Ricotta & Pineapple Pie

Did You Know? The pineapple is not a single fruit, but a cluster of 100-200 tiny fruitlets.

Every Christmas my Dad brings home really tasty desserts from the North End, and usually a ricotta pie from Modern Pastry is on the list. Sweet and creamy, and much lighter than a cheesecake, it is soooo good. Modern fills theirs with a chocolate ganache center, but I think I like it better without. If you've never had a ricotta pie from Modern, get one! Just google it for the piles of rave reviews you'll find about their beloved pie. That is if you're not in the mood for baking up your own, because this recipe couldn't be easier, thanks to Susan over at Food Blogga.

The ricotta provides a somewhat grainy texture, which I love. And being someone who hates cheesecake, this pie is not like its thick cousin involving cream cheese. It's sort of like cannoli filling made into a pie - could anything be better than that?

The pineapple really sent this recipe over the top. It's sweet, but not too sweet, and the shreds of crushed pineapple really work well with the smooth ricotta. When I made this, I halved the original recipe (which was for two pies), but I forgot to halve the pineapple. I think it tasted perfect with the full 20 ounces of pineapple, but feel free to use 10 ounces if you like.

Ricotta & Pineapple Pie
Pate Brisee (this pate brisee is for a double crust pie, this pie recipe only has a bottom crust, so halve the pate brisee recipe, freeze half of the full recipe, or make two ricotta pies!)
1 pound ricotta cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 (20-ounce) can of crushed pineapple (drained)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (dusted on top of pie)

For the filling, place the pineapple in strainer set over a bowl for at least 1-1/2 hours, or preferably overnight. Discard the liquids. This will create a thicker pie filling and keep the crust crispier.

Add the ricotta to a large mixing bowl, and beat it smooth with an electric mixer. Beat in the heavy cream, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure the texture is smooth. Finally, stir in the pineapple.

Preheat your oven to 425, with a rack set in the lower third of the oven.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch circle. Place the dough round in a pie plate, and freeze for 15 minutes.

After the fifteen minutes has passed, remove the pie plate from the freezer, and pour the filling right to the top of the pie plate leaving just a bit of room for the filling to puff up. Sprinkle the top of the pie with ground cinnamon. If you have some extra filling left over, as I did, you can pour it into a ramekin for a crustless version, and follow the same baking instructions.

Bake the pie at 425 for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. The filling should be slightly puffed, golden, and set, not jiggly. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

Did You Know? Women in the Orient used to use the peel of the eggplant as dye to stain their teeth gray because that was all the rage.

Eggplant parmesan has always been a favorite of mine. The crusty, golden top, and the smooth and cheesy inside. But after changing my eating habits, and trying to really limit my dairy intake, I wanted to make an updated version of this classic to fit my new tastes, but still satisfy that craving. Not to mention, make something that the rest of my family would enjoy.

There's something about Italian food that is so satisfying and fun to enjoy with friends and family, but it can also be not the healthiest of cuisines. I try to get everyone in my family to eat a little healthier, and by offering fresh ingredients and flavors they enjoy, I think healthy cooking can be quite simple.

Although this recipe does not provide the oily, thickly breaded cutlets of eggplant you might be used to, the flavors are in no way lacking. I love the freshness of this dish, and the fact that each ingredient is really present. The burst of the sliced tomato against the roasted eggplant, along with the sweet basil make this a wholesome dish your family will love anytime of year.

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
2 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea Salt and Pepper
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
5 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
1/2 cup Bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Basil leaves
1 lb. dried pasta (any shape will work)

Place eggplant rounds on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Feel free to layer eggplant if needed, just make sure each layer is covered with salt. Let sit for about 30 minutes (you'll notice the moisture leeking out of the eggplant-that's what you want). After 30 minutes, rinse the rounds, then squeeze any moisture out of them (don't worry about tearing them, they've pretty much turned into sponges now). Pat dry, season with salt and pepper, and set aside while you heat up a pan.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray or a little olive oil. I used a griddle here, so I could cook all the eggplant at once. I tend to use cooking spray when I grill eggplant, because it has a tendency to soak up the oil way to quickly, and you end up using a bit too much. Grill the eggplant until nicely browned on both sides, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large baking or casserole dish, pour about 1/2 to 1 cup of the crushed tomatoes. Layer the eggplant on top of the crushed tomatoes. Follow with a layer of sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of some torn basil leaves. Repeat, ending with a final layer of tomatoes, and some more torn basil and the minced garlic. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta and heat the leftover crushed tomatoes in a small saucepan. When the eggplant is ready, it's time to plate. Put a serving of pasta on each plate, top with some leftover crushed tomatoes, and finally place a few eggplant stacks on top. Sprinkle any basil you have left on top and serve with additional parmesan cheese. Enjoy - this was plenty for my family of 5. And made an awesome sandwich filling for lunch the next day.

*Note: The next time I make this, I will definately use another eggplant and a couple more roma tomatoes, so there would be three layers of eggplant and tomato slices, instead of two. Since I tend to add additional veggies into whatever pasta dish I eat, I served my pasta over a bed of steamed broccoli - really tasty and filling. FYI: The picture at the top was taken before I baked the whole thing. The sun was going down, and I wanted to capture the jist of it. The picture below is baked and plated (minus the broccoli).