OH THE THINGS TO DO WITH RICOTTA!
I just LOVE Ricotta cheese! I always thought it was just for Lasagna, Manicotti or Cannoli filling! Little did I know that there are many ways to make Ricotta a staple in your fridge! Remember Cottage Cheese? We always had that in the fridge and Mom served it with canned peaches or pineapples. Now nothing against cottage cheese, but move on over! Ricotta is the new cheese in town! Mainly made from cow’s milk in the U.S., it originated from using the liquid whey left over after using curds to make harder cheese.
When I was working in Philadelphia and we would go out for lunch or for Happy Hour, many of the restaurants would have a Lemon Ricotta spread for an appetizer! I never tasted anything so delicious! It was usually served with toasted baguettes or white toast points! I would order it as my main course! I just couldn’t get over how light and fluffy it tasted! And now I had to make it at home!
WHAT A LITTLE LEMON, HONEY AND OLIVE OIL CAN DO!
I grabbed my food processor, Ricotta cheese, honey, lemon, and a wonderful olive oil my son brought back from his trip to Cape Town, South Africa. Along with a few spices, I just popped the ingredients into the processor and pushed that magic button! I zested some lemon peel, gave it a couple more pulses, and the result was FANTASTIC! You could smell the fresh lemon when I took the lid off!
Now you can serve this as an appetizer, part of your main course as a breakfast spread on toast, a topping for grilled asparagus at your main meal, or as a dessert with fruit or a sugar cookie! The possibilities are endless! I’m serving it at my Super Bowl party as a dip along with crunchy, everything flavored bagel chips! It balances out all the “not-so-good-for-you” appetizers (which we all love, I know)!
RICOTTA CHEESE CAN BE YOUR NEW FAVORITE GO-TO!
Whether you prefer whole mile or skim milk Ricotta, keep it in your fridge just like you would yogurt or cottage cheese (well, I still can’t get used to eating cottage cheese because it reminds me of my entire growing up years trying to diet all the time)! Experiment with it by adding different flavors, spices or herbs! And now that I’m so pumped up about using Ricotta in so many ways, stay tuned for more recipes from me using this delicious cheese!
Until next time,
Let’s get Cookin’
Madeline
Whipped Ricotta with Honey, Lemon and Olive Oil
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor or Blender
Ingredients
- 2 cups Ricotta Cheese You can use whole or skim milk Ricotta.
- ¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeeze (½ lemon)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 ½ tbsps honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher or sea salt
- ¼ tsp black or while pepper
- 2 tbsps parsley, chopped fine have some for garnish
- 1 tsp Hoby's Essential's Happy Paprika You can substitute regular paprika, chipotle, or any other similar seasoning in your pantry
Instructions
- Pour all ingredients into a food processor or blender starting with the Ricotta cheese.
- Pulse or blend on high for 30 seconds, then on low for another 30 seconds.
- Scrape the sides, and pulse or blend for a few more seconds.
- Taste and see if you need more of any of the ingredients, and that the mixture is smooth and silky!
- Pour into a serving dish, drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some fresh lemon zest and parsley to garnish if desired!
- Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight so it sets up and the flavors all combine. Just as an FYI, the mixture can get just a tad liquidy when it comes to room temperature. You can always refrigerate it again to firm it back up.
- Serve with everything bagel chips, on toast in the morning, or as a dip for dessert with sugar cookies!
Notes
