Candace in the Kitchen

I’ve tried lots of marinara recipes and while this isn’t exactly what I’m looking for it’s pretty good.

Making the ricotta was SO easy. I think I may drop the lemon juice down to 1 tablespoon because I could taste the lemon in the final product.

Marinara:

2 large cans San Marzano tomatoes

1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled

2 t salt

1/2 t red pepper flakes (or to taste)

olive oil

sugar

additional salt as needed

dried herbs (I used an Italian herb blend) to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°

Put all items into a large ovenproof pot and drizzle with olive oil

Cover and cook in oven for one hour

Remove from oven and puree with an immersion blender. (You could also put through a food mill, blender or food processor.)

After tasting add sugar and salt and dried herbs to taste.

Ricotta:

Ingredients:

1 quart whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 T lemon juice (see above, I will just use 1 T next time)

1-2 T fresh herbs, minced

Directions:

Combine milk, cream and salt in a 2qt saucepan over medium heat

Put a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl

Stir occasionally to prevent scorching

Once mixture reaches a steady simmer pour in lemon juice

Stir to combine and let simmer for 1 minute. Stir once more and let simmer for another minute.

Remove from heat and pour into strainer

Stir gently to remove liquid

Let sit for 30 minutes to one hour to remove all liquid from the cheese

Put into a medium bowl and add fresh herbs and more salt if needed

Serve marinara over pasta and top with ricotta

I LOVED these! I did half raspberry and half grape jam. I really preferred the grape and next time I make them I will use just that.

Recipe here.

I finally got around to making this BB recipe and I wish I hadn’t. Please don’t hate me Ina.

I made it as directed and didn’t like it so I added a little chicken stock, cannelini beans, light red kidney beans and more chili powder + cayenne pepper. Still wasn’t great.

I gave my husband a sample.

Me: is there anything I could add to make it better?
H: Flavor?
Me: I know! Should I take it to work? I hate to waste the ingredients + time.
H: Do you still want people to think you can cook?

A couple of weeks ago I made the first pumpkin roll of the season. I brought it to work and put it in the kitchen. I’m pretty sure it was gone in about 15 minutes. It’s that good. I will change out the craptastic photo above with a better one the next time I make it.

Ingredients:

Cake:

1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Filling:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Hints: Make sure that you cool the cake completely before unrolling and putting the filling inside. If it’s still warm the cake will crack.