Ricotta Stuffed Oven Roasted Nectarines Food

GRILLED HONEY-NECTARINE RICOTTA TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil grate.
• Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil onto a small plate. Place nectarine wedges on the plate and cover all sides with oil. Brush both sides of bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Place nectarines onto the hot grate and grill 1 to 2 minutes per side; remove to a plate. When nectarine wedges have cooled slightly, cut each wedge in 1/2 lengthwise so you now have 16 pieces.
• Place bread slices onto the hot grate and cook until grill marks appear and bread is toasted, about 1 minute per side; remove to a plate.
• Spread ricotta cheese onto each slice of toast. Arrange 8 nectarine slices onto each toast and top with almonds. Sprinkle with mint and drizzle with honey. Cut each toast in half and serve.

RICOTTA-AND-HERB-STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Preheat oven to 400°F with racks in middle and lower third.
• Cook garlic in oil in a small heavy skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and stir in ricotta, eggs, parmesan, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Stuff and roast chickens:
• Cut out backbones from chickens with kitchen shears (freeze bones for making stock if desired). Pat chickens dry, then spread flat, skin sides up, on a cutting board. Cut a 1/2-inch slit on each side of chicken in center of triangle of skin between thigh and breast (near drumstick), then tuck knob of each drumstick thourough slit.
• Sprinkle each chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and spread chickens flat, skin sides up, in an oiled large (17- by 12-inch) shallow baking pan. Gently slide your finger between skin and flesh of breast and legs of 1 chicken to loosen skin (be careful not to tear skin). Using a small spoon, slide 2/3 cup ricotta mixture under skin, using a finger on outside of skin to spread filling over meat of breast, thighs, and drumsticks. Tuck wing tips under. Stuff second chicken in same manner. Brush skin of chickens all over with oil (2 tablespoons) and sprinkle each with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Spoon remaining filling into an oiled 1-quart shallow baking dish (10 by 7 inches).
• Bake chickens in middle of oven 30 minutes, then put dish of stuffing in oven on lower rack. Continue baking until chicken is just cooked thourough and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh (through stuffing; do not touch bone) registers 170°F and until gratin is puffed and golden, about 30 minutes more. Let chickens stand 10 minutes, then cut each into quarters. Serve with gratin.

NECTARINE, FIG AND RICOTTA CAKE

Steps:

• Remove pits from nectarines and cut into small pieces along with the figs. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, use your fingers to combine flour, baking powder, sugar, sea salt, lemon zest, almonds, butter and vanilla. Scoop out one cup of batter and reserve in the fridge for the crumble.
• Use a hand mixer and slowly add eggs and cream to the rest of the batter, mixing until creamy.
• Pour ½ of the batter into the greased and lined with parchment paper 20 cm spring form pan and sprinkle ½ of the cut up fruits. Spread ½ of the ricotta.
• Pour remaining cake batter over the ricotta and then sprinkle over the remaining fruits and then the remaining ricotta cheese. Sprinkle the reserved crumble on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven at 190°C for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool 15 mins in the pan before removing the outside ring of the spring form pan. Allow to cool completely before sprinkling with powdered sugar and garnishing with figs.