Tag: cheese

Hearty Black Bean Pasta with Marinara

Hearty Black Bean Pasta with Marinara

Hearty Black Bean Pasta with Marinara and Trader Joe’s Organic Black Bean Rotini from angle

Ye haw! I’ve jumped on the healthy pasta bandwagon—carrot spirals, lentil sedanini, tofu noodles, edamame spaghetti, zoodles, brown rice and millet ramen, spaghetti squash, and more.

Most recently, I tried Trader Joe’s Organic Black Bean Rotini. It’s like eating a bowl of beans (holy protein!), but it tastes like pasta!

Read More

Pea-Pesto Ricotta Ravioli

Pea-Pesto Ricotta Ravioli

Marjoram Pea Pesto Ricotta Ravioli on plate from angle

I know I just admitted that I try not to eat pasta, but every now and then I make exceptions, like this Pea-Pesto Ricotta Ravioli. I jazzed up some basic ravioli pasta and the result was delicious and easy.

In a few minutes with three basic components, ravioli, pesto, and cheese, I plated a nice-looking dinner.

Read More

Marjoram Pea Pesto Crostini with Fresh Ricotta

Marjoram Pea Pesto Crostini with Fresh Ricotta

Finished Marjoram Pea Pesto Crostini with Fresh Ricotta up close from front on slate cheese board

When I made these Marjoram Pea Pesto Crostini with Fresh Ricotta the other day, I thought I was being so creative. The Marjoram Pea Pesto is a healthy spin on traditional pesto with updated flavor combinations. The Homemade Instant Pot Ricotta Cheese is pretty standard, except it takes advantage of my Instant Pot, making preparation and cleanup speedy.

However, when I checked online to decide what to name these crostini, the first link that came up was Giada’s Pea Pesto Crostini! Whoops! So much for being unique. I’ll take it as a confirmation that my creative endeavors seem to resonate with others–some pretty famous others.

Read More

Homemade Instant Pot Ricotta Cheese

Homemade Instant Pot Ricotta Cheese

Finished Homemade Instant Pot Ricotta Cheese

I’ve been dreaming of making cheese for years, but I’ve never felt ready to dive in until recently. After sharing my cheese-making dream with a friend, she mentioned that she often makes ricotta and it takes her no time at all. That small reassurance did just the trick. A few days later, I bit the bullet and made my first batch of cheese, ricotta cheese!

What surprised me the most was how easy fresh, homemade ricotta cheese is to make! In 20 minutes, I had a bowl full of fluffy, white ricotta cheese. I was so excited that I couldn’t even wait for the cheese to cool and kept shoveling spoonfuls into my mouth. Yes, it was quite the sight.

Read More