Ricotta Strawberry Muffins

 

 

 

 

blog straw muf

My grandparents farm had lots of fresh strawberries to pick. The strawberries would rarely last long enough to bake . I would say the same holds true today. But if you do find yourself with some berries this is the perfect morning treat.  A moist muffin that is not too sweet. It’s the perfect start to a nice relaxing weekend morning!

From by the bay , wishing you berry food memories!

Maryann

Ricotta Strawberry Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup white sugar, plus extra tablespoon to sprinkle on top of muffins
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • 3/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F. Take a 12 muffin pan and line with paper baking cups. Put tin to the side. In a bowl combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and lemon zest. Add melted butter, ricotta cheese and stir. Add the eggs to the buttermilk , mix and pour into the flour mixture and combine. Add strawberries, mix and then fill each muffin liner about 3/4 filled. sprinkle tops of muffins with remaining sugar. Place tin on baking sheet and bake on the center rack for 20 to 25 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes then remove muffins to wire rack to cool. Serve warm or room temperature.

blog straw muf 2

Asparagus, Egg and Croutons with Pine Nut Dressing

I recently had dinner with a good friend of mine at Franny’s in Brooklyn.  Over a great bottle of wine we shared a few dishes and this one was a seasonal standout. We enjoyd the roasted asparagus topped with a creamy and nutty pine nut dressing, egg and croutons. Here is my take on a memorable dish. It may seem as if this is a lot of steps, but they are all little simple ones and the results are delicious. You could double the recipe and it make it the star dish of the evening and serve it with something simple off the grill.  

From by the bay, wishing for Franny-like  food memories!

Maryann

 http://frannysbrooklyn.com/

blog asp salad

Asparagus, Egg and Croutons with Pine Nut Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh asparagus
  • 1 egg
  • 1 thick slice rustic bread
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons for bread and asparagus
  • 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

To make the egg, place in small sauce pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a low simmer for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and cover. Keep covered for 10 minutes. Remove egg from the pan and place in an ice bath or cool under cold water. Set aside. Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Place bread on baking sheet and brush both sides with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Place in oven for 5 minutes until one side is brown, turn over for another 3 to 5 minutes until brown. Remove from oven and cool. Pull bread apart into large pieces to make croutons. Clean and trim stems of the asparagus and place on baking sheet. Drizzle asparagus with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and  1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper. Place in the same oven for about 15 minutes until the asparagus are tender and start to brown. Place asparagus on a serving platter. Remove from oven and cool. Place a small dry pan with pine nuts over medium heat until the nuts start to brown. Remove from heat and cool. Take 1 tablespoon of the toasted pine nuts aside to garnish.  To make dressing  place the remaining pine nuts go into a small food processor. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt  and pulse until blended and creamy. Peel egg and break into small pieces over the asparagus, then drizzle dressing and add croutons and remaining toasted pine nuts. Serve immediately at room temperature.

 

Sriracha Coleslaw

Looking for something to kick up the flavor for your Memorial Day weekend ? This is the just the recipe. It’s the perfect combination of creamy coolness with just a undernote of a little heat. I’ll be making this side dish for my weekend barbecue, how about you ?

From by the bay wishing you some food memories with kick !

Maryann

blog sri slaw 2

Sriracha Coleslaw

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon fine granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine grey sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons Sriracha Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon canola oil
  • 16 ounces shredded green cabbage
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions

Make dressing In a small bowl by whisking together mayonnaise, lime juice, sugar, salt, sriracha sauce and oil. In a large bowl add cabbage, cilantro and dressing. Toss until combined. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jalapeno Burger

I’m always in search of a better burger , one that is a bit flashy in taste. This jalapeno burger will take you burger making to the next level and then some. I enjoyed this burger using ciabatta buns , so I shaped my burgers in an elongated oval to fit the bun and sit perfectly under the bacon strips. You’ll love the undernotes of heat from the colby cheese and jalapeno mayonnaise. As always, look to use the finest ingredients, getting great quality ground beef and bacon makes all the difference.

From by the bay, wishing you flashy jalapeno food memories!

Maryann

blog jalapeno burger

Jalapeno Burger

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2  pounds ground beef chuck ( each pattie 6 ounces)
  • 4 ciabatta rolls
  • 8 slices bacon
  • 4 slices colby cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons jalapeno rings, coarsely chopped

Directions

In a food processor add mayonnaise and jalapeno. Process until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use. Make 4 patties from the ground beef, shaping into ovals. In a medium sauce pan, fry bacon until crispy, place on paper towel to drain. Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Season one side of patties with salt and pepper; place on grill, seasoned side down. Grill until lightly charred on bottom, about 4 minutes. Season other side, turn, and top with cheese. Grill to desired doneness, about 4 minutes longer for medium. Transfer burgers to dish and let stand for 3 minutes before serving. Meanwhile, toast buns on grill on until the edges start to brown. Remove bottoms of each bun and add cheese to tops to melt. To assemble burger take toasted bottoms, spread jalapeno mayonnaise on each bottom. Add the burger, the bacon and then top with bun with melted cheese. Serve immediately.

 

 

 

Arugula, Strawberry and Ricotta Salata Salad with Balsamic Dressing

a strawberry salad 004

 

Arugula, Strawberry and Ricotta Salata Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Serves 4

 

Dressing:

  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

 

Directions for dressing:

Take a clean jar with lid, place all dressing ingredients into jar and shake well. Put to side.

 

 

Salad:

  • 6 cups arugula
  • 4 ounces ricotta salata, grated using large hole
  • 4 ounces sliced fresh strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

 

Directions for toasted almonds :

Use a small dry fry pan heat and add the almonds stirring until they are golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool.

 

Directions to assemble salad:

To a bowl add the arugula and then half of the following ingredients: ricotta, strawberries and almonds. Shake jar with dressing and add to bowl. Combine gently and divide between four plates. Top with remaining ricotta, strawberries and almonds on top of each plate.

Rhubarb Strawberry Crumble with Vanilla Custard Sauce

a strawberry rhubarb crumble 014

 

Rhubarb Strawberry Crumble with Vanilla Custard Sauce

Serves 4-6

 

Filling

3 cups rhubarb, cut into ½ inch pieces

2 cups fresh strawberries

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

½ cup fine sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

 

Topping

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup flour

½ cup quick cooking oats

½ cup unsalted butter, chilled

1 vanilla pod, add just the seeds

¼ cup ground almonds

 

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x13 pan. In a bowl add the rhubarb, strawberries and Grand Marnier , let sit ten minutes. Then add the sugar , cornstarch and salt. Mix and pour into the greased pan. In a medium bowl ,mix together the brown sugar, flour and oats. Cut butter into mixture with pastry blender until crumbs are pea size. Spread across the fruit mixture. Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Serve with ice cream , whipped cream or vanilla custard sauce.

 

Vanilla Custard Sauce

Makes 1 cup

¾ cup whole milk

¼ cup fine sugar

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Whisk yolks in a bowl until blended. In a medium sauce pan bring milk and sugar to a boil without stirring. Remove from heat and whisk slowly into the bowl with the egg yolks. Return the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Sauce is thick enough when it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Pour the sauce through a sieve into a bowl and place the bowl into another large bowl with ice and cold water. Stir in vanilla and whisk occasionally until custard is cool. Once cooled , cover the custard with wax paper to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hrs. before serving with Rhubarb Raspberry Crumble.

 

 

 

Caramelized Onion and Fennel Focaccia

A onion fennel focaccia 012

Caramelized Onion and Fennel Focaccia

 

Dough:

  • 1 tablespoon fine sugar
  • 1 ½ cups very hot water
  • 1 package yeast
  • 3 cups flour plus flour for kneading ( ½- 1 cup)
  • Spray cooking oil

 

Topping:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large Vidalia onion thinly sliced
  • 1 cup fennel thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seed
  • ½ cup grated gruyere cheese
  •  ½ teaspoon Grey sea salt to top bread

 

Directions to make dough:

 

In a bowl dissolve sugar in 1 ½ cup hot water, then add the yeast cover with a towel and set aside for 10 minutes. The mixture should start to foam. Add 3 cups of flour mix and turn dough onto floured surface. Put some flour on top of the dough and on your hands and knead for about 5 minutes. As you work the dough add enough flour to make the dough less tacky. After kneading, spray a bowl with cooking oil. Place dough into bowl. Spray the top of dough with more cooking oil spray. Cover the bowl with a moist dishtowel and place to the side to rise for 1 1/2hr. The dough should be double in size. Punch the dough down. Take a non stick rimmed cooking sheet 9” x 13”, spray lightly with cooking oil and spread dough out to the size of the pan. Cover with damp dishtowel and let rise again for 30 minutes.

 

Directions to make topping:

 

Take a sauté pan to medium flame add butter. To melted butter add the sliced onions and fennel, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper and cook until brown and caramelized stirring frequently not to burn, approximately 15 minutes. Add the fennel seed and let cool.

 

Directions to bake bread:

 

Preheat over to 425F , take the cooking sheet with dough and using finger tips press into the dough making dimples. Spread the onion fennel mixture over the top leaving 1 inch not covered around the perimeter of the pan. Next added the grated cheese and the grey sea salt. Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature.

Basil Zucchini Corn Bread

blog zuc bread
I can get so caught up shopping at the farm stand this time of year. This past weekend I did just that and found myself staring at a few too many zucchini on my kitchen counter.  As a result I grated the zucchini and added to my favorite cornbread recipe with some fresh basil and result was a moist and fresh tasting bread. Which tastes great the next day if you have any leftover.
This bread  is a big hit here by the bay!
From by the bay wishing you yummy zucchini food memories!
Maryann
blog zuc bread 2

Basil Zucchini Corn Bread 

Serves 8


Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg beaten

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 zucchini

8 fresh basil leaves


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter  1 medium loaf pan. Fill a small bowl with ice water. Bring a small pan of water to a boil, add the basil leaves into boiling water for 15 seconds. Remove leaves and plunge into the ice water to stop the cooking. Remove leaves from ice water, dry and chop. Set aside.  Take the zucchini, cut off each end. Cut three rounds 1/8 inch thick from one end of zucchini and set aside. Grate the zucchini coarsely, using a box grater, until you have 1 cup of grated zucchini. In a large bowl combine well the dry ingredients: flour, salt, cornmeal, sugar and baking powder. In a separate medium bowl combine and beat buttermilk, eggs and butter. Fold into this the chopped basil and grated zucchini. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir well.  Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Top batter with the 3 zucchini rounds. Place pan onto baking sheet and bake for about 55 minutes until the tester comes out clean. Cool on metal rack for 10 minutes. When cool remove bread from pan. Serve warm or room temperature.

Spare Ribs with Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

Several years ago, I became intrigued by the use of soda in home cooking. All the sugar in soda is perfect for creating a caramelized bark on meats such as pork. Also, the idea of soda in cooking has such a nostalgic feel to it. I loved the idea of root beer as the main ingredient for a barbecue sauce, I, mean come on it’s ROOT BEER! This sauce can be used with many meats, but I especially like it for baking ribs. I suggest you pick up some bottles of root beer tonight and try it out!From by the bay wishing you bubbly food memories!
Maryann
root beer

Spare Ribs with Root Beer Barbecue Sauce

Serves 4 as main course or 8 as appetizer

2 1/2 lbs. racks baby back ribs

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 cup ketchup

3/4 cup root beer, preferably made with cane sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper


Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a small sauce pan heat olive oil and saute garlic for one minute, then add the remaining ingredients except for ribs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, then turn off heat and cool. In a large roasting pan lined with aluminum foil place the ribs in a single layer. Place in oven to brown for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes remove ribs from pan and pour off any juice and fat. Place the ribs back into the pan. Use half the barbecue sauce and pour over and spread over the ribs. Lower the oven to 400 degrees F and place the ribs back in the oven, turning the ribs over and covering them with the remaining sauce. Bake for another 30 minutes and remove from the oven. The ribs can be served immediately or at room temperature.

 

Peach Basil Hand Pies

blog peach basil
Sometimes all you need is just a little bit of pie. Pie that can be held in the hand and eaten on the go, at a picnic or just taking a walk. We’ve reached that glorious time that arrives each summer when fruit is plentiful and your “big” decision is which fruit should you get for your dessert. Peaches definitely come to mind for me. I decided to make little hand pies over the weekend, filled with peaches and a touch of  sweet basil from the garden to add a slightly spicy undertone to the filling. It’s the perfect little summer treat!
From by the bay wishing you, tasty little peach pie food memories!
Maryann
blog peach hand pie 2
Peach Basil Hand Pies
Makes 6 pies

Ingredients
1 recipe flaky pie dough ( see recipe below)
2 cups fresh chopped peaches, stoned and skinned
2 teaspoons sweet basil, chopped
3 tablespoons fine granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 egg, slightly beaten
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. To make the filling add into a medium bowl the peaches, basil, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, pepper, salt, cinnamon and rice wine vinegar. Mix well and set aside. Dust your work surface with flour and roll out your pie crust into a 20 inch square. Cut the dough into eight 5 inch squares. Working with each square individually, place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center. Brush the two connecting edges with egg and fold in half making a triangle.  Press the ends together to seal. Place onto the parchment line tray. Use knife to trim uneven edges. Repeat with remaining squares. Brush the top of each pie with remaining egg wash and sprinkle the remaining sugar on top. Make a small slit on the top of each pie fro steam to escape. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes until filling is bubbling and crust is pies golden brown. Remove from oven.  Cool and serve.
blog peach hand pie

Recipe: Flaky pie dough for hand pies

October 20, 2012 from Los Angeles Times

2 1/4 cups (9.6 ounces) flour

Generous 1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup cold shortening

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 1/4 teaspoons cider vinegar

4 to 6 tablespoons ice water, more if needed

To make the dough using a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt and sugar until thoroughly combined. Add the shortening and pulse until incorporated (the dough will look like moist sand). Add the butter and pulse just until the butter is reduced to pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle the vinegar and 4 tablespoons water over the mixture, and pulse a few times to form the dough, then a few more times just until the dough begins to clump together to form a cohesive dough. If the dough is too crumbly and dry, pulse in additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough and mold it into a disk roughly 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Cover the disk tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.