pasta with tuna, ricotta, and tomato

It has been a busy day.  I got a bit of sewing done and a bit of carding done after work.  I found out one of the men I work with and his wife are expecting their first babe so I did a bit of shopping for materials for receiving blankets.  I get tired of pastels for babies.  It is the Tall Short Person's birthday and we have been watching Small Mister as well.  I wanted something simple for dinner.

When I was reading Leone's cookbook, I came across a recipe for a pasta sauce that had tuna, ricotta, and tomato in it.  It also looked like it took about 20 minutes.  Which it really does.  I would start the water boiling for pasta as soon as you start sauteing the tomatoes.  It tastes much richer then it really is.

Pasta with tuna, ricotta, and tomato

1/2 cup butter

4 medium size tomatoes, peeled and chopped (I used about 1 1/2 cups of canned tomato)

about 5 ounces of good olive oil packed tuna (the best you can find)

1/2 cup ricotta

a pinch of salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup parmesan

cooked pasta, suggestion was spaghettini

In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the tomatoes.  Saute for 20 minutes, stirring often enough so they do not stick.

The tomatoes are going to cook down and the flavor will intensify.

Take off the heat and add the ricotta and tuna.  I found it took a bit of mixing to incorporate.

Taste and add a pinch of salt and pepper if needed.

Serve over pasta.  Sprinkle with parmesan.  If your dishes are oven proof, broil for 2 minutes.  Mine were not.

Quite tasty.  This can be a pantry type staple.  I do need to learn to make ricotta.  This is one of those recipes that it is only as good as the quality of the ingredients.

ricotta tart with gluten free chocolate crust

I was rereading a cookbook this evening and I mentioned a recipe to my Beloved.  He basically said "PLEASE!"  We had a lovely dinner of sour cream green chile enchilada casserole but not huge portions.  We were both still a bit nibbly.  And antsy.  We drove to the grocery store and picked up a few items to make this tart.  It is a ricotta tart.  Lighter then a cheesecake which was very nice.  The citrus in the ricotta filling and the chocolate crust were lovely together.

Ricotta tart with chocolate crust

Note:  Adapted from Tessa Kiros' Falling Cloudberries

For the crust:

7 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup teff flour

1/2 cup arrowroot flour

1/2 cup millet flour

1 cup almond flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa flour

1 egg

For the filling:

3 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1 heaping tablespoon orange zest

3 cups smooth ricotta

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare a 9 inch springform pan with parchament paper on the bottom.  Butter and dust with millet flour

Mix the butter and sugar together from the crust.  Mix in the flours and cocoa.  Mix in the egg.  If you have time to refrigerate, do.  I did not and just pressed it into the bottom of the pan and up the sides.  Cover with parchament paper and add dry beans or lentils as weights.  Bake for 20  minutes.  Remove the lentils.  Bake another 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven.

For the filling, mix the eggs and 2/3 cups of sugar together until creamy.  Mix in the orange zest and the ricotta.  Mix in the lemon and orange.

Bake 40 to 60 minutes or until lightly brown and set (it took 60 minutes for me).  Remove from the oven.  Let cool (if possible).

We could not wait.  It was light and citrusy and chocolately.  It is a very nice dessert.  If I did not have monkey bread waiting for me, I would see how it is for breakfast tomorrow!

thai food at home

We have not been eating out for dinner when we are in town lately.  The last time we went out for dinner was my birthday.  This is not a bad thing at all but it does mean that I do not get some foods that I really like.  Japanese and Thai are two.  I came across of recipe for Stir Fried Minced Beef with Chiles and Basil today on Molly's blog and thought I would give it a try.

When we were finished with dinner, we all agreed.  The flavor was good but the number of chiles I used were too many even though that is what the recipe called for.  It will be made again but with less chiles and that is the recipe I am giving you.  But give it a try.  The flavors are good (even if you have to taste them through the fire!)

Stir Fried Minced Beef with Chiles and Basil

Note:  The original recipe calls for 8 to 20 chiles for 1 pound of meat.  Please use your best judgement.

1 head garlic, minced

1 sliced serrano peppers, sliced

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/8 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup vegetable broth

4 large handfuls basil, sliced

Hot rice

4 eggs

lime wedges

In a small bowl, mix the garlic, chiles, and salt.  In a large heavy pan, put over medium high heat and heat 2 tablespoons oil.  Add the garlic mixture and heat until fragrant.  Add the ground meat and stir fry just until the meat starts to brown.  Add the fish sauce and sugar.  Mix in the broth and basil.  Cook until the basil is wilted.

In another pan, heat the rest of the oil.  Fry the eggs until the whites are brown but the yolks are still runny.

In the bowls you will eat in, place rice, then the meat, then the egg.

Enjoy.  This was so tasty that even though it was too spicy for me, I got through half my bowl.  I will make this again when I want Thai food.

Miss Lillian's quilt top

Even though I was under the weather, hurt, and went visiting last week, I was able to do some sewing.  I finished Miss Lillian's quilt top.  I am working on the back now.

With the help of small fingers, it turned out well.  Small Mister is truly fascinated by the workings of the sewing machine!

do not do this at home!

I did something very strange today.  I was having lunch with Mister and My Beloved and my should popped loud enough for My Beloved to hear it while he was driving.  I was in the back seat with Mister.  It meant that my shoulder has ached since.  I took some aspirn and fell asleep in the middle of the floor and my family.  They were talking jetskis and motorcycles.  I was listening to the tiny pops in my shoulder.  But I had Mister this afternoon by myself and I need to go to multiple grocery stores.  With a bum shoulder.

I had taken a sling apart because it was a layer of percale and flannel.  Much too hot for Mister in spring and summer.  I sewed the percale pieces back together.  Mister is a gearhead though.  I am so glad that I have a treadle sewing machine because he wanted to SEE!  The treadle was moving when I took this picture.  It was moving slowly but moving.

Small Mister wanted to be on my lap to see and touch!

I finally got him to kick back and sit in my lap to finish the sling.  But he never stopped moving.  I am SO glad my machine is a treadle!

And in the end, I had a sling that worked.  A bum shoulder and a small person were doable in three grocery stores.  Small Mister really decided he liked the orange thread.

I would not recommend doing this at home though!