Ricotta | Fashionably Living

Ricotta Lemon Pancakes with Homemade Berry Jam

Posted by Rachel Ashley on Apr 8, 2012 in Breakfast, Fashionably Organic | 1 comment

INGREDIENTS

(makes 10 small pancakes = 2 to 3 servings)

For the Jam:
1 cup blueberries, raspberries and blackberries medly
1 tbsp Stevia
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp organic strawberry jam

For the Pancakes:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp Stevia
1 tbsp Chia seeds
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup almond milk (or your choice of milk)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 organic egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp canola oil or grapeseed oil (optional)
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
Egg Whites – 2 (optional: well whipped for more fluffy pancakes)

Recipe:

For the jam put your stove on medium-high heat, add berry medly to a small pot. Add the juice and lemon zest of 1 lemon and add the Stevia. Continue to stir and let the berries break down. Once the berries have been heated through, about 4 minutes, add strawberry organic jam. Cook for an additional 3 minutes to reduce and allow the mixture to thicken. Once the berry jam has thickened, remove from heat and set aside. The jam should thicken enough, that when you put some on a spoon you can run your figure down the back side of the spoon and the jam will stay sperated.

For the pancakes mix your dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl: whole wheat pastry flour, basking powder, baking soda, salt and Stevia. Add the chia seeds and mix. Set bowl aside.

In a seperate bowl combine the wet ingredients: ricotta cheese, almond milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, canola oil, egg, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix well. Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix with a whisk. Do not overmix. In a seperate bowl wisk two egg whites until frothy and then gently mix into the batter.

Heat a nonstick pan on medium heat. Use a little oil or spray to coat the bottom of the pan. Use a 1/4 cup to drop the batter onto the nonstick pan or a ladle. Allow the pancakes to cook on each side until golden brown. Make sure you cook these through to avoid uncooked batter in the center. Add a stack of pancakes to a plate. Top with berry jam (or maple syrup)!

Enjoy!

XO,

Rachel Ashley

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

Ricotta Chocolate Chip Muffins

Posted by Rachel Ashley on Feb 21, 2012 in Bread, Breakfast, Chocolate, Dessert, Fashionably Organic, Sweets | 2 comments

Good Morning! I had so much fun baking in my kitchen a couple weekends ago for a family bridal shower. I was in charge of the sweets, which I always find fun! As most of you know I always try to put a healthy spin and/or organic ingredients in every recipe I make. Although, sometimes they turn out more like a science experiment, but that also make baking healthier more fun! Most of the time I can successfully replace unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones. This recipe was adapted from Skinnytaste.com. I came across one of Gina’s pictures on Pinterest and I am so excited to have found her blog! I had leftover ricotta cheese and I wanted to find a recipe that I could incorporate it into before it went to waste. These little muffins are super moist and with the added sweetness from the chocolate chips makes them perfect with your morning coffee! Chocolate is my weakness so if I can make something healthy and get my sweet tooth fix, I’m happy!

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup Organic Butter – unsalted
3/4 cup of Stevia
3 large organic egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels

Recipe:
Begin by preheating the over to 375 F. In a medium size bowl mix together the whole wheat pastry flour and baking soda. In a separate bowl (I used my Kitchen Aid mixer) cream the butter and sugar together. Then slowly add the egg whites to the butter/sugar mixture while the beater is on medium speed. Add the ricotta cheese and then slowly add the flour/baking soda mixture. Add the vanilla and then fold the chocolate chips into the batter. You will need a muffin tin and cupcake wrappers or spray the muffin tin so the batter doesn’t stick to the pan. I like to use an ice cream scoop to spoon each muffin spot with about 3/4 of the batter.

Bake the muffins at 375 F for 15 minutes. Remove muffins from the muffin tin and place on a rack to cool.

This recipe yields a dozen muffins.

Whole Wheat Linguine with Asparagus, Ricotta, and Lemon

Posted by Rachel Ashley on Jun 15, 2010 in Fashionably Organic, Italian, Lasagna, Pasta, Vegetables | 0 comments

This pasta is awesome! It is light, tasty, and makes for a perfect meal or side dish! The pasta does not have a super-rich cream sauce, instead this pasta gets its creamy sauce from a combination of part-skim ricotta and pasta water. Remember not to skip the lemon zest; it brightens the flavor and adds a wonderful lemony aroma as well.

On high heat, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the whole wheat pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente (tender but still firm to the bite), stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta water, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Transfer the hot al dente pasta to a large heat-proof bowl and add the part-skim ricotta cheese. Toss to Combine.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, over medium-high heat warm the olive oil. Add the asparagus, chopped garlic, salt, and freshly grated black pepper and suate for 4 minutes. Add the reserved pasta cooking liquid and continue cooking until the asparagus are tender, about 4 minutes. Add the ricotta-coated pasta to the pan with the asparagus and toss to combine. Lastly, add the halved cherry tomatoes and toss gently. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the lemon zest. Ready to serve!

Recipe:
4 to 6 Servings

1 pound whole-wheat linguine
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
3 T olive oil
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite sizes
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp slat
1/2 tsp of freshly grated black pepper
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Zest of 1 lemon