Sweet Love and Ginger

Recipe

Blackberry Pizza with Ricotta & Basil

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Blackberry Pizza with Ricotta and Basil

The black berries are coming into season around here. I was lucky enough to have a coworker that has more than he can eat and donated a few to our household. These guys are so big and juicy that we couldn’t get enough. Typically I like black berries all on their own, but I thought it would be fun to play around with them and try them in a recipe.

I stumbled on this recipe and new I had to make my own version. I mean pizza is always a great idea in my book, and then you add in basil and fruit and it’s like it was made just for me.

Blackberry Pizza with Ricotta and Basil

I added this in as an appetizer at our last pizza night with the Shauber’s and it was a hit all around. Not the kind of thing you’d really love as a meal all on its own but it was a fun appetizer that I’m pretty sure everyone enjoyed.

Blackberry Pizza with Ricotta and Basil

Side Note: It goes really well with a crisp glass of white wine.

Blackberry Pizza with Ricotta & Basil
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
  • ½ a pizza dough recipe (for a 6 inch pizza)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup fresh blackberries, halved
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup ricotta cheese
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Roll out the dough onto a flowered baking sheet.
  3. Drizzle the olive oil onto the pizza dough and use a pastry brush to spread it evenly over the pizza.
  4. Spread half of the black berries evenly over the dough.
  5. Top the berries with mozzarella, and parmesan cheese until coated evenly. Carefully spoon small dollops of ricotta over the pizza. Top with the remaining black berries.
  6. Place the pizza in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. The cheese should be melted and bubbly, and the crust golden.
  7. Remove from the oven and sprinkle on the basil.
  8. Serve immediately.

Blackberry Pizza with Ricotta and Basil

Very Veggie Enchilada Casserole

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Very Veggie Enchilada Casserole

Man on man is the garden booming!

I might actually be sick of cucumbers. Note to self: Plant less cucumbers next year.

Second note to self: more beans, we didn’t get enough beans this year. In previous years we had too many, this year too few. Finding balance is hard sometimes….

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How to Make a Roux

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Mac n Cheese

A roux is a lovely thing. I’ve defined it before as a combination of fat (typically butter) and flour cooked over low heat used to thicken soups and sauces. While this description is accurate it does not give the roux the acclamation that it truly deserves, in my opinion.

Made with only a handful of ingredients a roux is something that not only thickens a dish but is something that brings the base flavor of the dish to the forefront. It is the jumping off place from which the rest of the dish will start. This makes the simple roux an integral part of numerous dishes.

How to make a Roux

The recipe for a basic roux is simple, it begins with some type of fat, often butter or in the case of gravy drippings from cooked meat. Many times a roux is made in conjunction with sauted vegetables such as in a mushroom gravy, or a soup. Over medium high heat the fat is melted and flour whisked in. It’s important to completely blend the flour into the fat so that a smooth paste forms, if it is not blended completely the sauce, gravy or soup will become lumpy. Allow the roux to cook for a minute or two to cook down the flour a bit. This step is also important because not allowing the flour to cook will cause the sauce to become paste like instead of smooth. However be sure to not overcook it, because that can change the flavor or burn.

Mac n Cheese

To show how a roux can be used I decided to include one of my favorite macaroni and cheese recipes. I am a huge fan of macaroni and cheese in all its fashions but this one is an easy go to that I make all the time. It’s also a great kid pleaser if your wondering.

Mac n Cheese

Basic Mac and Cheese
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb dried macaroni
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 lb sharp cheddar
  • ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ panko bread crumbs
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Meanwhile cook the macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  3. In a large thick bottomed sauce pan, melt the butter over medium high heat.
  4. Once the butter has melted and just begun to bubble, reduce the heat to medium low and whisk in the flour until well blended. Cook for 2 minutes while whisking constantly. The butter and flour should become slightly darker, but not burnt.
  5. Whisk in the milk. Continue to cook and whisk until the sauce become smooth and thickened, about 4 minutes.
  6. Reduce the heat to low. And stir in the cheese with a spoon until melted and a smooth sauce forms. Add salt and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
  7. Remove from heat and stir in the cooked macaroni until well coated.
  8. Pour coated macaroni into a baking pan. Top with panko bread crumbs and any additional spices of choice (pepper or paprika typically). Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
  9. Serve immediately.

Berries with Wine & Whipped Cream

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Berries with Wine & Whipped Cream

We have projects going on over here. I mean, do we have projects. Chuck has been working right along on the deck, while Alicia and I have been packing up her stuff, moving, it and reorganizing what’s left behind. I find myself asking again, why do we have so much stuff? I feel a purge coming on.

Berries with Wine & Whipped Cream

I also feel the need to revamp everything in the house. Crazy? Maybe. Call it a delayed spring cleaning. With all the other changes going on it just seems fitting to update the half moved into house right along with it. I swear one of these days we will actually settle into this place. Sometime in the next 10 years or so.

All this business has not made much time for food and cooking, the main topic on this blog, so the recipe posts have been lacking. We’ve been eating a lot of pizza and tacos. I forced myself to get together enough for this one though. It’s a simple light summer desert that really hits the spot. With only a handful of ingredients and a little bit of forethought it’s a great dish to make for an adult gathering as well as a quick after dinner treat.

Berries with Wine & Whipped Cream

Berries with Wine & Whipped Cream
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb mixed berries of choice
  • 1 cup red wine of choice (I used Malbec)
  • 1 cups heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
  1. Combine the berries and wine. Cover and set in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours.
  2. Place a metal mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for roughly 10 minutes. Once cold remove from freezer and combine the sugar and cream. Whip continuously until the crema begins to form peaks.
  3. Portion the berries into separate bowls, and top with the whipped cream. Add a drizzle of the wine used to soak the berries and serve immediately.

 

Berries with Wine & Whipped Cream