http://www.care2.com/greenliving/simple-organic-ricotta-substitute.html
Simple Organic Ricotta Substitute
By Melissa Breyer, Senior Producer, Care2 Green Living
Even in the food-obsessed city that I live in, organic ricotta cheese is hard to come by. This would be fine if I didn’t have lasagna-loving kids and a sentiment verging on unhinged neurosis about feeding them non-organic dairy products. So I make my own. The truth is, it may not taste exactly like the real thing, but my homemade organic “ricotta” takes about 30 seconds to make, and nobody’s the wiser, just healthier.
Once I thought that making homemade cheese would be the best way to get it organic. There are many brands of organic cheese on the market, but making it at home seemed like such a good idea. Twelve dollars worth of local organic milk and a few hours later, I had an impossibly squeaky little ball of homemade mozzarella that somehow missed the tender creamy boat and bounced right on over to the rubber food department.
So what to do about ricotta? I really shy away from conventional dairy for my kids (you can read why here). I can take a long subway ride to the one store I know that stocks organic ricotta, but this does not bode well for the spontaneous dinner desires of my kids.
The answer lies in organic cottage cheese, which is made by some major organic brands and is much more likely to be carried at the supermarket than organic ricotta. With the whir of a blender or food processor (I have an immersion blender that I use right in the container) one can transform lumpy cottage cheese into a quite decent ricotta substitute. Just blend it until creamy, that easy. Tada!
related stories
-
melissa
This colorful torte with its layers of red sun-dried…
-
Strawberry season is slowly creeping up the lines of…
(4 comments)
-
Fresh spring spinach, so tender and filled with nutrients,…
Annie B.
Melissa
Jana
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Eric
Andrew
Dave
Robyn
Deepak
13 comments
add your comment »i recently visited the italian organic agriturismo - la porta dei parchi in abruzzo - although they can't export fresh ricotta their organic smoked ricotta is something out of this world and you can buy it online too - in addition they have an adopt a sheep scheme so you really know where your food comes from - check it out here
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Don't use soy! It's dangerous! It's the only plant (that I've heard of) that *absorbs* aluminum from the ground...on purpose! It is also packed with estrogen. Why else would it be used as a hormone replacement for menopausal women? And you want to put that in your body when you're not menopausal, or put it in your future or gestating child? No, you don't. Here's why...
* Reduced male fertility
* Increased risk of certain types of cancers
* Damaged brain function in men
* Developmental abnormalities in infants
* Early onset of puberty in western women
Honestly, tell me you haven't noticed littler girls having their periods at earlier ages, and developing chests earlier than we used to. And remember, it's in EVERYTHING. "Vegetable" oil these days is really just soybean oil. As is the "vegetable" stock used in canned tuna. Not to mention that it's become an ingredient in everything that isn't raw. Really, what did companies bake with and preserve foods with before soy??
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
im allergic to soya in any form so my diet is basically vegetables but i get very bored and the only thing i drink is kombucha because i can make it myself. Any tips on livening up my diet would be good thanks.
My 1st post so hope you dont mind me butting in :o)
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
uuuuuuuugggggggghhhhhhhhhh
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Has anyone figured out a dairy-free, soy-free subsitute for cheese yet? I have been thinking of thickening rice milk with corn starch, but haven't had the courage to try! Ideas, anyone?
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Mix the thawed cottage cheese with cream cheese or yogurt and it's decedent!
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
this is gonna sound weird, but if you freeze cottage cheese and then thaw it it becomes very close to the consistency of ricotta...and it's alot cheeper too!
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I agree with the comments about tofu ricotta. It's so delicious! Just add vegan mayo, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder...and anything else that makes it taste how you like. Although organic dairy products don't contain as many harmful pesticides and antibiotics as "conventional," it still contains a host of chemicals because it's animal flesh in the first place, along with the subtler toxins of sadness, misery and the grief of living a life as a commodity. But we all have to start somewhere, and going organic is a good first step. ~Harmony
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
you can make your own tofu ricotta too - it's easy http://www.recipelink.com/mf/31/29917
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
this is a great tip!
flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?