Beet Ricotta Dip With Vegetables Food

ROASTED SUMMER VEGETABLE SALAD WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, toss tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, thyme, oil and salt. Spread in single layer on 2 ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Divide vegetables evenly among 4 serving plates. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon ricotta cheese; sprinkle with parsley.

RICOTTA DIP FOR VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Put the garlic cloves in a microwave safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Cook the garlic on high power in the microwave, until very soft, about 1 1/2 minutes. (Alternatively steam the garlic until soft.) Let cool, and gently press the cooked garlic out of the skin onto a cutting board. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, and mince together with the parsley leaves to make a paste. Using a fork, blend the garlic-parley paste with the ricotta, lemon zest, and olive oil. Season with pepper and serve with vegetable crudités such as broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, and button mushrooms.
• Keep in airtight container refrigerated for 2 days.

ROOT VEGETABLE CHIPS WITH ROASTED GARLIC DIP

Steps:

• To make the dip: Preheat the oven to 400°F Cut the garlic in half horizontally, keeping the head as intact as possible-do not peel the garlic. Drizzle the cut surfaces with the oil and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Put the two halves back together to re-form the garlic head. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Bake until the garlic is tender and the cloves have turned golden beige, 35 to 45 minutes. Unwrap the garlic and let cool completely. Squeeze the garlic pulp out of the skins into a small bowl, discarding the skins.
• Using a fork, mash the garlic pulp until smooth. Stir in the ricotta, Parmigiano, and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let stand* for 30 minutes at room temperature to blend the flavors. (The dip can be prepared 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Let it come to room temperature before serving.)
• To make the chips: Using a mandoline or plastic V-slicer, cut the root vegetables as directed below. The slices should be almost paper-thin, less than 116 inch. As the vegetables are sliced, place each kind in a separate large bowl of cold water and let stand* for 30 minutes to remove excess starch.
• Carrots and parsnips: Peel and cut lengthwise into very thin strips.
• Beets: Rub your hands lightly with vegetable oil to keep the beet juices from staining your skin. Peel the beets and cut crosswise into very thin rounds.
• Lotus roots: These can be found at Asian grocers, and make very interesting chips with random holes throughout. Peel and cut crosswise into very thin rounds.
• Taro: Also known as yautia, this root vegetable can be purchased at Latino and Asian markets. Fried taro chips have a slight purple tinge. Peel and cut crosswise into very thin rounds.
• Drain the vegetables well. Spread them out between layers of paper towels and pat completely dry.
• Place a large wire cake rack over a jelly roll pan. Fill a large roasting pan with a double thickness of crumpled paper towels. In a deep Dutch oven, melt vegetable shortening over high heat to a depth of 2 to 3 inches and heat it to 350°F
• In separate batches, without crowding, deep-fry the vegetables, stirring often with a wire-mesh skimmer to separate the chips, until the chips are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. (If you are frying beets, fry them last, as their color may leach into the oil.) Using the skimmer, transfer the chips to the wire racks to drain briefly, then move them to the roasting pan with paper towels to remove excess oil. Separate each new layer of chips with more paper towels. The chips will crisp as they cool, and are best served at room temperature within 6 hours of frying. Just before serving, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve with the ricotta dip.

TEMPURA BEET ROLLATINI WITH BALSAMIC GASTRIQUE

Steps:

• Place the beet in a pan and cover with water. Add vinegar, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. Place the tofu, nutritional yeast, onion, lemon juice, cashew cream, miso paste, 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/8 teaspoons pepper in a food processor and blend until the mix has the texture of ricotta cheese.
• In a small bowl, prepare the tempura batter according to the package directions, then fold in chives, 1 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Hold the cooked beet under cold running water until it's cool. Peel the skin. Slice the beet paper thin on a mandoline(a cheese slicer may work too). Dry the slices with paper towels and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Spread a small mounded strip of the tofu ricotta mixture on one end of each beet slice and roll up, using a dab of the ricotta mixture to hold the roll closed if needed.
• Pour 2 inches of the oil into a large, heavy pot and heat to 375*F. Holding a roll together, dip in the tempura batter, coating completely, and carefully lower into the oil. Fry the rolls, a few at a time to avoid crowding the pot, until well browned and crisp, about 2 minutes.
• Remove to a pan or plate lined with paper towels and set aside in a warm oven until all the rolls are fried.
• Serve hot, drizzled with the Balsamic Gastrique.
• To make the gastrique, in a small sauccepan over medium high heat, stir together the vinegar and sugar. Cook until syrupy and reduced by two thirds, about 15 minutes.