Ricotta Bruschetta With A Sweet Balsamic Reduction

Ricotta Bruschetta With A Sweet Balsamic Reduction
A Beautiful Blend Of Savory And Sweet!
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 Rustic Tuscan Loaf, sliced 3/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 1/2 cups yellow grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup parmesan shavings
handful of fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 tsp garlic puree
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 Degree F.  Place sliced bread on baking sheet and drizzle each slice with olive oil.  Bake for 10 minutes and then completely cool bread.  In a mixing bowl add ricotta cheese, garlic, salt and pepper: mix and set aside.  In another bowl add tomatoes, salt, pepper, olive oil, parmesan shavings and toss.  To assemble bruschetta, spread ricotta cheese mixture on toasted Tuscan slices, add one or two basil leaves, top with the tomato mixture and then drizzle with the Balsamic Reduction ( recipe below).

Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Directions
To make the balsamic reduction, in a small pot mix balsamic vinegar and sugar and simmer until it reduces down to a thick syrup.  Set aside.

Serves 4

Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 cup buttermilk pancake mix (Organic Arrowhead Mills)
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp melted butter
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried
butter or vegetable oil for frying
maple syrup
powdered sugar (optional for dusting)
Directions
In a mixing bowl, whisk together pancake mix, whole milk, ricotta cheese, vanilla, and the melted butter.  The batter will not be perfectly smooth because of the ricotta cheese.  In a non stick frying pan, add a pat of butter or 2 tbsp of oil, with a 1/3 cup ladle, pour batter in small batches.  Place some blueberries on top of each pancake, and cook for about 2 minutes on medium low heat.  Flip pancakes and cook additional 2 minutes, serve with maple syrup and some fresh blueberries. Will yield 6 pancakes
Serves 2
Cook's Note:  Double the ingredients for additional pancakes.

Sweet Ricotta Pie

Sweet Ricotta Pie
Difficulty: Moderate

Ingredients for Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into bits
1 large egg, beaten lightly
2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

Ingredients for Filling:
1 1/2 pounds ricotta, drained well
3/4 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup diced candied fruit

Ingredients for Balsamic Glaze:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions to make the pie crust:
Into a bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the shortening and blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a bowl, whisk together the egg and 2 tablespoons of the ice water. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and toss to combine, adding more water, if necessary, to form a dough. Chill the dough, wrapped in plastic, until firm.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle 1/8-inch thick and fit it into a 9-inch pie pan. Crimp the edge, prick the bottom, and chill while making the filling.

Directions to make the Filling:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the ricotta with the sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon. Stir in the candied fruit. Pour the filling into the pie shell.
Bake the pie for 45 minutes, or until just set. Let cool and chill

Heat Balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in saucepan, simmer until sauce thickens, set aside and cool.  Drizzle on slice of pie before serving.
Serves 6.