brunch

Herbed Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Focaccia

August 24, 2018 by Marisa 17 Comments

This Herbed Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Focaccia makes a truly satisfying lunch with a side salad. It can also be enjoyed as a delicious appetizer before your main meal.

I’ve been loving lately these wonderfully sweet cherry tomatoes made even more so by oven roasting them till they’re slightly charred and pop open. The roasted tomatoes ooze out the most sweetest concentrated juices with their wonderful aromas permeating the air.

There are so many ways to use these roasted jewels as some of my Instagram friends can attest! You can snack on them as they are with some crusty Italian bread or tossed with your favourite pasta.

Some suggested slow roasting the tomatoes, storing them in jars filled with oil and kept in the refrigerator up to a month.

Usually, I simply top the roasted cheery tomatoes over ciabatta bread which makes a crowd pleasing appetizer. As seen with this Roasted Cherry Tomato Ricotta Bruschetta.

I’ve decided to switch it up today by baking some fresh focaccia bread which is essentially a flatbread and not difficult to put together.

The flatbread with its soft, airy textures and crusty outer layers is then slathered with a a creamy herbed ricotta mixture. I must say its truly mouthwatering on its own but we’re going for the “swoon factor” here!

What better way to do so then topping the flatbread with some juicy oven roasted cherry tomatoes! Oozing out all their caramelized goodness and ready to be sopped up…yummy!

You can enjoy the flatbreads with a side salad and call it a meal. We especially love them sliced into wedges and served as appetizers.

You can also make and bake the flatbreads ahead and freeze them till ready to use. This way you’ll have a yummy flatbread to enjoy at a moments notice!

Buon Appetito!

Print Recipe

Herbed Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Focaccia

Soft and airy focaccia bread with crusty outer layers, slathered with a a creamy herbed ricotta mixture and topped with oven roasted cherry tomatoes.

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Ingredients

Focaccia Dough

2 cups water
4 + 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 to 5 cups all purpose flour
8 grams quick rise instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

800 grams cherry tomatoes
6 cloves garlic smashed
4 springs oregano fresh
sprinkle salt and ground black pepper to your taste
olive oil for drizzling

Herbed Ricotta

600 grams ricotta
2 tablespoons oregano fresh
2 tablespoons thyme fresh
sprinkle of salt and pepper to your taste

Instructions

Focaccia Dough

Heat 2 cups of water with 4 tablespoons of olive oil in the microwave until lukewarm.
In a large bowl combine 3 cups of flour, yeast, salt, sugar and stir well.
Stir the warm liquids into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon, mixing well.
Stir in another cup of flour until combined.
Transfer the dough to a well floured work surface and knead for a few minutes while working in the remaining cup of flour a bit at a time, just until the dough is soft and smooth.
Grease a large bowl with oil and place your pizza dough in the greased bowl while turning the dough over to grease all over.
Cover the bowl with a dish towel and set aside to rise for 60 minutes or until doubled in size.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and brush lightly with olive oil
Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer to a floured work surface and divide into 4 equal portions.
Transfer the portions to the prepared baking sheets, placing 2 on each sheet allowing enough space between the 2 portions.
Using your hands, push the dough towards the edges of the baking sheet while shaping it roughly to a 6x8 rectangle.
Cover with a clean dishcloth and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Uncover the focaccia dough and using your fingers press down to form indentations.
Stir together 4 tablespoons of olive oil with the minced garlic, oregano and brush over the surface of the focaccia.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Place the cherry tomatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Scatter with the smashed garlic, tuck in the sprigs of oregano, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and drizzle with some olive oil.
Roast in preheated oven at 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes to 35 minutes.

Herbed Ricotta

Combine the ricotta, oregano, thyme wth salt and pepper in a bowl and stir well.

Assembling The Herbed Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Focaccia

Slather the herbed ricotta mixture over the baked focaccia with equal portions.
Equally top with the oven roasted tomatoes.
Garnish with extra oregano, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Slice, serve and enjoy!

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

July 9, 2016 by Marisa 41 Comments

No matter what season we are in or what day of the week it is, these banana oatmeal chocolate chip muffins are always a welcome treat. I know, a mouthful right! I did not want to leave any of these yummy key ingredients out. In my opinion they all shine in this recipe, like a well played orchestra! Pairing them all together truly has them singing in harmony.

There is no baking challenge required here and you will find them quite easy to make. With just a few simple steps and with ingredients we usually have on hand, you’ll be well on your way to making these deliciously moist and cake-like muffins for your family.

Consequently, my family simply adores bananas! We literally go through about 2 dozen bananas a week. I kid you not!

Overly ripe bananas, with brown speckled skin, are simply the best for baking so be sure to use really ripe ones as they yield a more intense banana flavor. Whenever I have to many over ripe bananas, I like to freeze them, skin intact, in a resealable freezer bag ready for whenever the baking bug hits. Which is quite often in my case!

I used my mini processor to grind my rolled oats till fine. You can however use them whole for a chewier texture.

Initially, I wanted to use chocolate chunks, however after testing the recipe a few times I settled on mini chocolate chips for an even distribution of chocolate. The heavier chocolate chunks tended to settle mostly at the bottom of the muffin. I did however top the muffins with the bigger chocolate chunks, just before baking to give them a little extra love!

It bears mentioning that sour cream really does lend some extra moistness to these muffins, however, it is interchangeable with plain yogurt and also buttermilk for some extra tang!

Also noteworthy is this really wonderful streusal topping which I slightly tweaked from an older post of Raspberry Crumb Muffins. I added rolled oats for an extra crumbly texture and substituted golden brown sugar for the granulated sugar. It worked out beautifully. And, as an added bonus, this streusal topping can be made in advance and chilled till ready to use. Any leftover topping can be refrigerated for a couple of weeks.

Enjoy these banana oatmeal chocolate chip muffins for breakfast, brunch, potlucks or for just about anytime of the week! I am sure they will soon become a family favorite!

Print Recipe

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

Deliciously moist banana oatmeal chocolate chip muffin with a crumbly streusel topping.

Course: Muffin

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

CRUMB TOPPING MIX
1/3 cup flaked rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup golden brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
MUFFINS
4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup ground oat flakes
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
3 ripe bananas peeled and mashed

Instructions

Streusel Crumb Topping
Place all ingredients for the streusel topping in a small bowl. Use your hands to work the dry ingredients with the butter till they resemble crumb like morsels.
Chill till ready to use.
Muffins
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, ground oats, baking powder and the baking soda and set aside.
Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper muffin cups.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and the vanilla.
Mix in the egg until combined.
Mix in 1/4 cup of sour cream and half the flour mixture.
Repeat with the remaining sour cream and then the remaining flour.
Fold in the mini chocolate chips and the mashed bananas.
Divide the batter equally among the 12 muffin cups. ( I used an ice cream scoop)
Top each muffin with a heaping tablespoon of the prepared crumb mixture.
Bake for 25 minutes to 30 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
If you are not using the paper liners be sure to let the muffins cool for about10 minutes before releasing them from the pan.

Parmesan Crusted Potatoes with Asparagus

April 22, 2016 by Marisa 38 Comments

Parmesan crusted potatoes with asparagus is a simple dish which features just a few ingredients that can be prepared on any busy weeknight.

I have come to realize that I haven’t yet shared a vegetable recipe here on the blog before! So let me remedy that with this supper easy vegetable dish!

It’s just wonderful served alongside steak, chicken or even fish. You can even go vegetarian by topping the roasted vegetables with a fried egg. Yummy!!

These Parmesan crusted potatoes with asparagus are oven roasted to a golden brown perfection. Topping the vegetables with grated Parmesan cheese for the last 5 minutes of roasting time, develops a delicious crunchy crust. This imparts another layer of goodness to the vegetables that make them so irresistible.

Grelot Potatoes

My family is a huge potatoes fan…like really huge! My mom was never able to prepare enough potatoes to satisfy everyone at family gatherings! We would often find ourselves wrestling each other at the diner table for her oven roasted potatoes. For some reason, unbeknownst to us, my nephew Gab would end up with most of them on his plate! Go figure!

I used a delicious combination of red, yellow and blue little creamer potatoes. They’re thin skinned, buttery and nutritious and also pair so well with the fresh asparagus.

If you can’t find creamer potatoes in your area, any other baby potatoes will do. Just remember to cut them into equal sizes so they cook evenly.

Lining a baking sheet with parchment paper will ensure that the potatoes do no stick to the pan and…easy clean up!

Toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes out in a single layer, giving them room to brown and bake for 20 minutes.

When you’re ready to add the asparagus to the pan toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then simply nestle them between the potatoes and bake 15 minutes more.

Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes. The cheese melts and develops wonderful golden brown crust over the vegetables. Simply delicious!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

Print Recipe

Parmesan Crusted Potatoes And Asparagus

These Parmesan crusted potatoes are a healthy and delicious combination of red, yellow and blue Grelot potatoes. The vegetables are oven roasted to a golden brown perfection.

Course: Vegetable

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Servings:

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds grelots potatoes or any baby potatoes of your choice cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 pound asparagus tips trimmed
2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium sized bowl, toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Spread on the prepared baking sheet, in a single layer.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Using the same bowl, toss the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Remove the pan with potatoes from the oven and flip the potatoes over.
Add the asparagus to the pan and bake along side the potatoes for 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with the grated cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is golden in spots.

Chocolate Cranberry Twist

November 7, 2015 by Marisa 33 Comments

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Sorry I was away while my virtual kitchen was under renovations and I am now back to share this amazing-looking Cranberry Chocolate Loaf that will have you doing the twist in your kitchen…lol ! So get comfortable and feel free to take a tour and scroll around.

There is something so magical by taking a few simple ingredients, which you probably already have on hand and transforming them into an incredibly delicious sweet bread. In texture it is much like an Italian Panettone but less drier on the inside, more brioche-like. The filling is a chocolate, cranberry and pecan mixture that once rolled into the dough creates a pretty swirl into each slice. Alternately you can also spread it with your favorite jam! I’m thinking raspberry jam and then sprinkled with some mini, dark chocolate chips would work really well. Ohhh! Will have to try that next!

Drizzled with icing, this sweet bread makes a spectacular centerpiece for the holidays or just enjoy it on a crispy-cold day, curled up in front of the fireplace with a steaming cup of coffee or tea.

If you try it, do let me know how it turns out. I would love to hear from you 🙂

Ingredients:

1/4 granulated sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1 pkg active dry yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/4 butter
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp cinnamon

Icing:

1/4 cup sifted icing sugar
2 tsp milk
2 tsp butter, melted

In a large bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon of the sugar in warm water. Sprinkle in the yeast and let it stand for 10 minutes or until it is frothy.

In the meantime, heat the milk, remaining sugar, butter and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter is melted. Let the mixture cool to lukewarm. Whisk 2 of the eggs in a small bowl, add it to the yeast mixture and whisk some more. Add in the milk mixture and whisk again. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of the flour. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.

Place the dough on a lightly floured workplace and knead for 10 minutes, adding in enough of the remaining flour as necessary til the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a large greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm draft-free place until it has doubled in size, for about one hour.

Grease a 10 inch spring-form pan and set it aside.

For the filling, mix the sugar with the corn syrup in a bowl and stir in the cranberries, chocolate chips and pecans.

Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a slightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into an 18 x 11 inch rectangle. Spread the filling over the dough, pressing it slightly into the surface. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the filling. Starting at the long edge, tightly roll up the dough and place it seam side down. Cut the dough in half lengthwise. Keep it cut side up and start twisting the halves together like a rope.

Place the twisted dough in the prepared pan, shaping it into a ring. Pinch the ends together to seal. Cover the pan with a plastic wrap and let it rise again until doubled in bulk for about 1 hour.

Beat the remaining egg and brush it over the dough. Bake in the center of a preheated oven (350*F), for about 35 minutes or until golden.

Loosen the bread from the pan by running a knife around it. Remove from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.

For the icing, mix together the icing sugar, milk and butter and drizzle over the bread.

The bread is at it’s best served the same day while it is still warm, but can also be wrapped and stored for one day. Any leftovers the next day, can be portioned out wrapped in paper towels and warmed in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds, it will come out tasting like it had just been baked 🙂

Makes 1 loaf, 16 slices.

This recipe was adapted from Canadian Living Magazine.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

September 1, 2015 by Marisa 20 Comments

With zucchini being a staple backyard vegetable for most people, this sweet loaf would be a wonderful way to use up the summer bounty. It is one of those versatile foods that can be eaten raw, sliced and added to salads, cooked up in a savory dish or simply grate it and bake with it.

We had one of our numerous potlucks last week and this loaf received a lot of love and had many colleagues requesting the recipe. It is so quick and easy to put together with very minimum fuss. No special equipment required, just two bowls to stir in the dry and wet ingredients separately. I used my box grater to shred the zucchini which only took a minute and works wonderfully.

Tip: For the most tender and moist zucchini bread, use a light hand when stirring the batter together and avoid over-mixing.

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups coarsely shredded, unpeeled zucchini (2 medium)
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350*F.

Grease two 8×4 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside.

In another bowl whisk together the eggs, zucchini, sugar, oil and vanilla. Add to your flour mixture and stir just until moistened. The batter will be somewhat lumpy and with a couple of white flour flecks and that is o.k. Next, fold in 1 cup of the mini chocolate pieces and the pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans and bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool in the loaf pans for 10 minutes then remove from the pans and let cool on a wire rack.

Melt the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals, until melted (about 1 minute ). Stir and drizzle the melted chocolate over the two loaves.

I find that using mini chocolate chips ensures an even distribution of chocolate through out the loaves. Whereas larger chucks of chocolate tends to settle at the bottom of the loaf which can also result in scorched bottoms.

Tender and moist with small green flecks of zucchini peaking through.

For easier slicing, let cool completely or better yet cover the loaf and store overnight. Drizzle the melted chocolate just before serving. Wonderful for make ahead desserts, breakfast or brunch ideas.

This zucchini bread is truly remarkable. I made it three times this past week which when doing the math is 6 loaves! The first time I used my stand mixer on the “stir mode” but it turned out too dense for my liking. So skip the big mixer and do use a whisk and a spoon. Have to go now, my Elliptical Machine is calling out to me. lol 🙂

Makes two impressive loaves and will yield about 14 slices each.

Adapted from BHG Magazine