Sugar Snap Pea, Asparagus, Baby Leek, Pesto & Ricotta Pizza

This past Sunday night when it was pouring down rain in Hoboken I opted to make a pizza. On the grill. Outside. For dinner. Thanks to a saintly husband & an umbrella it actually came to fruition.

This is the perfect spring pizza with heaps of green veggies & flavor even you meat eaters will go vegetarian for the day. Plus, I got to use this pesto on it!

PS: Happiest birthday to one of my favorite ladies, Miss Ashley McGee! xx

Make this pizza & tag me in your photos on instagram (@mrshoh or #HeatherOMade)!

Grilled Eggplant Stacks with Lemon-Basil Ricotta

I found some adorable baby eggplants walking through a local farmers market with Chris this past weekend (as seen on my instagram feed).   I made these grilled eggplant stacks that give a tiny nod to eggplant parmesan but lighter for this end of summer version with my new found favorite chimichurri sauce.

Homemade Spinach & Cheese Ravioli

I love to make fresh pasta. I find it therapeutic in some sense. So I thought making my own ravioli would bring me the same zen. It did not. It brought on a need for a glass of wine.  I made about half the amount I had anticipated because, well, I guess I'm a quitter. I made the rest of the pasta dough into linguini and called it a night.

If you have the patience that I apparently lack, I encourage you to give these a go. Why not, you can always quit, right? I won't judge.

Ricotta Gnudi with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Last week I posted about recipes for gnudi (pronounced nude-y) that I wanted to try. To be honest, I didn't grow up eating gnudi. Yes I have ate lots of delicious American-Italian cheese & sauce covered dishes but gnudi wasn't one of them. I had it at a restaurant once & it put it on the map.

So mom & Jennifer (who didn't know what gnudi was when I told them about it) gnudi is like a cheesy dumpling - or as I like to think of it a delicious cheese blob - but that might not sound so appetizing - but it is. They're kind of like the cousin of a ravioli, the difference is there is no clear definition between the pasta & the filling - it's all one homogeneous mixture. DELICIOUS.

I went with Lottie + Doof's  ricotta gnudi recipe.  I used the sauce I posted about on Monday. Overall it made for a pretty tasty Sunday dinner.

Click through for Lottie + Doof's  recipe & photos, of course.

Recipe Inspiration: Homemade Gnudi

I don't cook every night - believe it or not. We do leftovers & take-out in our house too.  I do, however, window shop around for recipes & ideas in my down time. I love finding a photo that makes me drool.  These three homemade gnudi recipes did just that. If you've never had gnudi it's pretty much a cheese dumpling, pillowy & soft - so what's not to love?  Can't wait to try one of these out. Which one do you think I should try?

• Homemade Gnudi from the Spotted Pig- The Paupered Chef
• Ricotta Gnudi - Lottie + Doof
• Spinach Gnudi with Sage Burnt Butter - Cook Republic

Ricotta Fig Basil Bites

This past weekend I had some of my VIP girlfriends (plus one VIP in training - the adorable little miss Evie!) over & served up these tasty little bites with my freshly made ricotta & wine (of course).  They're super simple to make.  Just slice a thin baguette into rounds about 1/2 inch thick.  Then smear each piece with a bit of ricotta & top with a few slices of fig.  Sprinkle each bite with some ribbons of fresh basil  & drizzle with honey!

You can just serve these with some napkins since no fork or knife is required, making them a perfect party snack.   Use whatever fruit & herb pair you like - the key is to keep it bite sized.  Next time I may try peaches with mint & maybe drizzle a balsamic reduction over it.  Mmmm yes I think I will definitely do that.  What herb fruit combo would you make?

Fresh Ricotta Cheese

 I made ricotta cheese. Yes, I made cheese! It's way easier than it sounds.  You only need a few ingredients & some basic kitchen tools.  Learn how I made it after the jump!