Ricota Pie

This one is for Delara. Sorry for being late for Easter, but I was so busy cooking that I didn't have time to translate and post the recipe. Also, my picture does not show the way the pie really should be (like a cheesecake), because I left a lot of the gelatine out and the result was that it turned gooey. But I have made this pie many times, it works, provided you add ALL the gelatine that says in the recipe.

Ingredients:

Cookie Base:

7 oz coarse crushed Graham cookies (or Maria, or McVities Digestives)
3.5 oz butter, melted
oil or cooking spray

Ricotta Cream:

1 lb ricotta cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
creme fraiche, measured in condensed milk can (1 1/3 cup), or the "media crema" that sells in the Latin foods section of the supermarkets
1 packet (28 g, approximately 1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin powder
3 egg whites

Sauce:

5 tablespoons raspberry jam
3 tablespoons water


Preparation:

Cookie base:

Line a springform baking pan with parchment paper. Spray or brush oil on the sides of the pan.
Mix melted butter with the crushed cookies and spread the mixture in the pan, gently pressing with a spoon.

Ricotta Cream:

Smash the ricota with a fork and pass it through a sieve into a mixing bowl. Pour the condensed milk over the ricota and mix well with a spoon. Add the zest and lemon juice, the creme fraiche and mix well. Dissolve the gelatin according the package instructions. Add to the ricotta cream and mix very well (better if mixed in a blender, it will get silkier). Finally, beat the egg whites and gently incorporate them to the cream.
Pour the cream over the cookie dough and bring to the fridge for about 5 hours.

Sauce:

Put jam and 3 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan and take to a low heat, stirring, until it becomes a thin syrup.Let it cool.

Remove the pie from the springform pan, pass the cake to a serving plate and pour the sauce over the cake.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

My mom used to make this when I was a kid. It's easy and it can be served as a one dish meal.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
8 pancetta or bacon strips, cut in little squares
500g (1 package) spaghetti
4 eggs
4 tablespoons (60 ml) heavy cream
4 tablespoons (60 ml) grated Parmesan cheese
salt and ground black pepper

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet, add the onion and cook over a low heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until softened but not colored.
Add the bacon or pancetta and cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions.
Put the eggs, cream and parmesan in a bowl. Add pepper. Then beat everything together.
Drain the pasta, tip into the pan with the pancetta or bacon and toss well to mix. Turn the heat off under the pan. Immediately add the egg mixture and toss vigorously so that it cooks lightly and coats the pasta.
Taste for seasoning, add more if needed. Serve immediately, adding grated Parmesan.

Beef with Onions

This one I adapted from a little book on Chinese food. The original recipe had green peppers.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons oil
1-inch piece gingerroot, peeled and chopped
1 lb beef tenderloin, very thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced
salt, if necessary

Sauce:

1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce (better if using dark soy sauce)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixture (prepare with 1 part cornstarch, 2 parts of water)

Preparation:

In a wok, heat oil, add gingerroot and fry for 1 minute. Add beef and quickly stir-fry for 2 minutes just until color changes.Stir in onion and stir-fry for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together sauce ingredients. Stir into beef mixture. Cook, stirring, until lightly thickened. Add salt if needed.
Serve with white rice.

Chicken Rolls with Ham and Cheese

This is a homestyle Spanish dish. I've got it from one of my cookbooks. I didn't have white wine, I used red wine instead. It still tasted good.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless whole chicken breasts, flattened, halved
4 thin slices deli-smoked ham
4 thin slices cheese such as Swiss or Mozzarella (or grated)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 F. Place ham and cheese on each flattened chicken breast half. Roll up. Secure with toothpicks. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Lightly coat bottom of 2-quart baking dish with oil. Spread onion slices over bottom of dish. Top with chicken rolls. Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil. Cover with foil. Bake for 10 minutes.
Uncover baking dish. Drizzle with wine. Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. If desired, broil for some minutes until golden. Serve.

Caipirinha

This is the most famous cocktail in Brazil. It is made of "cachaça" (pronounced "kah-SHAH-sah"), an alcoholic beverage made with fermented sugar cane.

Ingredients:

3 limes, cut in quarters
7 tablespoons of sugar
3/4 cup (180 ml) cachaça *
3 cups ice cubes

Preparation:

Smash the limes in a mortar. Transfer to a pitcher, together with the sugar and cachaça. Stir until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add the ice. If you want sweeter, add some more sugar.

* You can change to rum instead. The Brazilians call this version "caipirissima". Or vodka. Called "caipiroska" in Brazil. The taste is a bit different.

Easy Carrot and Cheese Crostini

My friend Olga made this for our friends in Shanghai, long ago. From time to time I remember them (or her) and I make them. But I never wrote the recipe, so sometimes it gets a little different, but it always turns out fine.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup shredded carrot
1 cup shredded cheese, cheddar or Mexican blend
1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
salt (optional)
pepper
1 French baguette, sliced

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 F.
Mix the carrot, cheese, garlic (if using), mayo, salt (if using) and pepper. Spread on top of a slice of bread. Arrange on a baking sheet. Bake until the cheese starts to melt. 

Black Forest Cake with a Shortcut

This is not the original recipe for this famous cake. I liked the taste, anyway. And it is relatively easy to make it. I was inspired by Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade (actually, by the ingredients I had at home).

Ingredients:

1 box of chocolate cake (Pillsbury, Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker)
the other required ingredients in the box (in the Duncan Hines, eggs and oil)
1 can (21 oz., about 600 g) cherry pie filling

For the chocolate buttercream icing:

1 cup (240 ml) vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon (5 ml) flavoring (vanilla or butter)
10 teaspoons (50 ml) water
1 oz (40 g) dark chocolate or chocolate chips or 3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 lb (450 g) confectioner's sugar *
1 pinch salt (optional)

Preparation:

Bake cake as directed on the box. Let it cool on a rack. Cut it in half with the help of a bread knife or a cake leveler, separating the two halves. Spread the cherry filling over the bottom half. Depending on the size of the cake, you may not need to use the entire contents of the can. Cover with the top half.

Preparation of the icing:

Melt the chocolate or the "chocolate chips" according to the manufacturer's instructions (you can use the microwave at 40% power for a minute, then extra 30 seconds, if needed). Beat the shortening in a mixer for 1 minute. Add the flavoring and water, beat for a little while until well blended. Add the other ingredients, beat at medium speed until light and creamy.

 Test of consistency:

By turning the bowl with the icing and spatula, the spatula should move slightly to the side. 
Icing the pie:

Spread icing over a portion of the pie. Smooth with a spatula or knife. Add more icing. Smooth again. When it's got more or less the desired thickness,  pipe the stars with a star tip. One good idea is to spread a little grated chocolate. This option is easier and faster, and it hides the imperfections, if it is not smooth as you want.

* It does not work if you use granulated sugar.