Ricotta Pancakes for Father’s Day

DSC_0295-1-710_MAINRicotta Pancakes by The Parsley Thief, perfect for Dad’s special breakfast! “When my kids were smaller, we had a regular weekend ritual of making pancakes. Now, with crazy sports schedules, we don’t have very many lazy weekend mornings. We made these pancakes for Father’s Day a few weeks ago. I wanted to try something new & this recipe was on my list of things to try. They are super light & fluffy, with a texture unlike any pancakes I’ve made before. Everyone loved them! They require a bit more effort than regular pancakes. But, that’s what makes them perfect for special occasions, like Father’s Day.”
(Katie Vitucci, The Parsley Thief)
Ricotta Pancakes
Adapted from The Kitchn
Makes 12-4″ pancakes
1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cups flour
1/2 teapoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups milk
3 large eggs {divided}
Drain the ricotta in a sieve, set over a bowl, for 30 minutes, to drain out excess moisture. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar & salt. In another bowl, whisk the ricotta, milk & egg yolks.
Add the egg whites to the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until stiff.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients & stir to combine. Fold in the egg whites, until just incorporated. It’s okay to have lumps.
Heat some butter in a skillet, or griddle, over medium heat. Ladle the batter in a 1/3 cup measure & cook the for 4 minutes a side, or until golden brown. Serve with some real maple syrup.
Click here for the printable recipe.
More Detailed Instructions:
Begin by placing 1 cup of ricotta cheese in a sieve, set over a bowl, or the sink & let it drain for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, get the other ingredients ready. In a large mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar & 1/8 teaspoon salt. Whisk it together. Next, divide 3 large eggs. Add the egg yolks to a separate mixing bowl, along with 3/4 cups milk & the drained ricotta. Give it a whisk.
Add the egg whites to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment {or, you can use a hand mixer} & add a pinch pf salt. Beat on high, until stiff. {Mine got a little over-beaten. But, that’s what happens when you have 2 kids in the kitchen helping.} Whisk a bit of the egg whites into the batter, just to loosen it up a bit. Then fold in the rest. It’s okay to have lumps…no need to over-mix! Heat some butter in a skillet, or griddle, over medium heat. Ladle the batter in a 1/3 cup measure & cook the for 4 minutes a side, or until golden brown. Serve with some real maple syrup.
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Beef, Mushroom & Snap Pea Stir-Fry

Parsley Thief – Beef Stir Fry

When Katie, “The Parsley Thief“, saw this recipe in Bon Appétit, she thought she’d give it a try. It looked so good and she knew her family would love it.

“Stir-fries are generally easy to make, quick-cooking & healthy. In the past, I’ve made chicken stir-fries, this delicious spicy tofu one, veggies only varieties…but, steak? Never made one. Maybe because I think of them as being healthy…a lot of the time, diet worthy. Somehow adding red meat to the mix seems counter productive. But, I live in a home with three boys…and, my boys love steak. The original recipe didn’t really need any tweaking, but I did change a few things to suit my taste. It called for using shiitake mushrooms, which I love. But, I decided to add in some portabellas too, because I love the combination of steak & portabella mushrooms. I also substituted sugar snap peas for snow peas…I’m not the biggest snow pea fan.

While making a stir-fry is quick in the pan, it usually requires a bit of effort in the prep department. This one is no different. But, once you get everything washed, peeled & chopped, the actually cooking part is super quick.”

Beef, Mushroom & Snap Pea Stir-Fry

Adapted from Bon Appétit, October 2010 by The Parsley Thief
Serves 41 tablespoon minced ginger
12 ounces mixed shiitake & baby portabella mushroom caps, sliced
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound NY Strip steak, cut into 1/4″ thick slices
8 ounces sugar snap peas, cut into small pieces
1 bunch scallions, sliced {divided}
1 cup cilantro leaves {divided}
5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons sriracha chile sauce {or, to taste}
1/4 teaspoon 5-spice powderSeason the beef with salt & pepper. Combine the hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sriracha & 5-spice powder in a small bowl. Whisk to combine & set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the mushrooms & minced ginger. Cook until the mushrooms release their liquid & begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add in the beef; cook until the beef is browned, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the snap peas, half the scallions & half the cilantro. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, or until the snap peas are just tender. Add in the sauce, and stir to combine & heat through. Transfer the stir-fry to a serving bowl, scatter the remaining scallions and cilantro on top & serve.
Note: I recommend adding 1/2 the sauce to start & then adding a bit more, until it’s well coated. Serve the remaining sauce on the side. For kids, you might want to take some of the stir-fry out before adding the sauce, as it’s a bit spicy.

 
 

Key Lime Bars – Spring Recipe

Key Lime Bars - FinalSpring is in the air and our guest contributor, Katie Vitucci, from the food blog, The Parsley Thief is thinking spring sweets. These Key Lime Bars are a sophisticated treat to serve guests or as a delicious Easter dessert. The original recipe suggests to cut the bars into 2″ squares, but Katie always prefers to slice them into little bite-sized bars. Either way, they are delicious!
Key Lime Bars 
Makes 64-1″ bars {or 24-2″ bars}
I have listed the quantities for the lime zest & lime juice according to what regular {Persian} limes would yield…as Key limes are not always available. If you can find Key limes, use the alternative measurements that I’ve given.
For the Crust:
5 ounces animal crackers
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling:
2 ounces {softened} cream cheese
zest of 3 limes {or 1 tablespoon}
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 {14 ounce} can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk juice from 3 limes {or 1/2 cup}
1 cup toasted sweetened shredded coconut {as an optional garnish}
non-stick cooking spray
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 9″ x 9″ baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Coat with non-stick cooking spray & set aside.
For the Crust: Add the animal crackers to the bowl of a food processor & pulse until finely ground. Add the brown sugar & salt; process until combined. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs & pulse until evenly moistened. Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, leaving the oven on.
For the Filling: Add the cream cheese, lime zest & salt to a mixing bowl. Stir until softened and smooth. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk until no lumps of cream cheese remain. Whisk in the egg yolk. Add the lime juice; whisk until incorporated & the mixture has thickened. Pour the filling over the cooled crust & use a spatula to spread it out evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the filling is set. When done, the edges will puff up slightly & pull away from the edges of the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Use the foil overhang to remove the bars from the pan. Cut into 1″ squares using a sharp knife. It’s helpful to run the knife under hot water & wipe it clean between slices. Sprinkle the bars with shredded coconut before serving, if desired. To Make Ahead: The bars can be stored, refrigerated for up to 2 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Being a mom of two boys, her blog, The Parsley Thief, focuses on family friendly, made-from-scratch recipes. The Parsley Thief has been named one of “50 Food Blogs You Should Be Reading” by Saveur magazine and was named one of the top 100 Mom Food Blogs by the family website, Babble.
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