Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

This year for Easter I decided to try out a new dessert.  My go to Apple Cake is great, but since I always make it, I thought it was time for something new.  I came across this great looking lemon ricotta cheesecake thanks to Cooking With Nonna's Rossella Rago.  It is a classic Italian Easter dessert with a twist and it was a huge hit with my family!  It will be part of the holiday dessert rotation from now on.  Here is the recipe, great for spring and summer!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 6 ounces blanched almonds, ground
• 1/4 cup flour
• 6 ounces butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• Zest of 3 lemons
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions/Steps

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Grease an 8-inch springform pan with the tablespoon of butter.
3. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
4. In a bowl, combine the ground almonds with the flour.
5. Set aside.
6. Using an electric mixer, beat 6 ounces of butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
7. Add the egg yolks. Continue beating until well combined.
8. Add the ricotta, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat until combined.
9. Fold in the almond-flour mixture. Set aside.

- See more at: http://www.cookingwithnonna.com/italian-cuisine/lemon-ricotta-cake.html#sthash.PVJsy995.dpufRemove the cake from the oven when the center is still slightly soft. It is best served warm or at room temperature. When served warm, the luscious creamy center balances the texture of the almonds and tartness of the lemon. Once the cake is refrigerated the center becomes firm. - See more at: http://www.cookingwithnonna.com/italian-cuisine/lemon-ricotta-cake.html#sthash.PVJsy995.dpuf

Lamb Sugo

Over the past few weeks, I have been actively building my Instagram following.  This includes sharing pictures of the food I eat on a daily basis.  I have also begin to follow many chefs and food bloggers which provide daily inspiration for my meal planning.  This week, someone posted an amazing looking brunch dish from Barbuto  in NYC: Lamb Sugo over polenta topped with a poached egg.  This of course looked delicious and my husband and I knew we could make it easily.  The starting point is an amazing lamb sugo (sauce) that can be made ahead of time and used for multiple dishes during the week (recipe below).  Polenta is easy enough, just make it according to the package directions and add in some parmigiano cheese.  Last, poach an egg for each person who you are serving.  Layer in this order: polenta, lamb sugo, egg on top, salt, pepper and a little extra cheese.  The result is a hearty, soul warming dish that is full of flavor!

Lamb Sugo

Ingredients

• 2 35-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, whole 
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced (about 2 cups)
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped fine
• 4 Lamb Shanks or Lamb Shoulder (or a mix of both)
• salt
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably the type dried on the branch, crumbled
• 4 cups hot water

Directions

Pass the tomatoes and their liquid through a food mill fitted with the fine blade or crush with your hands in a separate glass bowl. Set aside.

• Heat the olive oil in a heavy  5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Make a little room in the center of the pot, dump in the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the lamb shanks and cook, turning, until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.  Continue cooking until the meat is browned about 8 minutes. Add the bay leaves and oregano then pour in the wine. Bring to a boil and cook, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the pot, until the wine is almost completely evaporated. Pour in the tomatoes, then stir in the tomato paste until is dissolved. Season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to a lively simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce takes on a dark red  color, 3 to 4 hours. Add the hot water, about 1/2 cup at a time, as necessary so that the sauce does not get too thick.

• Skim off any fat floating on top and adjust the seasoning as necessary. The sauce can be prepared entirely in advance and refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months

• It goes well in the polenta/egg dish I discusses above or beautifully with pasta!

Italian Baked Eggs

Winter is finally upon us in New York City and we are all in the mood for some comfort food.  Today as my husband and I came up with a dinner plan, we decided we were in the mood for this delicious comfort dish: Italian Baked Eggs.  This is something anyone can make with only a few ingredients that most people will have on hand most of the time.  

Step 1-Tomato Sauce in a baking dish.  We made our own quick Marinara sauce (1 can San Marzano tomatoes, garlic sautéed in olive oil, salt, pepper, basil).

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Step 2-Add eggs to tomato sauce.  We did individual servings in small baking dishes, so 2 eggs per person.

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Step 3-Cover with shredded mozzarella and top off with parmigiano. 

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Step 4-Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 12 minutes. Top with parsley for some color and extra flavor. The eggs should be runny, if you want firmer eggs, bake for a few extra minutes.

You can add other ingredients to the baking dish, some suggestions-sausage, hot pepper if you want some kick, or even shredded chicken for extra protein.

Serve with grilled or toasted Italian bread, you will need it to zuppare! 

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