In The Kitchen: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes w/Strawberries

I wanted to make my sister a nice quick birthday breakfast [she's now 22], and of course she requested pancakes. I am usually not a fan of pancakes, however these Lemon Ricotta Pancakes looked absolutely delicious on Bobby Flay, and I knew I had to give them a try one day.  I ran to Food Network to check out the recipe, and it received stellar reviews across the board. They were absolutely delicious. The ricotta and lemon curd gives these pancakes more of a light, airy, sophisticated taste versus regular pancakes. I could definitely go for these every weekend! 

The best part about this recipe? It only takes about 20 minutes to prepare and plate the dish, not bad eh? I did make a small modification though, the original recipe called for raspberries to use as garnish, but I only had strawberries on hand. You can substitute any fruit you like! 

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes w/ Strawberries [Adapted from Food Network]

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• Butter, for griddle
• 1 (11-ounce) jar prepared lemon curd
• Fresh strawberries, for garnish
• Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Directions

Preheat a nonstick griddle. Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk together the cheese, eggs, milk, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl. Whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Brush the hot griddle with butter. For each pancake, pour approximately 1/4 cup measure of the batter on the griddle and cook on both sides until light golden brown. Repeat until no batter remains.  

Empty the contents of the lemon curd into a small saucepan and warm over low heat. Alternatively, remove the lid and place in a microwave oven on 50 percent power for 2 minutes, stopping after 1 minute to stir the curd. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the curd over the pancakes, top with fresh strawberries, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

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30 Minute Weeknight Meals: Pasta Pomodoro

As a child, my favorite meal was spaghetti. I ordered spaghetti from Bob's Big Boy, spaghetti from Ihop, wouldn't agree to a family outing unless spaghetti was on the menu, and celebrated every birthday at The Spaghetti Factory. As I grew older, I started to experiment and fall in love with other pasta dishes [which is why there are so many variations on my site, I will switch it up soon I promise], and Pasta Pomodoro remains one of my favorite to date.

This dish is light, yet fulfilling with or without the addition of meat. Don't let the simplicity of the ingredients and this recipe fool you, it is highly flavorsome. If you're looking for a quick, delicious, healthy weeknight meal that can be prepared on a budget, try this on for size!

I recommend using fresh Parmesan Cheese in lieu of the powdered variety, or even Parmigiano Reggiano if you want to splurge. Also I find that fresh tomatoes work much better versus canned tomatoes. I actually took the recommendation of one of the reviews and purchased Campari Tomatoes instead of the Roma Tomatoes the recipe called for. The substitution of Campari Tomatoes made for a rich, fresher tasting sauce. 

 

Pasta Pomodoro [Adapted from All Recipes.Com]

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) packages angel hair pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups Campari Tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 (10.75 ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth

crushed red pepper to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Pour olive oil in a large deep skillet over high-heat. Saute onions and garlic until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium-high and add tomatoes, vinegar and chicken broth; simmer for about 8 minutes.
3. Stir in red pepper, black pepper, basil and cooked pasta, tossing thoroughly with sauce. Simmer for about 5 more minutes and serve topped with grated Parm cheese.

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In The Kitchen: Lemon Cream Cupcakes

I found this decadent recipe on All Recipe's .Com, one of my new favorite hangouts. These delicate, moist, lemon-flavored treats didn't stand a chance in my household; we consumed them almost immediately. The great thing about this delightful little recipe is that it doesn't require a lot of complex ingredients, yet the cake is sure to please those that have more of a sophisticated palette. 

Those that aren't very fond of super-lemony sweets will find these cupcakes delicious, as the lemon-flavor in this recipe isn't overpowering at all; but rather faint. For all of my lemon-lovers out there, you can double the amount of zest called for in this recipe, or even add a tiny bit of Lemon Extract or Lemon Essential Oil. 

To my beginner cooks out there, this is a very easy recipe to follow provided you don't make any adjustments with the Baking Powder & Baking Soda. I would also leave the cream cheese in the recipe as well, it is what adds to the light, smooth, airy texture.

Lemon Cream Cupcakes [Adapted from All Recipes.com]

Ingredients - Yields 30 cupcakes

1 cup butter or margarine, softened << I used butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sour cream

Frosting Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon milk

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add lemon peel and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Cool for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. For frosting, cream butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add lemon juice, vanilla, lemon peel and milk; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes.  

 

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Epicure: Panko-Crusted Chicken

I have to give my mom all the glory for introducing me to this Panko-Crusted Chicken recipe [if I don't she'll kill me..lol]. This no frills recipe requires minimal ingredients and a basic knowledge on how to navigate your way through the kitchen. If you can add oil to a skillet and brown meat, there's no way to foul this one up! The addition of Panko breadcrumbs versus traditional yields more of a light, flaky, and slightly crispy outer crust you're sure to love. Panko breadcrumbs are readily available in the Asian or "ethnic" isle of your local grocery store.

I recommend using fresh Basil for this recipe because it makes for more of a rich, earthy flavor. 

Panko-Crusted Chicken [Adapted from Mom]

Ingredients:
Can of Coconut Milk
4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt & Pepper to taste
5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup chopped Basil
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs

Directions:

• Soak chicken overnight in 13 oz of Coconut Milk [one can will do]
• After 24 hours has elapsed, remove chicken from Coconut Milk and pat dry with clean paper towel
• Season chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Add egg whites to a small bowl and toss in the fresh basil. Mix well
• Coat each piece of chicken in egg white mixture and set aside
• Dredge chicken in Panko crumb mixture until well-coated 
• In a large skillet over medium heat, add Extra Virgin Olive Oil and heat
• When oil is hot, add chicken and pan fry until golden brown on both sides 

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