Quick Almond Ricotta
Do you love a good ricotta? I do. I use several recipes depending upon what I am making. Tofu is by far the easiest to use for a ricotta, but the taste has not been spot on. The almond ricotta is by far more authentic, but there is more to do with it.
Now, a few of my family members are lasagna lovers and I primarily use my ricotta in that recipe. Since returning to my plant-based roots I am constantly trying recipes to get me back to the lasagna I remember making and I do believe this recipe helps. After giving up all of the animal-by products because I do not trust them to be disease free or to be healthy for my body, it’s been an uphill road. Matter of fact, I started food blogging off of my desire to find healthy, homemade cheese substitutes that are not disgusting tasting, but close enough to the authentic taste.
Now this quick recipe uses kappa carrageenan, which many people are concerned about over the last few years. Food companies have been taking it out of their foods. See my write up about carrageenan and decide for yourself if you want to include it in your recipes. I use it as much as I can! Just remember to drink water as this is a fiber.
This is a quick ricotta recipe that I adapted from one of my favorite food blogs, Connie’s Rawsome Kitchen. I’m found of a little coconut cream/milk in it in place of the milk. I also use almond flour or almond meal, as I may need to use up my pulp. It only takes mere minutes to blend together. The rest of the wait is for it to firm up. The primary ingredient is blanched almonds!
Are blanched almonds good for your health? Yes! Blanched almonds have several nutritional benefits. They are a rich source of vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage. Almonds also contain high levels of monounsaturated fats, which can help lower bad cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Additionally, they are a good source of protein, fiber, and several important minerals, including magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. For more information, read the article on almond meal from Organic Facts.
This is the simple ricotta recipe, there another one that uses no carrageenan, but takes much longer. I love that one too and have made it my own over the years. I will post on that at a latter time.
Quick Almond Flour Ricotta
Ingredients:
- 1 c. almond meal, blanched.
- ¾ c. + 3 Tbs. water
- 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbs. full fat coconut milk
- 2 tsp. kappa carageenan
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. maple sugar
Instructions:
- Place all items EXCEPT KAPPA CARRAGEENAN into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth or about 2-3 minutes. Mixture should turn from light beige to white.
- Add the kappa carrageenan to the mixture and blend until firmer texture appears. The blender will stall a bit.
- Scrape into a lined muslin mesh strainer and place over a bowl. Let drain for eight hours or overnight. The water should drain into the bowl and the ricotta should firm up.
- Once the ricotta hardens, you may place it into a mold to shape and then turn it out onto a plate to serve or use wherever you would use ricotta cheese.
- Enjoy the ricotta!!
