Tangerine Ricotta Toast with Strawberries and Honey

Country bread that's toasted golden is topped with a blend of ricotta and tangerine, then topped off with sliced strawberries and a drizzle of honey.  Move over avocado toast, ricotta toast is here!

Tangerine Ricotta Toast with Strawberries and Honey

Spring is almost here and it's time to start introducing some lighter meals into our daily menus.  Today's post is a wonderfully light breakfast idea that's extremely easy to make.  As an alternate to spreading butter or cream cheese on your morning toast why not try some ricotta cheese that gives your a burst of protein?  Ricotta is a wonderful fresh cheese that is great as a spread mixed with a little tangerine zest for a burst of flavor, then topped with some fresh strawberries and a drizzle of honey for sweetness.  What a great way to eat toast!

Be sure to come up with your own varieties of ricotta toast as the there is no limit but your imagination.  With all the fresh fruits that are coming up in this season you can make a different ricotta toast every day!

What ways can you serve ricotta toast?

• Perfect for breakfast
• Great as a snack
• Dessert
• Made savory as an appetizer
• Great for brunch
• Perfect for bridal or baby showers
• Garden tea menu item

What Ingredients do I need?

• Ricotta cheese
• A Tangerine or Orange
• Strawberries
• Honey
• Country Bread

Substitutions and Variations

• Any berry or chopped fruit can be substituted for the sliced strawberry topping
• Mix in fresh herbs with the ricotta for a savory spread
• Mix in any citrus zest with the ricotta
• Go savory and top with sauted mushrooms or grape tomatoes 
• Use different types of bread such as a french baguette, pumpernickel, or whole grain

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Use the freshest ingredients for the best results since this is all about uncooked freshness
• Cut your toast on the diagonal for cut toast points
• Make crostini from a french baguette for smaller appetizer portions
• There are no right or wrong ways to make this toast - use your imagination!

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Tangerine Ricotta Toast with Strawberries and Honey

serves 4

4 slices Country Bread

1/3 cup fresh Ricotta cheese

zest of one tangerine (or orange)

6-8 strawberries sliced

honey for drizzling

Toast the bread slices and cut in half.  

In a small bowl add the ricotta cheese and the zest of the tangerine (or orange).  Stir until combined well.

Spread the ricotta on each bread slice.  Top with sliced strawberries and then drizzle with honey.  Serve immediately.

Hot Ham and Swiss Pockets

Ham and Swiss cheese just go together, but put it in a flaky puff pastry pocket and you have one hot delectable lunch!

Hot Ham and Swiss Pockets

I have another wonderful lunch idea for you that easy to put together.  I love my lunchtime sandwiches and even better is when it is a hot sandwich.  This one is the ultimate flavor combination of scrumptious ham and Swiss cheese, hot and melty, and baked inside a delicate puff pastry pocket.  Yum!  A take on a classic hot Ham and Swiss sandwich, but soooo much better!

This sandwich is very easy to put together with the help of store bought puff pastry, deli ham and sliced Swiss cheese.  You really just need to cut out some squares for the crusts and assemble.  Throw them in the oven to bake and your sandwich will puff into heavenly goodness!  We served these for lunch but they would make a great dinner item, or make them tiny into bite size appetizers.  They are fabulous any way  you serve them.

How do you serve them?

• For lunch with a side salad and fruit
• As a light dinner with a bowl of soup and a side salad
• As an appetizer, just make the pockets into smaller sizes

What Ingredients do I need?

• Puff pastry (I use a 5x5" pastry squares that I found at a Middle Eastern Market - see picture.) Pepperidge Farms are readily available.

• Spicy Brown Mustard
• Deli Ham slices
• Swiss Cheese slices
• Egg

Substitutions and Variations

• Use Honey Ham or Black Forest Ham
• Use Turkey instead of Ham
• Use Pastrami instead of Ham
• Use Gruyere Cheese
• Use Dijon Mustard
• Use Mayonnaise instead of Mustard
• Mix Spicy Mustard and Mayo together
• Add in some spinach
• Add in tomato slices
• Make a turkey, mushroom, Swiss pocket

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• NOTE: The recipe doesn't have amounts for the ham and Swiss cheese.  I bought 1/2 lb of ham and a package of sliced Swiss.  I used 2-3 slices of ham and 1-2 slices of cheese per sandwich.  Estimate what you would like, but keep in mind if you stuff them too much you will have more difficulty sealing them and the possibility of the filling oozing out!
• Use a pizza wheel to easily cut the pastry dough
• I used 5x5" squares, you can use any size you want.  
• You can also take on pastry square and place the filling on half and fold it over for triangle pockets
• Make small triangle appetizers
• Another method would be to leave a large puff pastry sheet whole, layer on the ingredients, place the top sheet over and bake.  Once baked then you can cut squares or slices to your liking.
• Watch the puff pastry when it's baking so that it doesn't get too brown or burn on top.
• To make an egg wash just add a little water to an egg and beat together.

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Hot Ham and Swiss Pockets

1 package frozen puff pastry, defrosted 
Spicy Brown mustard
deli ham, sliced
Swiss cheese, sliced
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 

Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.

Lay 1 sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board.  Cut in to squares about 5x5".  Cut 2 squares per sandwich and make as many as you like.  Place the bottoms on the sheet pan and brush the center with the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Place several slices of ham and then 1-2 slices of cheese, also leaving a 1-inch border. 

Brush the border with the egg wash using a pastry or silicone brush.  Place the second sheet of puff pastry square on top, lining up the edges.   Crimp the edges together using the fork tongs.  Brush the top with egg wash and cut two small slits in the top of the pastry to allow the steam to escape.  

Bake for 18-20, or until puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes, slice on the diagonal and serve.

White Chicken Chili

For a different take on chili, whip up this thick and hearty White Chicken Chili.  It's filled with chicken, white beans, and green chilies and has the best southwestern flavor!

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

I love a good chili, but sometimes you want to stray from the typical beef flavoring and go a little lighter.  In steps White Chicken Chili.  Filled with chunks of chicken breasts, Cannellini beans (white kidney beans), and the flavors of the southwest with green chilies, chili powder, and some hot sauce.  I also went a little rouge and added some corn for a little veggie addition.  Boy, this chili is good!

Perfect during these winter months, this makes a good lunch or dinner with a salad and some crusty bread to sop up all that thick broth.  And can you say game day food?  Winner!

What Ingredients do I need?

• chicken breasts
• low sodium chicken broth
• Cannellini beans
• canned corn
• canned green chilies
• Tabasco sauce
• chili poweder
• onion powder
• cream cheese
• cornstarch

Substitutions and Variations

• use any white bean
• use any hot sauce, or red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to heat the chili
• use sour cream or yogurt to add creaminess instead of cream cheese
• add hominy or mexicorn to the chili
• use rotisserie or saved shredded chicken instead of cooking the breasts
• use chicken thighs instead of breasts

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• To save time use already cooked shredded chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it.
• thickeners:  equal parts cornstarch and water added to boiling liquid.  You can also thicken using potato starch or flour slurry.
• This soup freezes well for up to 3 months
• Double the recipe for a large crowd
• Can be converted to a crock pot or Instant Pot - add the cream cheese in the last stages of cooking.

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White Chicken Chili

serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 14 oz can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 oz can corn, drained
1 4 oz can green chiles 
1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz cream cheese room temperature
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon water

Add chicken breasts and chicken broth to a 3-4 quart dutch oven or soup pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through and tender.

Remove chicken breasts from pot to a cutting board and shred.   Place shredded chicken back in the pot with the chicken broth.

Add beans, corn, green chilies, Tabasco sauce, chili powder, onion powder, salt and stir to combine.  Cut the cream cheese in to cubes and add to the soup stirring occasionally until melted.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

To thicken the soup, stir together corn starch and water and add to chili.  Raise the heat to high and boil for 5 minutes until desired thickness.