Proud Italian Cook

Lemony Sweet Whipped Ricotta with Fresh Berries

February 2, 2022 by Marie 2 Comments

If. you’re looking for a quick, no bake very impressive dessert, this is the one for you. Sweet whipped ricotta with fresh berries. When ricotta is whipped, by means of a food processor it becomes very creamy and velvety and takes on a whole new life and then layered with fresh berries it becomes the perfect dessert.

You can sweeten it up with different sugars, zests, extracts and juices and even a little liquor if you like.

A light and healthy dessert using fresh berries of your choice, it’s low in carbs and so quick to make.

You’ll want to use good quality whole milk ricotta and if you get it from a deli it’s usually holding on to some liquid and if that’s the case you’ll want to drain it overnight in the fridge with some cheesecloth or a fine strainer over a bowl, at least for a couple of hours then you’ll be good to go.

I used a little limoncello and lemon zest for mine but lemon extract or juice plus zest is wonderful as well.

Don’t be afraid to give it a good processing, up to five minutes because you want that creamy, velvety texture.

You can make your sweet whipped ricotta a few hours ahead and store it in the fridge until dessert time

You can serve it parfait style with multiple layers or simply the way I did, I highly suggest adding some nuts to top it off. Enjoy this simple, elegant light dessert!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Lemony Sweet Whipped Ricotta with Fresh Berries

Transform ricotta into a super velvety texture by whipping it in a food processor.

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1 lb. whole milk ricotta, drained of liquid if "wet" by using a cheese cloth or fine strainer overnight in the fridge
⅓ cup of sugar, either powdered or regular
Zest of a lemon
Additional flavors ( at this point taste for sweetness and lemon flavor, you can add some lemon juice or a little lemon extract,( start out small) or even limoncello liquor, start with a small amount and taste to your liking.
Assorted mixed fresh berries
nuts for garnish

Instructions

Add the drained ricotta into the bowl of a food processor and process till velvety smooth, could be up to 5 minutes.
Add the sugar, zest, and any flavorings, then taste to your liking. Feel free to sub in orange zest and juice if you prefer that over lemon.
Process until all the flavors are all mixed together.
Layer with fresh berries and nuts.
You can make this a few hours in advance and keep in the fridge until dessert time.

2 Comments Filed Under: Desserts, Fruit Tagged: berries, low carb dessert, quick deesseert, ricotta, whipped ricotta

Savory Vegetable Ricotta Tart

January 20, 2022 by Marie 3 Comments

A savory vegetable tart that features creamy ricotta studded with fresh spinach, roasted butternut squash and red onions that are packed into a crispy phyllo crust.

First of all don’t let phyllo pastry scare you, it’s so forgiving, you could accidentally rip or tear it and no one would know the difference, it hides imperfections beautifully. I use to be afraid of it, in fact I did a post about it here. That being said there’s always a box sitting in my freezer now for sweet and savory dishes.

Besides phyllo dough the other important element to this tart is a good quality ricotta. I always buy mine in the deli section of my Italian grocer and it usually has some watery liquid that clings to it when they scoop it out for you. You’ll want to drain the ricotta for a couple of hours or even overnight, you’d be surprised how much liquid comes out, this should be done to ensure your ricotta tart doesn’t bake up soggy.

Honestly you can top your tart with any roasted vegetables of your choice, I chose butternut squash because it’s perfect this time of year. You can also tailor this tart to what veggies are in season and what goes together well, like I did here with spring vegetables.

The creamy ricotta compliments the crunch factor of the phyllo crust with every single bite. You’ll love this tart for lunch, brunch or dinner with a green salad on the side, enjoy!

Savory Vegetable Ricotta Tart

Creamy vegetable ricotta filled tart with a crunchy phyllo crust

Author: Marie

Ingredients

4 cups good quality ricotta, drained of any excess liquid
2 eggs
1 a nice handful of fresh chopped spinach
3 small garlic cloves grated
½ cup grated pecorino or parmigiano
1 generous cup of shredded provolone or shredded mozzarella
1 medium butternut squash, diced and 2 red onions sliced
8 sheets of. phyllo pastry, defrost according to package directions
olive oil
fresh thyme
olive oil spray for ease of coating the phyllo
tart pan with removable bottom, I used a rectangle pan 11-1/2 x 7 -1/2

Instructions

Peel, dice and roast the squash at 400F til slightly golden and tender on a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little fresh thyme ( you'll definitely have extra leftover). Slice your onions leaving root in tact so they stay together when roasting.
In a large bowl add the ricotta, eggs, spinach, garlic, pecorino and shredded provolone and mix it all up very well to a smooth consistency, add salt and pepper to taste.
Spray or oil your tart pan, then one by one add a sheet of phyllo, spraying or brushing oil on each one as you go, layer by layer into your tart pan, at the same time being careful to cover the remaining sheets with a damp cloth so they don't dry out.
When all the layers of phyllo are completed and oiled and into the tart pan, spread the ricotta mixture all over evenly.
Top the ricotta with your roasted vegetables evenly spacing it all over. (I'm sure you'll have some extra squash leftover.)
Tuck the ends of the phyllo all around the ricotta and tart pan.
Spray or oil the crust all around.
Add some fresh thyme, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of pecorino all around.
Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and roast at 400F for around 30 or so minutes until ricotta is set and the crust is deep golden.
Let it cool down before cutting into it.

3 Comments Filed Under: Savory Tarts, Vegetables Tagged: butternut squash, phyllo pastry, savory ricotta tart

Hearty Rainbow Veggie Salad and Beyond

January 6, 2022 by Marie 4 Comments

It’s January, the holidays are over and if you’re like me there’s a need for a little detoxing, more veggies, less sugar. Although I enjoyed every carb ladened dish I had I’m now craving veggies and greens.

Chopping and prepping hearty vegetables in season is the perfect and ready to go stash for creating heathy meals that you can use in salads, soups and frittatas during the week.

Grab any of your favorite veggies, I used some I recently bought and some that needed to be revived in my fridge, you’d be surprised the amount you get when you slice a single pepper or a small head of broccoli.

I also roasted a butternut and acorn squash, two things I buy often during the fall and winter.

This is definitely a substantial meal in itself with the addition of the roasted squash and some avocado resting on a bed of kale.

What kind of dressing would you use? I chose a hearty tahini dressing which really stood up to all the vegetables, bright lemon, garlic and creamy tahini, a recipe I slightly adapted from the What’s Gaby Cooking website.

Make sure to make enough it’s pretty amazing!

You can always make a big pot of minestrone loaded with sautéed vegetables, simmered with broth, water and some spices. I like to add some beans and always a parmigiano cheese rind, it’s healthy, warms you up and it just screams detox!

And finally you can never go wrong with a frittata. So many ways you can use up those veggies and it’s such a delicious and satisfying meal, here’s some ideas.

Lighten up this January by adding more colorful veggies to your meals.

Hearty Rainbow Veggie Salad and Beyond

This Tahini recipe is adapted from What's Gaby Cooking

Author: Marie

Ingredients

½ cup of organic tahini
1 Tablespoon, olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
3 or more tablespoons, fresh lemon juice
enough water to make a creamy consistency
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a bowl whisk everything together, tasting for enough lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Slowly add some water little by little to reach a nice creamy consistency.
Place into a jar and keep refrigerated.
If it thickens up add a tiny bit more water to loosen it.