Category: Fast and Good

Ina’s Blueberry Ricotta Breakfast Cake

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A one layer cake, with powdered sugar dusted on top, sitting on a white plat, with a pink flowered napkin beside it on a wood counter.


This is another great Ina Garten recipe – sent out just before Mother’s Day.

It is so good, I have made it twice in the last week with some tiny tweaks. (I had to find a way to use up that extra cup of Ricotta, so honestly this is just me being thrifty. Not greedy, just thrifty, right?) Yes it’s chock-full of butter, cream and cheese – but in a good way. Although it says Breakfast cake, it is really good anytime – and especially good with tea.

Anyway, it is delish and comes together very easily. My rhubarb is coming in fast and I may try making it with rhubarb instead of blueberry next time.

INGREDIENTS

10 Tbsp (1¼ sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries (12 ounces), divided
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Ina greases and flours a 9-inch round springform pan, but there’s a lot of butter in there, so I just skipped it. You do you.

Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the ricotta, sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest. Ina mentions the better will look curdled and it does. No worries – everything is fine.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat very gently until the flour mixture is incorporated. Fold 2/3 of the blueberries into the batter with a rubber spatula. Pour into springform pan and drop the remaining blueberries on, pressing them in lightly.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool and remove pan sides. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm or at room temp. So good!

Taverna Salad

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I can’t remember where I saw this recipe by Lidey Heuck (probably the New York Times) but I’ve been wanting to make it for days. It’s basically a Greek-style salad. Lidey uses Halloumi cheese, but I had Feta so that’s what I used. It’s great because it is a hardy, filling salad that comes together in minutes, once you assemble your ingredients. I used the home-cooked garbanzos I made yesterday and I think that added, too.

⅓ cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1 tsp minced garlic (1 small clove)
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt and a few grinds of black pepper (add more if needed to taste)

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes.
2 cups home-cooked garbanzo beans or 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced into ½-inch pieces
1 large English cucumber, halved, seeded and diced into ½-inch pieces
½ cup pitted Castelvetrano or Kalamata olives (Lidey called for Kalamata, but I was out.)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp dried parsley)
¼ cup minced red onion or shallot
2 Tbsp (drained) capers
1 large plain Naan or Pita
½ cup crumbled feta cheese (See Lidey’s halloumi cheese note below.)

Preparation
Step 1
In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup olive oil with the vinegar, garlic and oregano. Whisk vigorously to combine then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 2
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, chickpeas, bell pepper, cucumber, olives, parsley, red onion, and capers. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.

Step 3
Chop the Naan or Pita into 1-inch pieces and add to a warm skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt. Toss around to coat. Let pieces cook for about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Serve with naan or pita toss on top of the salad. So good!

Lidey’s original version: Lidey uses an 8oz block of halloumi cheese, patted dry and cut into ¾-inch-thick slices. She puts the halloumi slices on a small plate and drizzles with 1 Tbsp olive oil and cooks them in the skillet over medium high heat until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. She transfers to a cutting board and cuts the slices into bite-size cubes, that you toss onto the salad with the naan/pita.

Easy Applesauce & Walnut Cake

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Wanting to do something with the applesauce I made a few days ago, I hunted up an old applesauce cake recipe that’s very simple, comes together quickly and is delicious without being too sweet. Next time, I may try adding a chopped apple. But Kumy loved it – especially with a nice cup of tea.

A round, flat cake dusted with powdered sugar on a white plate, with a wooden container of apples nearby.


INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup applesauce
2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch of kosher salt
½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Powdered sugar for dusting on afterwards.

Mix sugar and butter until quite smooth and light. Add applesauce and mix well.

In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add into the sugar mix, and stir gently, just until blended.

Scoop into an 8 or 9″ baking pan or springform pan, roughly smoothing the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, or until the top looks dry and springs back if you push on it.

Let cool, and dust with powdered sugar. Keeps well for a few days.

Chopped Salad with Chickpeas, Goat Cheese & Avocado

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Image of a white bowl with salad, croutons and a fork.


This recipe is from Lidey Heuck in the New York Times, but appears to also be from Ottolenghi. I made it with raw shallots the first time, but it’s better with the shallots sautéed in a little olive oil first. It’s a really delicious, satisfying salad that also keeps well. Something about the fresh herbs, the warm croutons and the creamy goat cheese is just so good!

Ingredients

2 cups bread, diced into 1/2″ pieces
6 Tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp grated (or minced) shallots
1 medium butter lettuce, cut into ½-inch pieces (can also use Romaine)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 medium (or ½ large) English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and diced
½ cup pitted Castelvetrano or other green olives, roughly chopped (about 3 ounces)
1 Tbsp Capers
⅓ cup thinly sliced scallions–about 2 (green onions)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 avocado, halved, pitted and diced
¾ cup diced or crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese (about 4 ounces)
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, (I used dill and parsley – you can also use mint or basil.)

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place diced bread on a sheet pan, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss, then bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until well toasted. Set aside to cool.

In a small frying pan, sauté shallots in a little bit of olive oil for a few minutes until softened. Let cool.

Meanwhile, place lettuce, chickpeas, cucumber, olives and scallions in a big bowl.

In the small frying pan, whisk together olive oil with the vinegar, capers, cooled shallots, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pour over salad and toss well. Add the avocado, feta and herbs and toss gently. Top with the croutons and serve.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

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This soup is super fast and very delicious. I started with a recipe from Jamie at drivemehungry.com, but made tweaks based on what I had handy. It was the perfect supper for a cold, wintery day.

I used chicken thighs since I was out of chicken stock, and just added a bouillon cube. If you have chicken stock, you can use that instead and skip the bouillon cube. Jamie mentions that this is a flexible recipe and you could add sautéed veggies, too.

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 cups water and 1 chicken bouillon cube or 4 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
½ inch piece of ginger, smashed in one piece
2 stalks green onions, white parts cut off in 1″ pieces and green parts in 1/4″ rings
½ tsp fish sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp chili crisp (use less if you don’t like it too spicy)
salt to taste
½ package of Pho noodles or any really thin noodles, enough for 4 servings
1 Thai red chile, or a red jalapeno, very thinly sliced (also optional)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

In a stock pot, bring water to a boil and add chicken thighs and bouillon cube. If you really love ginger, you could add the ginger, too. Reduce heat and simmer for around 30 minutes.

Remove chicken to a plate and chop into roughly 1″ pieces. Strain chicken stock from pot into a bowl, discarding the yucky stuff, but saving the ginger for the next step if you used it.

Add olive oil to the pot, and add garlic, ginger and the white parts of the green onion. Sauté for a few minutes until the garlic starts to get brown.

Add chicken stock back in and stir well. Simmer for a few minutes and remove the ginger. (You can leave the onions and the garlic, which gets super sweet.)

Add fish sauce, sesame oil, hot chili oil, chicken and noodles. Cook for just a couple of minutes until the chicken is warmed back up and the noodles are softened. If you’re using a different noodle, follow suggested cooking times. Taste broth and add salt if needed.

Place noodles and soup in a wide bowl and garnish with green onion rings, cilantro and a few thin slices of red chili. Yum!

Salad with Bacon, Eggs & a Creamy Balsamic Dressing

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Not a beautiful photo – but ignore that and try this recipe, because it is super easy and delicious!

I saw a recipe for a spinach salad with bacon and eggs and decided to give it a try. I didn’t have any spinach, but I did have some Romaine. It has a nice creamy dressing with just a little tartness. Definitely a keeper!

Ingredients

4 cups rough-chopped Romaine or use baby spinach
2 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and quartered lengthwise
2 strips bacon, (regular or turkey) cut into ½” pieces and fried until crispy

Dressing:
1/8 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Few grinds of black pepper

Boil eggs, let cool slightly, peel and quarter. Fry bacon, and set on a paper towel to cool.

Mix up dressing in the bottom of a medium bowl. Add lettuce and bacon and stir well. Add eggs and stir gently.

Check seasonings. The bacon is pretty salty so you might not need any more.

It’s so good – I literally ended up eating the entire bowl!

Sausage, Leek & Pea Pasta

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This is a lovely recipe I found on LanasCooking.com. I did make a few tweaks – used a whole red onion instead of a shallot, added more peas and heavy cream. It’s really delicious – with a little sweetness from the leeks, onion and peas that works really well with the sausage. It’s fast and it makes a lot – I think this could easily serve 6 people. (It’s hard to tell but my skillet is huge!!)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb bulk sweet Italian Sausage
2 large leeks, rinsed well and cut into ½” rings
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock
1½ cups frozen peas
3/4 lb pasta (I used Trottole and Penne, but any short pasta would do.)
½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1/3 cup heavy cream

Start a large pot of salted water boiling, and cook pasta al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil and fry sausage until cooked through and lightly browned, 8 – 10 minutes. Add leeks and onion and cook until leeks are softened, and onions are translucent, another 8 – 10 minutes.

Add butter, black pepper, chicken stock and frozen peas, and stir well. Let come to a simmer, then add pasta, cheese and heavy cream and mix well.

Cook for a few minutes until everything is well combined and warmed through. Check seasoning, and top with a grind of black pepper, and a sprinkling of grated Romano cheese. I didn’t add any salt since the pasta was salted and the sausage is pretty salty, too.

Delish!

Spiced Tomato Stew with Cheesy Polenta

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From Sara Bradley, in the Wall Street Journal

We’re kind of swimming in garden tomatoes at the moment, and this recipe is a great way to use them. Sara’s original recipe calls for heirloom tomatoes, smoked cheddar and regular cheddar, but I had Pecorino Romano and Gruyere and garden tomatoes, so I just used those.

It was really delicious and I loved the rustic tomato sauce, which I’ll definitely make again.

Ingredients:

4-5 cups water
½ tsp salt
1 cup polenta
2 oz smoked cheddar (or gruyere), grated
2 oz white cheddar (or pecorino romano), grated
2 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 large shallots, thinly sliced or chopped
1/4 tsp red chile flakes
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch of sugar
4-6 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves, torn

Bring salted water to boil in a medium pot. Add in polenta, reduce heat and cook 20 minutes or so, stirring from time to time and adding a little water if it gets very thick. Once the polenta is creamy, add in the two grated cheeses and the cream cheese. Stir well and set aside.

Meanwhile in a large frying pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil. When hot, add in shallots and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic and stir another couple of minutes. Then add red chile flakes, fennel seeds, salt, black pepper and sugar. Stir for a minute or so, then add all of the tomatoes.

Cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes. Check seasoning.

Scoop polenta into a wide bowl, and top with a nice big spoonful of the tomato stew, and some fresh basil leaves.

Vietnamese Tomato Salad

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  • Version #2 with grape tomatoes, cucumbers and cashews.


Saw Emily Paster’s recipe in Midwest Living Magazine and realized I had everything I needed to make it. It’s so good and ready in just a few minutes. The dressing would be great on other fresh veggies, too. It’s really the perfect summer salad and we ate every last drop!

Ingredients
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp honey (or agave nectar or sugar)
1 Thai (or Serrano) chile, seeded and minced
2 Tbsp light olive oil ( or a neutral oil like canola oil)
5 medium plum (or heirloom) tomatoes, sliced
1/4 of a red onion, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs – I used regular basil and spearmint, but you can also use Thai Basil and peppermint
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped – I used half peanuts and half cashews
1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Directions

For dressing: whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, honey and the chile, then continue whisking whil you slowly drizzle in the oil.

Arrange tomato slices on a large platter. Top with onion, herbs and nuts.

Spoon dressing over salad, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve immediately.

Version #2; Used grape tomatoes, with some quartered, sliced cucumbers (about a cup) and used cashews instead of peanuts. It was good, too.

Easy Rhubarb Crisp

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My friend Dot made this amazing rhubarb crisp for dinner a few nights ago and I was gobsmacked. How have I never had a Rhubarb Crisp before? It’s sweet, tangy and a perfect summer dessert.

Dot was kind enough to share the recipe with me, which was from Nora at Savorynothings.com and I used her recipe exactly, just adding a little vanilla. A few nights ago we were having friends over to play cards and I loved being able to pop out in the garden and gather fresh rhubarb for dessert!

At some point, I might try swapping out the cinnamon for a little fresh & candied ginger, since we love Rhubarb Ginger Jam, but this is honestly just about perfect as is.

Rhubarb Filling
2 lbs. fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2″ slices
¼ cup cornstarch
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Crumble Topping
1 cup oats
½ cup flour
½ cup sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1 stick cold butter, in ½” cubes or grated (8 Tbsp)

Gently but thoroughly combine all rhubarb filling ingredients in a large bowl. Spread evenly in a 10 x 13″ baking dish.

Then thoroughly combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in the same bowl. You can cut in the cubed butter (that’s what Nora does) but I find it easier to just coarsely grate the stick of cold butter directly over the flour and oats mix, and then gently blend so there are no clumps of butter left. Scatter the crumb topping evenly over the rhubarb filling. Don’t worry about overflow, this dish doesn’t rise, so it fits fine.

Bake at 400°F for around 35 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes before serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Sweet, tart and crunchy. So good.

*Nora mentions that if you use frozen rhubarb, to thaw it completely and let it drain without squeezing it. Freezing makes rhubarb a little more watery so you may need to add another Tbsp of cornstarch.