Poached Figs With Fresh Ricotta Cheese Food

POACHED FIGS WITH FRESH RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat 3 cups water, the sugar, honey, and orange strips and grated zest in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar and honey have dissolved, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add figs; cover, and simmer until figs are just tender, about 20 minutes. Gently transfer figs to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• Raise heat to medium-high, and bring syrup to a boil. Cook until syrup has reduced and thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Return figs to pan, and gently toss with syrup to coat. Spoon 1/4 cup ricotta into each of 4 bowls. Divide figs among bowls, and drizzle with syrup. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

POACHED FRESH FIGS

Steps:

• Combine wine, sugar, lemon zest, 1 1/2 cups water, thyme, and vanilla bean in a non-reactive medium size saucepan and heat to simmer, let simmer gently for 5 minutes.
• Add figs to the syrup and continue to simmer until the figs are tender about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let figs cool about 10 minutes in the syrup. Remove and discard the thyme.
• Divide the figs among four glasses or bowls and spoon the warm syrup over the fruits. Garnish with Creme Fraiche and fresh thyme sprigs.

ROASTED FIGS WITH FRESH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the figs, cut side up, in a baking dish. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, and whisk in the honey, cinnamon and salt. Drizzle the hot honey butter over the figs and roast in oven until very soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Divide the fresh ricotta or fat free yogurt among 4 serving dishes and top with the warm figs and sauce. Enjoy!
• Cook's Note: These hot figs are really great over mixed greens or even on a toasted baguette as a crostini!

SAMBUCA POACHED FIGS WITH RICOTTA AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a small skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pine nuts, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and season with salt.
• Simmer Sambuca with sugar in a saucepan (pan should be just large enough to hold figs upright), stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cut a very thin slice from bottom of each fig and stand figs in liquid in saucepan (figs will not be covered by liquid).
• Poach figs at a bare simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Cool slightly in liquid.
• Season ricotta with salt and pepper. Divide figs among 4 plates alongside mounds of ricotta and drizzle figs with some of poaching liquid, then sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

FIGS POACHED IN RED WINE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until figs are easily pierced with the tip of a sharp paring knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer figs to a bowl; simmer remaining liquid until reduced to about 1/3 cup, 3 to 5 minutes (liquid should look syrupy and coat the back of a spoon). Pour through a fine-mesh sieve over figs, and let cool slightly. (If refrigerating, bring to room temperature before serving.) Serve figs and syrup over ice cream or whipped ricotta cheese, if desired.

FIGS POACHED IN MADEIRA WITH CREAM CHEESE & RICOTTA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan place the figs so that they are all standing upright. Sprinkle the figs with the sugar and the cinnamon. Add enough of the Madeira so that it comes about half way up the sides of the figs. Place the pan, covered, over low heat and poach for 40 minutes. Remove the figs from the pan, then return the pan to the stove and on high heat boil down the liquid in the pan until it has thickened somewhat and is glossy-this should take about 10 minutes or so. Pour the reduced liquid over the figs and store them in a covered flat-bottomed storage container in your refrigerator until they are chilled. Meanwhile prepare the sauce.
• Sauce: In your food processor blend the cream cheese, Ricotta cheese, tsp cinnamon, and 4 TBS sugar until well-blended. Store this in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Final Preparation: Place 3 figs in each serving dish, spoon some of the liquid in which they have been stored over them, then top with some of the cheese mixture.

POACHED FRESH FIGS

Steps:

• Spread the sugar in the bottom of the pan, and pour in 1/2 cup water and the lemon juice. Set the figs in the pan, stem up, in one layer. Nestle the strips of lemon zest and the bay leaves in between the figs.
• Set the pan over low heat, and cook slowly until the sugar melts and the figs release their juices. As the juices rise in the pan, gradually raise the heat to keep them bubbling (and "galloping"). When the figs are soft and the liquid level comes halfway up their sides, in 30 minutes or more, turn off the heat, and let the figs rest in the pan for an hour or longer, to reabsorb some of the juices.
• Slowly heat the figs and juices until they're bubbling again, and cook for 30 minutes or so, until the figs are very soft (but still intact) and the juices have become thick and syrupy.
• Let the figs cool before serving. Arrange them in a serving dish if you like, with the syrup all around. Enjoy the fruit and syrup on their own, or atop vanilla ice cream, or with a soft, creamy cheese such as Taleggio or Robiola.

FIG-RICOTTA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Beat ricotta cheese, sugar, and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by almond extract. Beat in flour mixture on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl until combined; beat batter for about 30 seconds more.
• Place chopped figs into a bowl, sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over, and stir to coat. Fold figs into the batter. Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Place fig slices on top of the batter, down the center.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Remove from the pan once the cake has cooled, 20 to 30 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

MARSALA-POACHED FIGS OVER RICOTTA

Steps:

• Place figs, Marsala (or port) and honey in a small saucepan.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the figs soften and the wine is syrupy.
• Stir together ricotta, sugar and vanilla.
• Divide between 2 bowls and top with the fig mixture and almonds.