Charred Peppers With Lemon Ricotta And Cucumbers Recipes

Steps:

• Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Spread out walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Let cool, then crush into large pieces with a flat-bottomed measuring cup or glass.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook peppers, shaking pan and turning peppers occasionally, until skins are lightly charred and flesh is tender, 6-8 minutes. Transfer peppers to a cutting board and let cool slightly. If peppers are large, cut in half lengthwise.
• Combine ricotta and 2 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl; finely grate zest from lemon over and mix well. Season lemon ricotta with salt. Set lemon aside.
• Combine peppers, cucumbers, mint, and half of walnuts in a large bowl. Cut reserved lemon in half and squeeze juice into bowl. Drizzle in 2 Tbsp. oil, season with salt, and toss to coat.
• Transfer pepper mixture to a platter along with any juices in the bottom of bowl. Dollop lemon ricotta over and top with remaining walnuts. Drizzle with more oil and season with black pepper.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Place the lemons in the skillet cut side down and cook without moving until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Squeeze the juice of 2 of the halves into a medium mixing bowl. Add the ricotta, mayonnaise, garlic, chives, mint, Worcestershire and cayenne and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a small serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil then dust with paprika. Serve with the remaining charred lemon on the side and the vegetables for dipping.

Steps:

• Bake bread 10 to 12 minutes in a preheated 325 degree F oven to toast.
• Gently squeeze liquid from ricotta in paper towels. Combine the ricotta with cream cheese in food processor and add the zest and juice of 1 lemon, thyme, garlic and pepper. Process until smooth and transfer to a serving dish. Serve with toast.

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven, and heat it to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Rinse the peppers, pat them dry and place them on the pan. Roast the peppers, turning every 10 minutes, until their skins are black and blistered, 40 minutes, more or less. Transfer the peppers to a heatproof bowl, cover and, when they're cool enough to handle, peel off the skins. Remove the caps, cut each pepper in quarters or halves and remove and discard the seeds. Lightly brush the peppers with oil; use now, or cover closely and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
• Scrape the ricotta into a bowl, and mix with a spatula to smoothen. Grate the lemon zest over the ricotta, squeeze in about 1 tablespoon of the juice and add the preserved lemon rind, if you're using it. Pour in a few teaspoons of olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Use now, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
• To serve, spoon or spread the lemon ricotta on a platter or individual plates, and drizzle with olive oil. Top with peppers, and brush or drizzle with olive oil and either sherry or balsamic vinegar. Finish with a sprinkling of chives or basil.

Steps:

• Stir 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, parsley, or dill into 1/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Spread on toast; top with cucumber.

Steps:

• Singe the peppers quickly over a gas flame, grill or under the broiler.
• The peppers should char all over, but do not cook them so long that they turn limp.
• Remove them from heat and cool them in a plastic bag, then slide off the charred skins.
• Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the stems, ribs and seeds.
• Drizz;le the halves with olive oil.
• Preheat the oven to 350.
• In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, basil, green onions, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Beat in the eggs.
• Fill the pepper halves with the ricotta mixture and place them in a baking dish.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Serve with additional basil leaves for garnish, if desired.