Yummy Cannoli by JeffreyW
Apologies to our Food Goddess, TaMara, for not getting this posted earlier:
I know it’s grilling season, but we’ll have all summer to talk about grilling recipes. This week I wanted to try out a recipe that has been tucked away and waiting for me to put my spin on it.
A while back, I asked you guys for a vegetarian meatball recipe, and you came through with some great ideas. Once I had the general concept down, I thought it was time to flavor it up a bit more. So tonight’s featured recipe is a vegetarian spinach ricotta meatball. With that in mind, the recipe theme came into focus. The versatility of ricotta cheese, from main course to desserts.
To start, how about homemade ricotta? JeffreyW has done it and you can click here and he’ll take you step by step through the process.
He then puts his homemade ricotta to good use with Stuffed Shells, as pretty to look at as they are delicious. (recipe here)
I have a great alternative to regular gnocchi, a lighter, easier version using ricotta cheese and a fire roasted sauce to make a simple, quick Baked Gnocchi. (recipe here)
Moving on to dessert, a friend of mine has what feels like weekly potlucks at work and she often takes Apple Lasagna, recipe here, that is always a hit.
And finally from JeffreyW, a beautiful Cannoli recipe, pictured above that can be found here.
Now that you have a bunch of ideas for that tub of ricotta, let’s switch things up before we get to the featured recipe. I’d like to know if you’ve ever made your own wine, beer or hard ciders. I’d like to know details, where did you get your ingredients and how did it all turn out? Besides that, what’s on your menu for the weekend?
Now on to the featured recipe. These a so simple to make and taste so good, it’s a great vegetarian alternative for your pasta dishes. They’re very light and once you get the technique down, you can play with the flavors and customize them to your palate.
Most of the recipes I looked at used Italian Breadcrumbs. But I really feel these need fresh breadcrumbs, so I’ve included instructions for making your own. I didn’t season mine because I didn’t want them to overpower the delicate flavors of the cheeses. Fresh breadcrumbs absorb flavors and moisture more than packaged ones, so I thought it gave the whole meatball a better, lighter texture. I added a bit of garlic powder (fresh garlic did not work with this, it was overpowering and a touch bitter), basil, oregano and fennel. The fennel really took it up a notch. I think next time I might add a bit of red pepper flake.
Spinach and Ricotta Vegetarian Meatballs
1-1/2 to 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (instructions below)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan, asiago, romano cheese mix
1-1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 tbsp fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
2 tsp fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
Salt and pepper
4 eggs, beaten
=======
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, asiago, romano cheese
Olive oil
Breadcrumbs: this took a full 1-lb loaf of day-old Italian or French bread. I bought it from the day-old rack for cheap. I tore it into small pieces, spread out on a baking sheet and dried it in a 200 degree F oven for about 30 minutes. I didn’t want them toasted or seasoned because I thought it would overpower the delicate flavors of these meatballs. Once they were dried, I ran them through the blender. I reserved 1/4 cup for rolling the balls in before cooking.
Meatballs: Mix together ricotta, grated cheeses, spinach and spices. Add the eggs and mix well. Then add the breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup at a time. You want it to come together to form soft balls, but you don’t want it to be dry. Once you can form a soft ball with some structure, you don’t need to add more breadcrumbs.
Scoop up a heaping tablespoon (I used my cookie dough scoop) and roll the mixture into balls.
Mix together 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup grated cheeses in a bowl and roll each meatball in the mixture, coating on all sides.
You can bake or pan fry these. I chose to pan fry, it used a bit of oil, but it gave them a nice flavor. Baking them would be my option if I was doubling the recipe.
To fry: heat olive oil in a skillet on medium and add the meatballs, leaving enough space between them to easily turn them. They are soft, so it’s a delicate process. The good news is, if you really want them round (instead of kind of flattened) you can reshape them after they come out of the pan. Turn them until they are golden brown on all sides.
To bake: place them on a well oiled baking sheet or use parchment paper. Brush them with a bit of oil if desired. Leave space around each one so they brown evenly and bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. You can turn them halfway through if desired.
Serve them with your favorite pasta and sauce. If you need sauce ideas, click here for Garden Fresh Sauce and click here for Awesome Sauce.
g
At one time in my life, I made beer, wine, pickles and jam, each season, and put them up for the year. I’m no longer that involved, but sometimes I still make pickles and jam from farmers market produce.
I like the idea of homemade ricotta, because sometimes I want to make lasagne and don’t want to run out. But of course, I never have buttermilk onhand, so….!
Mnemosyne
I bought myself one of these through a Groupon deal — my very first (mini) food processor. It won’t arrive until next week, though.
guachi
Looks yummy! My wife has as gluten allergy of some kind. Anyone know of a gluten-free substitute for the bread crumbs? Will regular gluten-free bread work fine?
Violet
This looks yummy! Unfortunately, I’m not eating things with gluten, so can’t try the delicious cannoli. :( Oh well. Love the idea for the veg meatballs.
The next thing I want to try to make is fermented vegetables. I’ve got a ton of beets and am curious if those will work. Anyone made fermented vegetables, like sauerkraut or any other kind? Suggestions?
Mnemosyne
@guachi:
@Violet:
I wonder if something like quinoa might work, or if it would be too squishy/slippery.
ETA: The Magic Google tells me that quick-cooking oatmeal (uncooked) is a good breadcrumb substitute, and you can get certified gluten-free oatmeal from Bob’s Red Mill and other similar companies.
TaMara (BHF)
@guachi: I think so, it’s about adding volume, so I can’t imagine it wouldn’t work.
TaMara (BHF)
@Mnemosyne: I love my mini-food processor.
In other news, I have to run out, but I’ll check back later to see if there are any questions and read, hopefully, about your brewing adventures.
Violet
@Mnemosyne: I’m off all grains at the moment, so oatmeal wouldn’t work for me. That’s okay. I can enjoy looking at the photos.
Mnemosyne, I was wondering if you’ve ever tried going gluten-free. I think you mentioned rosacea in another thread. A lot of folks have had relief when giving up gluten. Worked for me when I gave up wheat (not gluten) several years ago. Then when I started eating it again it came back. Sugar is also part of it for me. Too much and it flares up. Just thought I’d mention it since I came across the rosacea thread late.
Mnemosyne
@Violet:
I actually did try a low-gluten diet a few years ago (it was the old Weight Watchers Core Program) and it made me seriously, majorly depressed in a way that continued for at least four weeks until I finally gave it up. Plus I had horrible digestive issues — poor G woke up in the middle of the night thinking the apartment was on fire but it was just me passing gas in my sleep. :-o
After that experience, I’m very reluctant to try gluten-free.
ETA: The permitted grains on Core were —
Whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, potatoes, and grains
Cornmeal
Rolled oats
Puffed wheat, puffed rice, shredded wheat, and 100% bran cereals that do not contain added sugar
Cooked (hot) cereal
Details
Whole-wheat pasta, brown rice or potatoes are limited to one meal a day
Cold cereals are limited to one meal a day and must be eaten with fat-free milk or fat-free plain yogurt.
Hot cereal must be a plain variety that does not contain added sugar, nuts or dried fruit.
Bread is not a Core Food.
TaMara (BHF)
Oops
guachi
Indeed the gnocchi would be a good choice!
I love it and I’ve never made it before.
Violet
@Mnemosyne: LOL @ the “apartment on fire”. Doesn’t surprise me that you had trouble–lots of people do when they give it up. I felt like I had a mild flu for about five days. The difference between being wheat free and gluten free was significant for me, though. Lots of niggling aches and pains went away when I went gluten-free.
Have you seen the research on SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) and rosacea? Seems to be a significant correlation. Here’s an abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18456568. SIBO might be part of the gut problems you had when giving up gluten.
Gluten also has some relationship with opiate receptors in the brain, which can explain why some people have mood issues when giving it up. Sorry that happened to you. That sucks.
A Ghost To Most
Leave the meatballs, take the cannoli.
Mnemosyne
@Violet:
Hmm. I do also have IBS and/or lactose intolerance (I need to get back onto my program of eating yogurt with active cultures every day, because that seems to help), so that’s a possibility. I had a lingering depression for 10+ years, so I get very nervous about doing anything that would have a bad effect on my mood.
TaMara (BHF)
@guachi: I just did some quick research (I’m waiting for my friend do get here, so I had a moment). and you can substitute potato flour (or flakes) in both the veggie meatballs and the gnocchi (which I was mistaken, does call for flour). The potato flour will go well with the ricotta.
Also, friend says you can use gluten free flour – she uses it for gravies and such and it works well as a binder.
Hope the helps.
poco
@g: You know, you can use lemon juice or vinegar instead of buttermilk–anything that will curdle the milk and separate it into curds and whey. That is how I make paneer, which always tastes like riccotta.
And instead of bread crumbs, for those with gluten issues, try crushed sesame seeds–its more expensive, but it is also very yummy.
lockewasright
I love to run my back yard smoker, but it’s becoming not barbecuing season around here. We’ve hit triple digits and it will soon be over 110 for a few month. Who wants to spend the day playing with fire when it’s that hot out?!
I have, however, just purchased my first ever pasta machine. I gotta figure riccotta will be in my very near term future.
Violet
@Mnemosyne: I totally get not wanting to rock the boat. Not sure if you’re aware, but lactose-intolerance is often a secondary thing to gluten intolerance. The first person I heard that from was a guy in his late 60’s who was just diagnosed as celiac. I wasn’t sure he was right, but recent info seems to back it up.
Gluten intolerance doesn’t always present as gut problems–it can cause other health problems that don’t seem related to it. It can lead to a leaky gut and that seems to be what leads to the lactose intolerance. Lactose is harder for people to digest so if you have gut problems it can present first, even though often times it is the gluten that causes the problem. By the time people figure out its gluten that is the problem things are quite a bit worse. Many people seem to be able to digest lactose once they get their gut problems sorted out by going off gluten.
Edit: Forgot to say, the list of foods on your Core diet do not seem gluten-free to me. If you haven’t actually tried going gluten-free, it might be an interesting experiment. Although I certainly understand not wanting to rock the boat re: your depression.
WereBear
@Violet: It’s funny/strange; I was told I was lactose intolerant and didn’t eat any dairy for years. Didn’t have any difference in how I felt or such.
However, after about six weeks of gluten-free… wow! Sleeping better, this “healing glow” through my whole torso, took a couple of inches off my waist, and my screaming thumbs from arthritis started calming down.
I believe the benefits of gluten-free take a while to kick in sometimes; as the gut heals. I am a believer now.
And the lactose intolerance? Back on dairy; happy with it, too. I believe it was a case of mistaken identity… all along, it was the crackers, not the cheese. The wheat flakes, not the milk.
However, the dairy I eat now is low-lactose; cheese, Greek yogurt, and cream cheese.
ranchandsyrup
We made chocolate mini cupcakes with mint chocolate chip icing and a pear vodka punch for a bday celebration tomorrow.
A while back we picked up a mini cupcake maker. When she was pregnant with our daughter my wife did a bunch of recipe testing on different frostings, cake batters, etc. We had a lot of discussion on the proper cake to frosting ratios* and the mini cupcakes fit our requirements. Made our standard “devil’s food” batter (from a box would be just fine) and a butter/powdered sugar/heavy cream frosting. Added in a tiny bit green food coloring and a quarter teaspoon of peppermint extract and topped the frosting with mini chocolate chips after piping it on.
For the punch we use concentrates (but fresh juice would be better). This would be for about 25 servings:
1 can of apple juice concentrate
1 can orange juice concentrate
1 can of pineapple juice
750 ml bottle of any kind of vodka–flavored is good and we had a couple of bottles of pear vodka that weren’t being used.
At least a 2L bottle of ginger ale.
Mix juices and vodka. Pour in most of the bottle of ginger ale and modify to your strength preference. Fresh juices or fresh fruit can step this recipe up.
*this led me to adopt the “sandwich” method for standard sized cupcakes where you take the “stump” off the bottom and put it on top of the frosting.
? Martin
OKC under shit weather again. Stay safe folks.
They need a big dome.
MikeJ
@? Martin: I hope Soonergrunt’s house stands long enough to get the shelter installed. And then I hope he never actually has to use it.
Yatsuno
@MikeJ: Ramen to that.
Meatless meatballs. I assume the breadcrumb improvisations will work in this just fine.
quannlace
The meatballs sound similar to gnudi (naked raviioli) Ricotta and spinach balls, a little fresh basil, romano cheese, egg and a bit of flour as a binder. Gently poached till done, then served with a butter sauce with fried sage leaves. Yum
JasperL
I used to make a lot of beer. We usually bought a core recipe – “Bob’s Light Lager” or something – and changed the recipe from there. It was easy and the beer came out tasting pretty good, but ultimately it was just too much work (cleaning, sterilizing the bottles was by far the biggest chore) for the payoff.
I only found one recipe that was excellent and quite different than what was available commercially – Rocky Raccoon Crystal Honey Lager. It was just different – very crisp and light, but with plenty of taste from the mild hops. The recipe is available in several places online, but it uses a lot of honey, preferably non-commercial. I heard but never confirmed commercial honey sometimes has a preservative (unlisted on the container) that interferes with fermentation. The other key with this one was using a very good yeast. The first few times I used left over dried yeast from various kits. Then I spent a few dollars for a good liquid yeast and it was like a different beer – totally changed the taste and turned good into outstanding.
I’ve quit drinking any alcohol, but if I was still making homebrew this is the only recipe I’d bother with – it’s really unique and perfect for summer.
The Other Chuck
My hard cider recipe went something like this:
1. Buy jug of cider from roadside stand in rural upstate.
2. Loosen the cap slightly.
3. Stick it in a dark corner of the closet.
4. Wait several weeks.
5. Pour it through a filter.
6. Drink.
sparrow
Hmmm, those look like Keftedes (greek fritters)…. now I want some tomato-keftedes!!!