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Ricotta Double Mushroom Phyllo Pastry Tartlets

February 8, 2012 in Bread & Pastry, The Fabulous, Vegetarian

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Ricotta Double Mushroom Phyllo Pastry Tartlets

I was asked to be a part of an episode of the Afrikaans lifestyle programme Pasella along with two blogger friends, Fritz of Real Men Can Cook and Ilse of The Food Fox and to showcase a less common cheese. My first choice was Taleggio cheese as used in these Mushroom and Taleggio Cheese tarts - alas, I have not spotted Taleggio for the last two months.

Say Cheese!

Watch out for the show to be aired on 29 February 2012

With Ilse (L) and Fritz (R) after the day long shoot

I adapted that recipe to make these tartlets, showcasing ricotta cheese. Ricotta is low in fat, high in protein and exceptionally versatile – use to stuff large brown mushrooms with a herby garlic ricotta for filling meat-free suppers, use in berry or banana smoothies to up the protein content of your morning beverage or use on sandwiches instead of cottage or cream cheese.

Spoon ricotta into ripe in-season figs and bake, like I did with this Baked Fig with Smoked Salt, Ricotta & Crispy Bacon recipe.

How about a low fat lasagne with punch? Aubergine Chilli Lasagne using ricotta instead of a high calorie bechamel.

I made these very simple ricotta cheese and double mushroom tartlets- using fresh and dried mushrooms, rehydrated for double the flavour in a crispy phyllo outer.

I drizzled them lightly in a lovely white balsamic truffle glaze I brought back from Andorra, that teeny country sandwiched between France and Spain last week.

I hope you enjoy using ricotta cheese and share your recipe ideas with me as well.

For more and the recipe, visit Food and the Fabulous

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by foodandthefab

Baked Figs with Smoked Salt, Ricotta & Crispy Bacon

February 6, 2012 in Recipe

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Baked Figs with Smoked Salt, Ricotta & Crispy Bacon

Nothing could make me happier after returning from a tough time of culinary delights in Europe (so rough!), than to return to my kitchen with oddles of food items from our travels and to think up and cook new dishes.

Well, one thing could make me happier, and that is the now, back-in-season fig! Bless its sweet heart. You may know how much I adore their plush purple flesh, bodies with just the right amount of give when ripe. Here’s some proof: Indulgent Fig & Dolce Mascarpone Salad and Figs Featured on a Tapas board, I attended a weekend Cookery Class because figs were part of the theme and Passion Fruit and Dried Fig Semifreddo.

So, while contemplating how I was going to use the delicate squid ink vermicelli, salts, unusual rices, dried mushrooms, tinned anchovies and the hoard of really lovely chocolate (oh, that required much deep and meaningful contemplation), as well as relate the culinary tales of trotting and discovery, I needed an afternoon snack.

Step in, plump ripe figs, sweet and succulent, sprinkled with Spanish pepper smoked salt, extra virgin olive oil, a blob of fresh ricotta cheese, baked and then topped with crispy bacon bits.

Served warm, this makes the perfect and easy-as-pie appetiser or brunch dish.

For the easy recipe, visit Food and the Fabulous

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