Thursday, July 26, 2012

Savory Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake

This is a very interesting savory cheesecake filled with zucchini, shallots, and lemon zest. It's sort of like a savory tart, but without the crust - just a bit more creamy and indulgent. Adapted from 101 Cookbooks.


Ingredients

2 c zucchini, unpeeled and grated
1 t salt
2.5 c ricotta (I substituted a 50-50 combination of marscapone and cottage cheese and it worked really well)
1/2 c parmesian
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 gloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 c fresh dill, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 c fresh goats cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 325F/165C, and butter a 7" springform pan (a larger pan is fine, just reduce the cooking time)
2) Squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as possible and set aside.
3) Combine ricotta, parmesian, shallots, garlic, dill, and lemon zest, and stir in the eggs until well mixed.  Then stir in the zucchini.
4) Fill the springform pan with the mixture and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 60 minutes.
5) Remove from oven, sprinkle with goats cheese, and return to oven for another 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the cake barely jiggles in the center.

Otsu (sesame buckwheat noodles)

This is a quick, easy, and very fresh tasting recipe with soba noodles.  If you haven't had these before, they're an earthy and flavourful alternative to regular pasta.  The trick to this recipe is the sauce, it's tangy, sweet, and a bit spicy.  Adapted from 101 Cookbooks.


Ingredients

For the sauce

zest of 1 lemon
1" piece ginger, grated
1 T honey
3/4 t cayenne
1 T fresh lemon juice
3 T rice vinegar
4 T soy sauce
2 T olive oil
2 T toasted sesame oil

For the noodles

12 oz dried soba noodles
12 oz extra firm tofu
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 medium cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
1/4 c toasted sesame seeds
Vegetable oil for cooking

Instructions

1) For the dressing, combine lemon zest, ginger, honey, and cayenne.
2) Then add lemon juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and combine.
3) Drain the tofu, press out the extra water, and cut it into small cubes.
4) Heat several T of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the tofu cubes until they are crispy. To do this, let the tofu sit in the pan, covered, for about 3 minutes on each side before flipping/turning.  The key here is not to stir the tofu too much.
5) Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil, and cook soba for 3-4 minutes (or whatever the packaging says), until it is just tender.  Drain and immediately rinse under cold water.
6) When the noodles are done cooking, in a large bowl combine the soba, cilantro, tofu, green onions, cucmber, and dressing.  Toss until well combined, and serve covered with sesame seeds.


Cream of Tomato Soup

This is the best cream of tomato soup I have ever tasted - it's full of flavor, creamy, and has a buttery richness that comes from shallots and brandy.  It's worth the extra effort, I promise. Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.


Ingredients

2 28oz (large) cans chopped tomatoes
1.5 T brown sugar (for a sweet soup, use 2T)
4 T butter
4 large shallots, minced (~1/2 c)
1-2 T tomato paste
pinch allspice
2 T flour
1 3/4c vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 c heavy cream
4 T brandy (I used more like 6)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1) Drain tomatoes in a bowl, and reserve 3 c juice.
2) Cook tomato chunks over medium-high heat with brown sugar until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
3) Heat butter over medium high heat, add shallots, tomato paste, and allspice.  Reduce to low heat, cover, and cook 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the shallots are fully cooked (translucent).
4) Add flour, stir to fully incorporate, and heat for about 30 seconds.
5) Gradually add stock, tomato juice, and tomatoes. Cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6) A few minutes before you are done cooking, add brandy.  Then take off of heat, let cool for a few minutes, and puree with a hand blender until the soup reaches a smooth consistency.
7) Add cream, and return to a very low heat to gently warm the soup.  Add salt and pepper to taste.