Super Easy Ricotta Cheese Recipe

I LOVE this recipe for ricotta cheese! Its so easy!

Sometimes with our goats, we end up having way more milk than we know what to do with. One thing we make when this happens is ricotta cheese. Its such a versatile cheese and can be used as an herbed dip, sweetened for a dessert, or used in many different Italian main dishes, such as stuffed shells, manicotti, and lasagna.

To make ricotta, you will need a gallon of milk, 2/3 cup white vinegar, a large colander, some cheese cloth, and a large non-reactive pan. Bring milk to almost boiling...it gets quite steamy when its ready. Then stir in the vinegar. Turn off the heat and let the milk sit for a minute...the curds and whey will separate quickly. Line your colander with a single thickness of real cheese cloth...don't buy that gauzy stuff...its not really cheese cloth and if you try to use it, you can kiss your curds goodbye as they will go right through the mesh. Carefully pour the hot curds and whey into the colander. It will take a little while to drain, and you may want to scrape the curds off the cheese cloth as they collect to facilitate drainage.

Notes:

- You can put a large bowl under the colander to catch the whey and use it for soup or baking or what have you. Its good stuff!

- You can use apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in place of the white vinegar, but they leave a pronounced flavor in the cheese that I don't care for. The white vinegar leaves a neutral flavor.

-Old, worn pillow cases and sheets can be use for cheese cloth.

Is it Stuffing or Dressing?

Since we have just celebrated another WONDERFUL Thanksgiving, I thought I would explain the difference between "dressing" and "stuffing". 

I grew up eating "stuffing" every year while my husband grew up eating "dressing" every year.  In fact, I had never eaten dressing until my first Thanksgiving with my husband and up until then, I always thought they were one and the same. 

Stuffing is made with bread "cubes", onions, celery, eggs, butter and sage as the main spice.  Now you don't need to buy bread crumbs or the cubes labeled for stuffing, just tear your bread into chunks and be done with it.  You will save money and be healthier by using your homemade bread.  Mix the bread, eggs, butter, celery and onion together.  Add a little salt and lots of sage and mix well.  Now you "stuff" this into the bird that is not cooked.  Once the bird is stuffed, you roast the bird on 325 until it is done.  Check your Betty Crocker cookbook for cooking times.

Dressing is normally made with cornbread.  You will make your cornbread just like you always do unless you are cooking for a large number of people in which case you might want to double the recipe.  After the cornbread is cooked and cooled, crumb the corn bread.  Add turkey broth that you collect from your roasting pan as well as celery and onions.  Place this back into the cookware that you used to make the cornbread and bake for another 30 minutes on 350.  Now you have "dressing". 

Ingredients for stuffing and dressing may vary, but what defines each item is "how" it is cooked.  If it is cooked in a bird, it is stuffing; if it is cooked in a pan, it is dressing.

Our family enjoys both for Thanksgiving because it would not be Thanksgiving for "me" if we did not have stuffing; and it would not be Thanksgiving for "my husband" if we did not have dressing.  And my children would not know a Thanksgiving without both!

Super Easy Chicken and Rice

I enjoy this recipe for its simplicity and because my entire family loves it AND because it is still a great, nutritious meal!

Items Needed-

Chicken leg quarters

Rice

Water

Salt

Seasonings to suit you...I like granulated garlic.

Select a glass baking pan large enough to hold how ever many servings you are making.

Preheat oven to 350 f

For the rice, decide how much and what kind you are making. Add the appropriate amount of hot tap water to the pan, add salt, and then stir in the rice.

You can leave the leg quarters whole or divide them into thighs and drumsticks. White rice cooks faster than brown rice, so maybe for white rice divide the chicken pieces, but for brown rice, leave the leg quarters intact. Simply place the raw chicken pieces one layer deep and not touching each other into the rice water mixture. Sprinkle with salt and garlic granules or whatever spices you like on your rice. Put pan in oven. The juices of the cooking chicken soak into the rice, which is why we like using the dark meat instead of white meat. Cook until the chicken is done and the rice has absorbed the liquid. With a 5 serving portion, it usually takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes or so. Check at an hour so you can start watching it.

It takes about two minutes of prep to make this dish...the rest is just waiting for it to cook. You can bake a squash in another pan and it will cook in about the same amount of time, so there is your veggie!

Tweak the recipe to make it your own, and enjoy!

Easy Scalloped Potatoes

Here is a great way to serve potatoes that is different from standard potato dishes.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, no substitutes
1/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
1 block (about 10 - 12 ounce) Cheddar Cheese, we like the extra sharp
1/8 cup of dried onions...you may use fresh if you would like
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 pounds potatoes, thinly sliced

On Stove top:
Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk in flour and cook while whisking continuously for 1 - 2 minutes or until flour is lightly browned.  Whisk milk into butter mixture; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 6 minutes or until thickened.  Stir in Cheddar and Parmesan cheese, onions, salt and pepper and remove from heat.  Stir until the cheese is melted.

Spread 1/4 cup cheese sauce evenly in a lightly buttered 9 x 13 baking dish.  If you are using seasoned stoneware, you don't need to butter the dish.  Layer half of the potatoes over sauce; top with half of remaining cheese sauce.  Repeat ending with cheese sauce on top. 

Bake uncovered at 325 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 

If you don't have that much time and you can slice your potatoes very thin (like using a Mandoline or Simple Slicer) and cook for 45 to 60 minutes at 375.  The Simple Slicer has the thinnest setting that I have ever seen and is so thin you can almost read through the potatoes!

Let me know when you try this recipe and how it turns out. 

Last night we enjoyed this dish with our favorite purple potatoes.  Love them!

Meatballs and Homemade Spaghetti For Dinner

So I have this new piece of stoneware that I'm not sure how to use. I thought about this a good bit yesterday and decided to use it for meatballs since my mom gave us some ground beef. All day long, I kept thinking about homemade meatballs and spaghetti for dinner. Finally, around 4:00 pm I started to make my meatballs.

I put in one fresh farm egg; fresh rolled organic oats; pizza seasoning and then the ground beef. I mixed well with my hands and then rolled out meatballs about one inch in diameter. I placed 12 of them in my small ridged baker and baked for 30 minutes at 375. Now I know that I could have put them in the microwave and they would have been done in 12 minutes, but that is not my style of cooking. At 4:45, I loaded my second set into the oven and decided to think about noodles.

I asked JAB if we still had two packages of spaghetti noodles in the pantry. To my disappointment, he replied no.

Oh boy! What am I going to do for dinner? I have 24 meatballs almost done and another six ready to go into the oven and I have no noodles! Not good since we live 30 minutes from a store.

I have my manual pasta maker, but I really did not want to go to that much trouble. As I pondered this problem, I realized that my DLX has a pasta attachment that I have never used. I located all of the parts which also included a recipe that was just a little different than the one for my manual pasta maker. This recipe was 500 grams (by weight) of durum flour, 5 eggs and 3 teaspoons oil. I used extra light olive oil. All I had to do was put these ingredients in my bowl and turn the DLX on high for about three to five minutes. I had a dough ball formed. I then removed the bowl from the base and attached the pasta attachment. Next, I put the dough into the machine one small ball at a time. Each ball was egg shaped and about 3/4 inch by 1.5 inch. With one recipe, we ended up with enough spaghetti to feed my family of seven and we had just a little left over for the dogs.

To cook the noodles, I cut them to the length that I wanted and put them in a pot of boiling water with just a touch of EVOO. I boiled them uncovered for 15 minutes. Once they were strained, I served them with the appropriate number of meatballs for each person and sauce and everyone had a great tasting and nutritious dinner. And yes, each member of my family really liked the noodles!

If you have questions about how to make your own pasta, just ask!

Happy Cooking!

Versatile Tortillas!!! Arriba!!

These are SO SIMPLE and quick to make, better tasting and better for you than what you can buy at the store! I can't even tell you the last time I bought tortillas!

Whole Wheat Tortillas

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup warm water

Mix flour, salt and baking powder. Cut/mix in EVOO until...well...I mix with my pastry cutter for about 30 seconds or less. Works fine! Then add 1/2 cup warm water and mix until dough can be gathered in a ball, adding more water sparingly if needed. Let dough rest 10-15 minutes.

I never make less than three batches at a time, so by the time I mix up the last one, the first is ready to be rolled! Divide into 6-8 pieces and shape into balls...for smaller tortillas, make more balls.Warm up your ungreased skillet(s) at this time. Cast iron is far and away my favorite for this! Roll out each ball on lightly floured surface until more-or-less round and as thick as...a tortilla. Cook in ungreased skillet over medium -high heat about a minute on each side, or until lightly browned. I stack them on top of each other on a plate until they are all done, then serve them warm...they are nice and flexible.

I love the versatility of homemade tortillas, and how quick they are to make! About 30 minutes for 3 batches, from start to finish. I have never experimented with adding herbs to the mix, but I think it may be on the agenda someday! Also...at the end of the meal if there are any left, then they are for dessert as well. We simply drizzle them with honey and then sprinkle them with cinnamon. Tortillas also make great grilled cheese sandwiches! Some folks even cut the raw dough into strips and cook them in soup for noodles.

And...something new my son tried last week, and it works WONDERFULLY! He used tortilla dough in place of pizza dough!! He just mixed up a few batches of tortilla dough, rolled it directly onto the pizza pans, and proceeded to make pizza! It was really good, and so simple!

Herbed Baked Yogurt Spread

This is SO easy, but SO good! All you need is plain Greek yogurt, salt, garlic powder, and some herbs. Fill a small glass custard cup about 2/3 full of plain Greek yogurt. Then, mix in about 1/4 tsp garlic powder, a few shakes of salt, and 1/2 tsp of herbs of your choice...oregano, rosemary, basil, thyme...up to you! Bake at 350 about 20 minutes or so. It will not stick to the custard dish, and will unmold nicely on a small plate. This spread is wonderful hot or cold on bread and crackers!

Easy Granola Recipe

Our family has loved this granola recipe for years. Great for breakfast, a snack, eaten over ice cream or yogurt...just YUM!!!

7 cups uncooked oatmeal (regular or quick cooking)

2 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or not)

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt (regular salt is ok, but I am partial to fine sea salt!)

3/4 cup melted butter (Use only real butter, because if I find out you didn't, I will chew you out!! This granola is not worth making without real butter!

Mix dry ingredients in huge bowl, or it will slop annoyingly over the side as you stir. Mix in melted butter. Put mixture in large pan or cookie sheet...I use a large pyrex pan. Bake at 350, stirring occasionally until most of the coconut is lightly browned. It is REALLY good eaten hot over ice cream!! When cooled, you can mix in dried fruits, nuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chocolate chips, etc. Store in airtight container!

Cooking Squash Seeds

So...I just wrote about an easier way to cook winter squashes, and didn't mention one of the best parts! Remember how I talked about scooping out the seeds and stringy stuff? Don't throw that away! The seeds are wonderful sauteed in a little butter with a little salt. Just separate the seeds from the stringy stuff, then melt about a teaspoon of butter in a pan until it froths, dump in the squash seeds, and cook over fairly high heat, stirring frequently. When at least 1/3 of the seeds have a browned side, they are about done. Some folks like the seeds cooked to a crisp, and that is a personal preference...just don't burn them! Sprinkle with salt to taste, then serve hot or cool. Its a nice snack to munch on while you and your family are waiting for the squash and the rest of your dinner to finish cooking!

As for the stringy stuff...the goats and chickens love it!

Cooking Winter Squash

Most of you may already know about this, so this post is to the people who haven't heard yet!

I grew up and spent the first few years of my married life peeling and hacking winter squashes into chunks, boiling them and then mashing them into a wonderful side dish. A lot of work, slightly dangerous with using a knife on the tougher skinned ones, and then having to deal with the orangy starch that dried weird on my hands and was a bugger to wash off. While meal planning, I had to decide if I was up for the task of wrestling the winter squash into submission, and the following icky hands. No more!!!

I am not sure where I first heard it or saw it...but I am quite grateful for the information for a different...and much easier...way of cooking winter squash! Wash the squash, cut it in half, and then scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff. Place squash cut-side down on a baking pan...I prefer glass. Add water until the pan has about 1/2 inch in the bottom, then poke a few small holes in the squash skin. Bake at 350 until tender. To serve, flip the squash skin-side down, add butter, and put it on the table. So easy!

Now for large pumpkins and Blue Hubbard...there ain't no way those puppys are going to be simply cut in half and baked. They will resist you, to say the least! So for these guys...they get dropped into submission. Literally. Choose a hard and clean floor surface and drop them until you have large pieces, scrape out the seeds and stringy stuff, and then proceed to bake them as described in the previous paragraph. It is ok to stack creatively...just make sure there is room for air to circulate around the pieces, and they have access to the water in the pan to keep them from drying out!

Simple Dessert!

Ok...here is a simple, sort of homemade dessert roll bread thingy. We don't even really have a name for them, but there are never leftovers! I know they aren't particularly good for the body, but they are a great way to end dinner, every now and again!

When shopping, grab some good soft rolls from the bakery. White, wheat, potato, what have you. Hmm. I have never actually measured ANY of the ingredients, so everything will be 'about'. Per six rolls, take about 1/4 cup softened butter and mix with about 1/3 cup brown sugar. Add about 1/2 tsp cinnamon if you are in the mood for cinnamon. Put rolls in a cake pan ( I always use glass) and smear the butter mixture liberally on top of the rolls. Add about a handful of chopped pecan on top, if you like them. Preheat oven to 350 and when you sit down to eat dinner, put the rolls in the oven for about 15 minutes, then turn off the oven. The butter mix melts and makes a caramel on the bottom of the pan. Eat the rolls hot for dessert! Enjoy!

Taco Ring Recipe

I recently learned how to make a fast and easy dinner.  It might not be the healthiest because it does use store bought crescent rolls, however the rest is just fine and if you have time:  make your own crescent rolls!

Ingredients:

2 cans of crescent rolls
1 pound of ground beef, lean
southwestern spice or taco seasoning
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 375.  Get out your favorite stone, one that will hold a nice sized circle of food.  Get out your favorite skillet and brown the meat.  Drain the meat of the fat and then throw in some southwestern seasoning or a taco mix.  If using a taco mix, you should add in a tablespoon or so of water.  Place this in a bowl and add in your cheese and mix well.

Now take your crescent rolls and open one package.  Unroll them one at a time and place in a circle with the larger part towards the center.  Make the opening of the circle about six to eight inches and continue to lay down the rolls over lapping.  Remember that you have two cans, so the first can should only make 1/2 the circle.  Now finish the circle with the second can of crescent rolls.

Carefully place the meat on the thick part of the crescent rolls...all the way around.  Now flip the tip of the crescent roll up and over to the center.  Put in the over and bake from 20 to 25 minutes...or until golden brown.  You can brush the top with egg white before cooking if you would like.

Serve with sour cream, tomatoes, onions, black olives and any other taco topping that you like!

Enjoy!

Pizza! It's What for Dinner!

Yes, you can make HEALTHY pizza in 30 minutes!  No more ordering pizza on Friday night to be delivered  45 minutes from now, only to find out the guy is lost and your pizza is now at your door step an hour later....COLD! 

Preheat oven to 425.

This crust if for TWO thick pizzas or THREE thin pizzas:

Ingredients:

3 cups warm water
5 tsp yeast
2 tsp salt
4 TBSP Extra Light Olive Oil
1 1/2 TBSP Honey
5 to 6 cups fresh milled flour...grain of your choice (hard white or red if this is your first go)

Put your warm (130 degrees) water in a larger bowl.  Add yeast and stir until dissolved.  Add salt, oil, and honey and stir well.  If you KNOW your yeast is good, add your flour and stir until you have a nice ball of dough.  If you are not sure about your yeast, let the liquid sit for about 4 minutes to make sure it 'PROOFS'.  This is easily seen by the bubbles that appear on top.  Once you have added your yeast, let your dough sit for five minutes.

During your five minute wait, fix your toppings.  Chop your olives, pine apple, yellow or red peppers, onions...what ever toppings you like.  Brown your ground beef if you will be adding that!  Don't forget to drain your beef well.  After five minutes, spread your pizza dough onto your pizza stones.  If you don't have pizza stones, my favorite Pizza Stones are Pampered Chef.  Always work your dough from the CENTER and PRESS 'out' to the edges. 

Once you have your dough on your stone, apply your sauce. 

Next put on all of your toppings EXCEPT your cheese.  Put your pizzas in the oven for 18 minutes.  If you don't have two ovens, adjust your racks to handle two pizzas and switch them at the ten minute mark.

After 18 minutes, remove your pizzas from the oven and apply your cheese.  Put your pizzas back into the oven, remember which rack they were on, for another 6 minutes.  If all goes well, your pizza is now ready to eat!  You don't have cheese that is over done and your crust is NOT soggy!

Be sure to post your results and questions.  I'm here to help you make the PERFECT pizza for your family!