Lemon ricotta cake:
Quick and easy gratin: Slice 3 good-sized potatoes and one large onion (yellow, white, or vidalia). Bring to boil and simmer until potatoes are just tender. Drain, then layer in buttered casserole. I put parmesan, chopped garlic, s&p, and herbes de Provence in between, with some very small noix de beurre. Then one more layer, and over the top, first pour a blend of 2/3 c. whole milk/cream and about 2/3 cup ricotta. Then top as before. Bake in 350 oven for.... 30 minutes? Give or take. The potato should be quite tender, and the cream/milk should have started to thicken. The parmesan on top is essential, as it gets the nice brown color that gratin is known for. Yummmmmmmm.
Applesauce for Adults: I say for adults, because part of the appeal is that it has a strong apple flavor, no added sugar, and a kick from the spices. I used Cortlands, because they have a nice white flesh and are soft enough to squish. The only apple I've ever had *trouble* with were the Braeburns, because they are so crisp that they don't cook as well. Set the oven to 400, and peel and roughly chop as many apples as will fit in a brownie tin. I used about 5 large-ish ones. They WILL cook down. Then, mix pomegranate juice, grated fresh ginger, ground cardamom seeds, allspice, and a few cloves (don't forget to pull them out before mashing!). Roast for 20-25 minutes, until they can be squashed with a fork. Then mix together for consistency of flavor and texture. As I said, probably not good for toddlers.
Update: Just as delicious with a few pears added into the mix. They take a bit longer to cook, and you might have to work to mash them. But they take on the cardamom flavor quite well.
South Indian spiced cabbage: Shred two small heads of cabbage (I like one purple, one green). In a wok, heat a bit of canola oil, then add ginger, whole cumin, dried red chilis (2), and mustard seeds. WATCH OUT because they pop! After toasting for a minute, add a handful of dried unsweetened coconut. Wait one more minute while it toasts, and then toss in the cabbage. Make sure to coat as best as possible, and as the cabbage starts to wilt, squeeze the juice from half a lime to help it along. Cook, turning continuously, for about 10 minutes or until sufficiently warmed, wilted, and coated. Before serving, remember to play nice and pull out the chilis :)
Earl Grey tea-infused custard with pear: So this was definitely an adventure. Think it would work better if the pears were poached beforehand, as opposed to being raw. But here you are, adapted from a recipe from Epicurious. Serves 4.
1. Poach half pears, cored, in water for 10 minutes or until JUST tender. Place one half, cut side down, in the bottom of each ramekin. Arrange ramekins in a pie tin.
2. Set oven to 325 degrees. Warm 1.5 c. milk (2% or whole) over low heat, with two tea bags of Earl Grey. Don't let it boil, but watch for steam and little bubbles around the edge. Then remove tea bags, squeezing out excess, and set the milk aside to cool a bit.
3. Whip 1 egg, 1 egg white, and 1/4 c. sugar til frothy. Slowly add milk tea, whipping all the while. Pour mixture into ramekins, over pears.
4. Add hot water into pie tin to 1" level. Bake for 45 minutes or until set.
5. Let cool outside of bain marie, top with nutmeg, and then cover and put in refrigerator.
