to do is make your salad and assemble it all on serving day.

eggplant and tomato salad

Fan your grilled eggplant unto a pretty platter and then proceed to make your fresh tomato salad. Mine consisted of sliced cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, red onions, olives, feta cheese, parsley, basil and olive oil. Here’s were you can add your own twist on it, you can replace the feta with any special cheese you like, I’ve changed it up many times myself by using provolone chunks, fresh mozzarella chunks, or even those cute little mozzarella pearls

grilled salad

Once you make this grilled eggplant salad I think it will become a regular for you throughout the summer months.

Enjoy!

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