Angela Day
RICOTTA AND SPINACH ROULADE
Serves 4-6
60g butter
80ml flour
250ml milk, warmed
4 eggs, separated
60ml chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, basil)
125ml grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
FILLING
30ml olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
250g frozen spinach, cooked and drained
salt and pepper
a pinch of grated nutmeg
250g ricotta cheese
60ml grated Parmesan cheese
125ml chopped sun-dried tomatoes
Melt the butter in a pot. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Gradually stir in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens and boils. Remove from the heat and stir in the egg yolk, herbs, cheese and seasoning. Beat the egg whites until stiff then fold into the herbed sauce. Spread the mixture into a lined and well-greased Swiss roll tin and bake at 180°C for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and puffy. Turn the roulade out on to a piece of non-stick baking paper, which has been covered with a layer of grated Parmesan cheese.
Leave to cool. Spread with the cooled ricotta filling then, using the paper as a guide, roll up the roulade from the long side. Place on a serving plate and slice.
FILLING: Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion until soft. Add the spinach and cook for a minute.
Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
Crumble the ricotta and mix with the spinach.
Stir in the Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes and mix well.
Spread over the roulade.
RICOTTA-STUFFED CHICKEN FILLET
Serves 4
4 chicken breast fillets
200g ricotta cheese
45ml chopped basil
50g sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper
250g packet streaky bacon
Butterfly the chicken fillet by slicing open at the thickest part then flatten by hitting with a rolling pin.
Combine the ricotta, basil, tomatoes and seasoning and mix well.
Divide this mixture between the four fillets. Spread over the fillets and roll them up to enclose the filling. Wrap each fillet in streaky bacon and secure with a toothpick.
Place on a baking tray and roast at 200ºC for 10-15 minutes until bacon is golden and cooked. Remove and serve sliced.
RICOTTA HOTCAKES
Makes 12-14
300g ricotta cheese
125ml milk
4 eggs, separated
250ml flour
5ml baking powder
pinch of salt
olive oil for frying
cooked streaky bacon for serving
maple or golden syrup for serving
Combine the ricotta, milk and egg yolks and mix well. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the milk mixture.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter. Heat a little oil in a non stick frying pan and drop spoonfuls of batter into the pan.
Cook over a medium heat until golden brown underneath the crumpets, then flip them over and cook for a few minutes on the other side. Remove from the pan and keep the crumpets warm. Repeat until all the batter is finished. Serve them warm with bacon and syrup.
SWEET RICOTTA FRITTERS
Makes about 40
4 eggs
100ml castor sugar
250g tub of ricotta cheese
5ml lemon zest
10ml lemon juice
250ml flour
15ml baking powder
a pinch of salt
oil for frying
icing sugar for dusting
Mix together the eggs and sugar, then add the ricotta, lemon zest and juice.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to the egg mixture and mix until smooth. Do not over-mix.
Half-fill a pot or deep-fat fryer with oil and heat until oil gets to 180ºC. Drop 4-5 teaspoonfuls at a time in the hot oil and fry until golden brown.
Remove and drain on paper towel. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.
* The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.