Homemade Ricotta & More Rainy Sunday Cooking

This week is going to be busy and rainy. Two combinations that make it more difficult for me to put dinner on the table. Monday is swimming lessons for Evan and they get in late and ready to eat. (And frankly I'm getting sick of the same 'ol crock pot meat and veggies.) Then Tuesday is suppose to be the worst rain day, so who knows what traffic will be like and who wants to fight the rain and wind to stop in for groceries on the way home. Wednesday is Evan's chorus performance, so a quick dinner is in order there as well....all that being considered, after church we hit the grocery store and loaded up. So, this afternoon I set my stage for a day of cooking. Ipod in corner, laptop and cutting board on the counter, Garth Brooks, The Pioneer Woman, Ina and I spent the afternoon cooking away. 

The Menu?

Sunday Night
Baked Coconut Chicken Tenders
& Veggie Risotto

Monday Night
Ina's Individual Turkey Meat Loaves
with Slow Roasted Maple Sweet Potatoes & Peas

Tuesday NightThe Pioneer Woman's Short Ribs in Tomato Sauce
with Ina's Homemade Herbed Ricotta Bruschetta

I chopped and peeled and sauteed and braised. I got the easy stuff out of the way early. Got the short ribs in the oven. (The short ribs were just pulled out of the oven a few minutes ago after cooking for 4 hours. YUMMY!!) I tweaked Ina's meatloaf recipe to suit me and added a ketchup, chili sauce "gravy" over them. Then I went for the hard stuff. I saw Ina make her ricotta this morning while I was putting on my makeup. First of all, I LOVE ricotta. I would rather have a bowl of ricotta than any ice cream or pudding or mousse you put in front of me. And herbed ricotta? Forget about it! But now the idea of FRESH, HOMEMADE, HERBED RICOTTA?? It was too much. I had to try it. If you like ricotta, you just HAVE to try this. It was SO EASY!! I can't imagine ever buying it again.....(if only I could learn to make mozzarella!) It was SO GOOD!! I HIGHLY recommend you try it. Try it today!! It's fool proof. Milk, cream, salt and vinegar. I loaded it with black pepper, chives, dill and parsley. I think David would have preferred basil to the dill, but that is for another time. Personally, I think dill and ricotta together are a perfect combination.   

I had been cooking and cooking away and forgot to make dinner for Sunday! (I thought veggie risotto was my own creation, until I realized that I had read this on The Pioneer Woman earlier in the week. Here's her recipe: Risotto Primavera. Yes, that sounds much better than veggie risotto. Looks like a great way to use of leftovers in your kitchen to me! Or maybe a trip to the farmer's market when your eyes are bigger than your stomach and you come home with a sack of vegetables you need to use before they spoil. I used onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, a red bell pepper, a small zucchini, a small yellow squash, 3/4 a box of frozen spinach spinach and 1/2 a bag of frozen peas.  

I threw in some parsley, dill and chives. I made the risotto with chicken stock and added in all the precooked veggies. (A little homemade ricotta might have been perfect, but I went with grated parm for David and I.) I forgot to get coconut at the store, so I marinated the chicken tenders in soy, olive oil, rice wine vinegar and spices and talked David into grilling them on skewers. It tasted like spring....bright, crunchy, colorful vegetables...and it looked like party confetti on a plate. 

It all came together easily and now everyone is hanging out around the house with full bellies waiting for another week to start. I have cooking done for the week, if you count leftovers and all, which makes me very happy. Just wanted to pass these recipes on....especially the ricotta!