Lemon Ricotta Squares Recipe • Perfect Spring Treat! | Club Foody

 

I’m not sure if I’m getting softer with age, but I can’t stand winter and its cold months anymore, not that I was a fan before. Spring will be arriving tomorrow, and that makes me very happy! Soon the trees and flowers 🌼 will be fully bloomed as the weather warms up and the days get longer…
 
As much as I like cooking casseroles, stews and other hearty, comforting, warm dishes 🍲, spring brings lighter meals. A wider selection of fresh produce will slowly come back onto our grocery shelves, like rhubarb, artichokes, fiddlehead ferns, apricots, etc.
 
I bake all year round, but like my main dishes, springtime is much lighter, focusing more on fresh fruit flavors. It can be Mango Cake, Pavlova, Strawberry Shortcake 🍓🍰, Fruit Kolaches, Key Lime Pie, Coconut Nests, and so on, including this one… Lemon Ricotta Squares!
 
These little guys are one of my favorite spring sweet treats! Vibrant with a lovely creamy and tangy custard-like filling on a buttery 🧈, shortbread crust, this is the perfect quintessential seasonal dessert to make! They’re great to serve for Easter and Mother’s Day!
 
Bright, these Lemon Ricotta Squares are easy to make 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳. After the shortbread dough is done, it’s dropped into a greased baking dish lined with a lightly greased parchment paper. If you’re not sure about lining it, here’s a great tutorial on how to do it… Lining a Loaf Pan with Parchment Paper
 
The next step is not really obvious but still doable. Using your clean hands, the dough is firmly pressed down, spreading it out evenly. That takes a little time, so be patient. It’s baked for about 20 minutes ⏰ or until the edges are lightly browned.
 
While it’s cooling, the filling is made. Normally, I use around a ¼ cup of Limoncello liqueur and top the rest with freshly squeezed lemon juice 🍋 until it reaches 2/3 cup. When I filmed the recipe, I was out of my homemade Italian liqueur, so I decided to skip it… I’ll never do that again!
 
The filling is poured onto the cooled crust and baked until it’s set and no longer jiggling, around 35 to 40 minutes. The dish is placed on a wire rack and allowed to cool completely; it takes a good two hours 🕑. After that cooling period, it’s transferred to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
 
When the ricotta filling is firm, the treat is lifted from the baking dish before being sliced into squares. Here’s a tip for perfectly clean slices: use a sharp knife 🔪 with a thin blade, and between each cut, clean it under very hot water and wipe it off.
 
With the right balance of tartness along with a subtle sweetness, these bright Lemon Ricotta Squares are a delicious way to welcome spring! They’re light and airy, with a refreshing note to them! Sprinkled with powdered sugar, they make a great treat for Easter 🐰 or Mother’s Day…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Here are more scrumptious sweet treat recipes for you to try… 😀
– Chocolate Mint Nanaimo Bars
– Margarita Cupcakes
– Lemon Posset
– Mango Purée with Mixed Berries and Cointreau
– Biscoff Icebox Cake
– Coconut Cream Pie
– Lemon Rosemary Madeleines
– Cherry Clafoutis
– Orange Ricotta Cookies
and for even more dessert recipes 🍰🍩, click on this link… Recipe Category • Dessert

For ingredient amounts, directions, and much more, visit ➡ https://clubfoody.com/lemon-ricotta-squares/ 😉

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
 

Moroccan Green Spaghetti Recipe • Tasty & Original! | Club Foody

 

Today, there’s an event that is globally celebrated, and it’s St Patrick’s Day! Parades, people wearing green, and festivals are the highlights of the day! The Chicago River is turning green and so is the London Eye 🎡 and Sydney Opera House…
 
If you’re in the mood for green foods and beverages, here are a few suggestions: Gnudi aka Malfatti, Spinach Crêpes, Grasshopper Pie, Creamy Avocado Dressing 🥑, Spinach & Ricotta Scrambled Eggs, Chocolate Mint Nanaimo Bars, Green Smoothie, Shamrock Shake Copycat, Chocolate Grasshopper Martini, etc.
 
There’s another one that fits this “color profile” perfectly and it’s my Moroccan Green Spaghetti! Super easy to make, this healthy dish 💚 can be enjoyed in less than 30 minutes! It’s original and incredibly tasty… a great recipe to make, especially for today’s event!
 
The sauce is made while the spaghetti is cooking. After the onions are softened, which takes no more than 5 minutes, the rest goes pretty quickly. When the spinach 🍃 is wilted, the cooked ingredients are blended along with feta cheese, seasonings, and reserved pasta water.
 
What makes this Moroccan Green Spaghetti 🍝 very different from any other “similar” recipe is the pesto. I don’t use any kind – no, no, no -, I use one of my Pesto 8 Ways (2 series), and it’s my Moroccan Pesto recipe!
 
Can you make it with just regular pesto? Of course, BUT you’ll be missing out on flavor! The ingredients that go into it are more complex than the basic pesto simply made with basil, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese 🧀. Have a look, and you’ll understand why you should make it… Moroccan Pesto
 
To achieve the perfect consistency for the sauce, some reserved pasta water 💦 is added when blending the ingredients. It doesn’t need much to get a nice, thick consistency… maybe a ¼ cup at the most! I suggest adding a little at a time.
 
Although ideal for today’s celebration, this delicious Moroccan Green Spaghetti is perfect for a weeknight meal. It’s easy and quick to make 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳, plus loaded with healthy ingredients! It’s certainly an original recipe you’ll want to try soon…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Check out these other tasty pasta recipes… 😀
– Italian Sausage, Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni
– Pasta alla Caponata
– Creamy Tortellini Boscaiola
– Duck Ragù with Pappardelle
– Italian Gnocchi Casserole
– Crab Shell Pasta
– Cacio e Pepe
– Pastitsio
– Lasagna Roll Ups
and for even more pasta recipes 🍝, click on this link… Recipe Category • Pasta & Pizza

For ingredient amounts, directions, and much more, visit ➡ https://clubfoody.com/moroccan-green-spaghetti/ 😉

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
 

Cake Flour Substitute Recipe - Tips & Tricks | Club Foody

 

Unless you’re a professional baker 👨‍🍳👩‍🍳 or baking is your passion, how many types of flour do you need? According to my research, there are 15 types of flour – it’s insane! There are the common wheat-based flours and the gluten-free ones. Many of them, though, can be made from scratch…
 
I admit, I have a few, and I’m blaming Club Foody for that! There’s my regular unbleached all-purpose flour, bread flour I like using for making pizza dough and bread 🍞, my 00 for pasta, and my homemade toasted flour. Now, if I need others, I try to duplicate them.
 
Besides my toasted flour that I use to enhance the gravy for my Ragoût or Gumbo, there are others I make at home 🏡, like self-rising flour, whole wheat, almond meal, rice flour, and even bread flour, using vital wheat gluten.
 
Another one that can easily be made at home is a Cake Flour Substitute! More than likely, you probably have everything on hand: all-purpose flour and cornstarch, although other starches can be switched, like arrowroot, tapioca, or potato starch 🥔.
 
To obtain the same fine texture, after these two ingredients are combined, it’s important to sift them together for about 4 to 5 times. Then, I like whisking the Cake Flour Substitute until well blended. These steps help aerate the flour to achieve gorgeous lightness in your baked goods, like angel food 🍰 or chiffon.
 
Did you know that when using exactly the same ingredients as Cake Flour Substitute (based on 1 cup), you can recreate Pastry Flour 😮?
The difference is a slightly higher protein content. When making it, sift only twice. Another way to duplicate it is to mix equal parts of all-purpose (AP) flour and cake flour. Sift these two together a couple times as well. For larger batches of flour, reduce the cornstarch to 1 tablespoon for every cup of AP.
 
Bleached vs. Unbleached Flour…
Both can be used to create cake and pastry flour. The difference lies in the final texture of your baked goods.
– The preferred one is all-purpose flour because it’s finer, whiter, and mimics the delicate texture of commercial cake flour.
– Unbleached all-purpose flour works fine, but the results will be slightly denser due to the fact that it’s not chlorinated, which is what breaks down the starch in bleached flour. It also requires a touch longer baking time ⏰ as it absorbs less moisture than its counterpart.
 
I compromise when I make my cake flour because I prefer using unbleached all-purpose flour over the bleached one. It’s a personal choice. It’s chemical-free 🚫🧪 and aged naturally over several weeks, allowing it to whiten on its own.
 
What’s the downside of not using bleached all-purpose flour when baking?
The baked goods will have a slightly coarser crumb and may not rise as high 🎂 as those made with bleached flour. In terms of moisture, the batter might feel “wetter” therefore, it would require somewhat longer baking time. Overall, the baked goods won’t turn out as delicate and light.
 
If you stick to unbleached all-purpose flour to make your cake flour, here are a few tips to help improve it. Sift, sift, sift, sift, and sift again, then whisk it. This will ensure the mixture is well-aerated. If you make sponge and chiffon cakes, Boston cream pie, or angel food cake, stick to bleached all-purpose 😉.
 
Making a Cake Flour Substitute from scratch has many pluses…
It’s convenient, as you likely have these two ingredients in your cupboard, therefore, it’s cost-effective 🏧. The texture is far superior to the commercial ones, and the gluten content is lower by using cornstarch. Spend a few minutes and make this great alternative…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Here are a few tips and tricks that can be quite helpful… 😀
– Perfect Meringue
– Homemade Sanding Sugar aka Sand Sugar
– Parchment Paper Rounds for Cakes
– Chocolate Honey Graham Cracker Pie Crust
– Vanilla Sugar – How to Make It
– Sugared Herbs and Fruits
– Perfect Whipped Cream Every Time – How to
– Keep Moisture Out of Powdered & Granulated Foods
– Leftover Evaporated Milk Ideas
– How to Soften Cream Cheese Quickly
and for more handy kitchen tips and tricks 💡, click on this link… Recipe Category • Tips & Tricks
 
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube

Fondue Parmesan Recipe • A Popular Québec Appetizer! | Club Foody

 

Across Canada 🌎, and I’m sure the same happens in the States, from the East Coast to the West, and North to South, there are many dishes which are staples of a region or province that are often not found in other areas.
 
The perfect example is Québec, the province I grew up in, along with the rest of the country. There’s Creton, Tourtière, Tarte au Sucre, Bouilli, and so on. While living in other provinces, these dishes were not known and, obviously, not available at any supermarkets 🛒.
 
This situation forced me to make 👩‍🍳 my own and not depend on the grocery store or when visiting family and friends back home. That is how I started making all the dishes mentioned above, plus my own Merguez, Poutine, Grand-Pères, and many others, including this one… Fondue Parmesan!
 
Unlike traditional “fondue”, this version is a mixture of creamy cheese made with Gruyère and Parmesan that is chilled before being cut 🔪 into squares. They’re breaded and then pan-fried until golden. Originally from Québec, this delicious appetizer is very popular for serving at dinner parties.
 
Fondue Parmesan is easy to make…
After the butter 🧈 is melted, the flour is cooked for a good 1:30 to 2 minutes to remove the raw, starchy taste. Next, the cheeses are added and stirred until melted. When there’s a little cheese left, egg yolk, smoked paprika, and freshly ground mixed peppercorns go into the saucepan and are well blended.
 
The mixture is spooned 🥄 into a 9×9 square pan lined with parchment paper. If you’re not sure how to line it, here’s the link Lining a Square Pan with Parchment Paper. Using a spatula, the mixture is spread out before placing a piece of wax paper on top, making sure it covers the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
 
An extra step I take is to use a flat-bottom measuring cup, or a glass, to smooth the cheese mixture 🧀 out. It helps to level it properly, giving an even surface so that when the pieces are cut, they’re nice and neat.
 
It’s refrigerated for at least 6 hours or overnight. When the cheese mixture is somewhat more solid (it will still be sticky), it’s cut into squares and breaded with flour, egg mixture 🥚, and breadcrumbs. I use Panko, but to ensure it adheres properly, I ground half of the amount.
 
The next and final step is to pan-fry the pieces. The oil is brought up to 375ºF. Working in batches without crowding the pan, the squares are fried until golden, which takes no longer than 1 minute (or less) ⏳ per side.
 
We all know that 350ºF is the sweet spot for frying food. The reason to bring it up higher 🔥 is that by the time the pieces are carefully placed in the skillet, the temperature will drop down to around 350. Starting higher ensures that the temperature will remain high enough throughout the cooking process.
 
The cheese mixture can be made ahead of time. Also, after being fried and at room temperature, the pieces are stored in an airtight container and can be frozen for up to 1 month 📆. To reheat them, place them on a baking sheet and transfer to a 350ºF oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
 
Incredibly delicious, this Fondue Parmesan is a lovely recipe to try! With a breaded cheese mixture quickly pan-fried, this Québécois appetizer is perfect to serve at your next dinner party. Sitting on a bed of lettuce along with cherry tomatoes 🍅, I’m sure this will become a popular item with your guests…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Here are more delicious Québécois recipes for you to try… 😀
– Pork Stew with Meatballs ~ Ragoût de Boulettes & Pattes de Cochon
– Sucre à la Crème – Butter & Cream Fudge
– Salmon Pie
– Canadian Butter Tarts with Maple Syrup
– Old Fashioned Baked Beans with Bacon
– Sweet & Savory Homemade Ketchup
– Shepherd’s Pie
– Maple Walnut Cake
– Split Pea & Ham Soup
and for even more Canadian recipes 🍁, click on this link… Recipe Category • Canadian Cuisine

For ingredient amounts, directions, and much more, visit ➡ https://clubfoody.com/fondue-parmesan/ 😉

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
 

Fricassée de Poulet (Chicken Fricassee) Recipe | Club Foody

 

My maternal grandmother was multi-talented! Perhaps it was the fact that she spent her entire childhood 👧 and teens in a private convent run by nuns . It was where all the girls from upper-class families went.
 
They learned more than any other schools: from music, history and geography , accounting, management, first ai, sewing, cooking, gardening 👩‍🌾, etiquette, and so forth… The nuns were preparing them for entry into society.
 
Instead of going along with her mother’s prospects list, she decided (I got my stubbornness from her… we’re both Aries, lol) to marry a blue-collar young man who was working as a conductor on Canadian National trains 🚉. From their union, they had seven kids.
 
Due to her years at the convent, she was a great pianist 🎶 and also a fantastic cook. Each time we visited my grandparents, I knew she made something incredibly delicious. It was during one of our visits that I tasted her Fricassée de Poulet (Chicken Fricassee).
 
This classic French dish is simply delightful! With chicken pieces browned in butter 🧈 and braised in a lovely white wine, creamy mushroom sauce, this comfort food is amazingly tasty! In our family, we describe it as a “white stew”, the opposite of Coq au Vin.
 
There’s no right or wrong when making this dish! Most of the time, when I make my version of Fricassée de Poulet (Chicken Fricassee), I use boneless, skinless thighs. The reason is they cook much faster. To make it authentic, like my grandmother did, she used a whole chicken 🐓 that she cut into eight pieces.
 
For more flavor and a deeper richness to the sauce, using drumsticks and chicken thighs or breasts with bone-in, skin-on is the way to go. If you opt for one of them (or all), keep in mind that the cooking time will be longer ⏰.
 
Often the seasonings used in this recipe are pretty simple: salt 🧂, pepper, and mild paprika. I prefer using hot paprika to give the dish more oomph. A spice blend I also like to add is Herbes de Provence. Besides butter, I brown my protein in some olive oil to prevent the butter from burning.
 
Although chicken is the preferred meat, nothing is stopping you from using other proteins like rabbit 🐇 or veal. When it comes to serving this French dish, I place a thigh on top of mashed potatoes, liberally spoon the sauce over, and sprinkle on some fresh chopped parsley as a finishing touch.
 
Creamy and incredibly delicious, this Fricassée de Poulet (Chicken Fricassee) is a great recipe to make for your family. Served with crusty bread 🍞 to soak up the yummy sauce, this is the perfect comfort food to enjoy anytime.
Bon Appétit! 🍽
 
Here are more delicious comfort food recipes for you to try… 😀
– Guinness Beef Stew
– Chicken Scarpariello
– Moroccan Lamb Couscous
– Italian Sausage, Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni
– Texas Cowboy Stew
– Easy Egg Rolls in a Bowl
– French Onion Dijon Pork Chops
– Saag Aloo
– Easy Beef Egg Noodles
and for even more poultry recipes 🐓🦃🦆, click on this link… Recipe Category • Poultry

For ingredient amounts, directions, and much more, visit ➡ https://clubfoody.com/fricassee-de-poulet-chicken-fricassee/ 😉

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube