Ricotta And Orange Blintzes With Strawberry Sauce Food

STRAWBERRY BLINTZES RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• Combine the milk, water, eggs, flour, salt and sugar in a bowl (or blender) Blend on medium speed for 15 seconds, until the batter is smooth and lump-free. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour in 3 tablespoons of melted butter. Blend it again for a second just to incorporate. Refrigerate the batter for 1 hour to let it rest. If the crepes are made immediately, they have a tendency to be rubbery; when you let the batter rest, the crepes have a better texture and a softer bite. CHEESE FILLING: In a food processor, combine the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and egg and blend until smooth. Chill the filling to firm it up a bit so it doesn't squirt out of the blintzes. Put an 8-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush with a little melted butter for added assurance. SAUCE: Combine the strawberries, sugar, water, cornstarch, and zest in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and stir gently until the berries release their natural juices. The consistency should remain a bit chunky, it will thicken up when it cools down. CREPES: Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and swirl it around so it covers the bottom evenly; pour back any excess. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds, until the crepe batter sets. Lightly bang the edge of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the crepe; then flip it and cook another 30 seconds. The art of flipping a crepe in the air takes practice, so make sure no one is looking when you get the first one going. If this intimidates you, use a heatproof rubber spatula to loosen and flip the crepe. The crepes should be pliable, not crisp, and lightly brown. Slide them onto a platter and continue making the crepes until all the batter is used. Cover the stack of crepes with a towel to keep them from drying out. ASSEMBLY: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Forming the blintzes is kind of like making burritos. Spoon 1/4 cup of the cheese filling along the lower third of the crepe. Fold the bottom edge away from you to just cover the filling; then fold the 2 sides in to the center. Roll the crepe away from you a couple of times to make a package, ending with the seam side down. Put an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Brush with melted butter. Set the blintzes into the pan, and brush lightly with melted butter. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes so the egg in the filling cooks slightly and the cheese sets. Using a spatula, transfer the blintzes to serving plates. OPTIONAL: Spoon the strawberry sauce on top, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve right away.

CHEF JOHN'S CHEESE BLINTZES

Steps:

• Place 3 eggs, flour, milk, water, vegetable oil, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract in a blender. Blend until completely smooth, 1 or 2 minutes, scraping down sides as needed. Let batter sit at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Whisk together ricotta cheese, cream cheese, lemon zest, egg, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix together thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate.
• Heat a 10-inch, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray or brush lightly with vegetable oil. Pour in about 1/4 cup batter. Immediately swirl batter around to coat bottom of pan. Cook until surface looks dry, about 1 minute. Flip crepe over to briefly cook other side, about 30 seconds. Remove to a plate. Repeat with the rest of batter. Stack crepes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly butter a baking dish.
• Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of filling onto the crepe, about an inch from edge nearest you. Fold edge over filling and flatten slightly. Fold in both sides, then roll up crepe into a small filled rectangle, ending with the seam on the bottom, creating a blintz.
• Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Cook the blintzes until golden brown on both sides, turning gently, about 2 minutes. Transfer to buttered baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven to firm up the filling, about 12 minutes. Cool blintzes 10 minutes before serving. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar.

STRAWBERRY BLINTZES

Steps:

• Beat eggs, flour, and salt together in a large bowl until smooth. Mix in milk and 1 1/2 tablespoon butter gradually. Cover with plastic wrap and let batter rest in the refrigerator, at least 2 hours.
• Combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract in a blender; blend until filling is smooth.
• Melt a bit of butter in a large skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Ladle in a small amount of batter and swirl skillet to spread batter in a thin layer. Cook until set, about 30 seconds. Flip and continue cooking until second side is cooked, about 10 seconds. Transfer to a plate to cool. Repeat with remaining butter and batter.
• Spoon filling onto blintzes and fold. Top with strawberries.

RICOTTA MASCARPONE BLINTZES WITH RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Mix together the ricotta, mascarpone, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest and a small pinch of salt.
• With the cooked side in, place the "tail" of the crepe toward you and spoon about 2 ounces of the filling inside the center of the wrapper. Fold and hold the two opposite sides of the crepe over the filling until they almost meet and then fold the "tail" over the ingredients pulling the stuffing toward you. Fold the crepe over until you form a seam on the blintz. Set finished 2-inch by 1 1/2-inch flat "eggroll" shaped blintz on a dry towel with the seam side down.
• Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium high heat, beginning with the seam side down. Saute each blintz until golden brown, carefully so the cheese does not escape. Flip the blintz onto the other side. To warm the ingredients in the blintz, lower the flame and cook slowly, about 2 to 5 minutes to avoid burning the crepe.
• Gently toss the rhubarb, strawberries, flour, sugar and lemon and let stand until moist, 5 to 10 minutes. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the fruit mixture. Cook the fruit for approximately 35 minutes, stirring to make sure the fruit does not brown. Cover 5 minutes or until rhubarb is soft. Ladle the warm fruit over the blintz and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with a fresh strawberry half.

CHEESE BLINTZES WITH STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB COMPOTE

Steps:

• Make crepes:
• Stir flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Whisk eggs, milk, butter and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Add to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
• Spray with vegetable oil spray and heat over medium-low heat. Pour 2 tablespoons crepe batter into pan and swirl pan to coat bottom thinly. Cook until edge of crepe is light brown, about 1 minute. Loosen edges of crepe gently with spatula. Carefully turn crepe over. Cook until beginning to brown in spots, about 30 seconds. Transfer crepe to plate. Place paper towel atop crepe. Repeat with remaining batter, spraying pan with vegetable oil spray as needed and covering each crepe with paper towel, forming total of 16 crepes.
• For filling:
• Mix farmer cheese and cream cheese in large bowl to blend. Stir in sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract and ground cardamom.
• Place 1 crepe on work surface. Place 2 tablespoons filling 3-inch-long log just below center. Fold bottom of crepe over filling. fold sides in. Roll crepe up, enclosing filling completely. Transfer blintz to plastic-lined dish. Repeat with remaining filling and crepes.(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill overnight)
• For compote:
• Simmer orange juice and honey in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add rhubarb and stir until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in vanilla extract and ground cardamom. Cover and refrigerate. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Keep chilled.) Stir in strawberries.
• Preheat oven to 200°F. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Place 5 blintzes, seam side down, in skillet. Cook until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer blintzes to baking sheet; keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 11 blintzes in 2 more batches. Place blintzes on plates. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

CHEESE BLINTZES WITH STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB COMPOTE

Steps:

• BLINTZES: Using a blender, mix the eggs, milk and flour at low speed. Add the Grand Marnier. Once the batter is well mixed and coats the spoon with a thin film, refrigerate, covered for 1 hour in a pitcher or bowl.
• Stir the batter thoroughly and before making the crepes, test the liquid by dunking a spoon in the mixture; again, it should coat the spoon with a thin film. Adjust by adding milk if necessary.
• Using a 8-10" nonstick pan, spray with oil, and heat the pan over medium-high heat. Pour about one cup of batter to coat one pan. Once covered, pour a thin layer of batter into the heated pan, swirling to coat if necessary.
• When the crepes pull away from the edge of the pan in about 20 seconds, remove from the heat, tap them lightly or run a knife across the edge of the pan to release, and invert the crepes on a dry towel to cool. Stir the batter at brief intervals to re-suspend the ingredients.
• FILLING: Mix together the ricotta, mascarpone, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest and a small pinch of salt.
• ASSEMBLY: With the cooked side up, spoon about 1/4 cup filling inside the center of the wrapper.
• Fold and hold the two opposite sides of the crepe over the filling until they almost meet and then fold over the ingredients pulling the stuffing toward you.
• Fold the crepe over until you form a seam on the blintz. Set finished 2-inch by 1 1/2-inch flat "eggroll" shaped blintz on a dry towel with the seam side down.
• COOK: Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium high heat, beginning with the seam side down. Saute each blintz until golden brown, carefully so the cheese does not escape.
• Flip the blintz onto the other side. Lower the flame and cook slowly, about 2 to 5 minutes to avoid burning the crepe.
• TOPPING: Gently toss the rhubarb, strawberries, flour, sugar and lemon and let stand until moist, 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the fruit mixture. Cook the fruit for approximately 35 minutes, stirring to make sure the fruit does not brown. Cover 5 minutes or until rhubarb is soft.
• TO SERVE: Ladle the warm fruit over the blintz and top with a dollop of sour cream. Garnish with a fresh strawberry half.

BAKED CHEESE BLINTZ CASSEROLE WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Filling: In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat together all ingredients. Set aside.
• Batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In another medium bowl, with an electric mixer and with clean beaters, beat butter, sugar, and eggs. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and orange juice and beat well.
• Casserole: Pour half of the batter into a lightly sprayed or oiled 9 X 13 baking dish. Spoon Filling on top, spreading it around as much as possible. Pour remaining batter on top. Bake until firm and golden on top, about 50 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with Strawberry Sauce or a blueberry sauce.
• Strawberry Sauce: In a food processor, slightly puree the thawed berries, including their juice. Transfer puree to a medium saucepan. Add remaining ingredients (except liqueur) and bring to a boil on medium-high, whisking, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, add fresh berries and liqueur. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature.

PEAR AND RICOTTA BLINTZES WITH SPICED MAPLE-BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Whisk all ingredients in heavy small saucepan over low heat until butter melts. Cool until slightly thickened, whisking occasionally. (Can be made 3 days ahead; chill.)
• For crêpes:
• Blend milk and eggs in blender until smooth. Add flour, butter, sugar and salt; blend until smooth batter forms. Chill 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Reblend for 10 seconds before using.
• Heat nonstick skillet with 8-inch bottom over medium-high heat; brush with oil. Pour scant 3 tablespoons batter into skillet. Rotate and shake skillet to spread batter over bottom. Cook until crêpe is brown at edges and appears dry on top, about 20 seconds. Turn crêpe over. Cook until brown spots form on bottom of crêpe, about 12 seconds. Turn crêpe out onto paper towel; cover with paper towel. Repeat, making about 26 crêpes and brushing skillet occasionally with oil. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap; chill.)
• For filling:
• Mix currants and rum in small bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Mix in pears and 1/4 cup sugar. Cook until pears are tender and brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes; cool.
• Beat cream cheese, eggs, peel, vanilla and 1/4 cup sugar in bowl. Beat in ricotta cheese; stir in pear and currant mixtures. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Place 1 crêpe, spotted side up, on work surface. Shape 1/4 cup filling into 3-inch-long log in center of crêpe. Fold bottom of crêpe over filling. Fold in sides; roll up. Place seam side down in prepared dish. Repeat with remaining filling and crêpes.
• Cover dish with foil. Bake blintzes until thermometer inserted into center of filling registers 160°F to 170°F, about 45 minutes. Place 2 blintzes on each plate. Whisk sauce over low heat until just warm and smooth. Serve blintzes with sauce.