Cheese Blintzes With Strawberry Rhubarb Compote Recipes

CHEESE BLINTZES WITH STRAWBERRY RHUBARB COMPOTE

Steps:

• For the crepes, combine the milk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter in a blender and pulse. Add flour and powdered sugar and pulse until mixture is completely blended. Refrigerate mixture for 15 minutes to remove air bubbles.
• While the batter is chilling, combine the filling ingredients in a standing mixer or in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, being sure to break up the harder farmer cheese so that it is evenly distributed in the filling. Don't stress about any remaining chunks of farmer cheese as they will melt in the oven. Refrigerate while you make the crepes.
• To make the crepes heat an 8-inch non-stick pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, lightly brush it with melted butter. Pour ¼ cup of your batter into the middle of the pan and quickly rotate the pan to evenly coat the bottom. After about a minute the bottom of the crepe will be a nice brown color. Run a flexible spatula under the crepe and lay it flat on a plate - cooked side up. You can stack the rest of the crepes on each other this way.
• To make the blintzes, place a crepe cooked-side up and spoon 3-4 tablespoons of filling lengthwise in the middle of the crepe. Fold one long side of the crepe over the filling, then fold the two short sides in, and fold the remaining side over. Place the blintzes seam-side down in a baking dish for 30 minutes. At this point the blintzes can be wrapped and refrigerated up to a day in advance.
• While the blintzes chill, add the sliced rhubarb, orange juice and sugar into a medium pot and cover. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the rhubarb has softened, add the strawberries and continue cooking uncovered for another 5 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and cook for an additional minute and remove from heat.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Fry the blintzes, two or three at a time, starting with the seam side down, until they are brown on both sides (about a minute per side) placing them side-by-side in a large casserole dish when done. Bake the blintzes in the dish for about 12 minutes to firm them up.
• Plate the blintzes, generously spoon the compote over them and dust with powdered sugar if you like.

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB COMPOTE

Steps:

• Combine chopped strawberries and rhubarb in a saucepan. Add sugar and salt; stir to coat evenly. Let sit until fruit has released its juices, about 10 minutes.
• Bring fruit mixture to a light boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until fruit is soft and mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, about 30 minutes. Mixture will further thicken upon cooling. Place in a jar or storage container and refrigerate for up to a week.

STRAWBERRY BLINTZES

Steps:

• Beat eggs, flour, and salt together in a large bowl until smooth. Mix in milk and 1 1/2 tablespoon butter gradually. Cover with plastic wrap and let batter rest in the refrigerator, at least 2 hours.
• Combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract in a blender; blend until filling is smooth.
• Melt a bit of butter in a large skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Ladle in a small amount of batter and swirl skillet to spread batter in a thin layer. Cook until set, about 30 seconds. Flip and continue cooking until second side is cooked, about 10 seconds. Transfer to a plate to cool. Repeat with remaining butter and batter.
• Spoon filling onto blintzes and fold. Top with strawberries.

CHEESE BLINTZES WITH STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB COMPOTE

Steps:

• BLINTZES: Using a blender, mix the eggs, milk and flour at low speed. Add the Grand Marnier. Once the batter is well mixed and coats the spoon with a thin film, refrigerate, covered for 1 hour in a pitcher or bowl.
• Stir the batter thoroughly and before making the crepes, test the liquid by dunking a spoon in the mixture; again, it should coat the spoon with a thin film. Adjust by adding milk if necessary.
• Using a 8-10" nonstick pan, spray with oil, and heat the pan over medium-high heat. Pour about one cup of batter to coat one pan. Once covered, pour a thin layer of batter into the heated pan, swirling to coat if necessary.
• When the crepes pull away from the edge of the pan in about 20 seconds, remove from the heat, tap them lightly or run a knife across the edge of the pan to release, and invert the crepes on a dry towel to cool. Stir the batter at brief intervals to re-suspend the ingredients.
• FILLING: Mix together the ricotta, mascarpone, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest and a small pinch of salt.
• ASSEMBLY: With the cooked side up, spoon about 1/4 cup filling inside the center of the wrapper.
• Fold and hold the two opposite sides of the crepe over the filling until they almost meet and then fold over the ingredients pulling the stuffing toward you.
• Fold the crepe over until you form a seam on the blintz. Set finished 2-inch by 1 1/2-inch flat "eggroll" shaped blintz on a dry towel with the seam side down.
• COOK: Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium high heat, beginning with the seam side down. Saute each blintz until golden brown, carefully so the cheese does not escape.
• Flip the blintz onto the other side. Lower the flame and cook slowly, about 2 to 5 minutes to avoid burning the crepe.
• TOPPING: Gently toss the rhubarb, strawberries, flour, sugar and lemon and let stand until moist, 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the fruit mixture. Cook the fruit for approximately 35 minutes, stirring to make sure the fruit does not brown. Cover 5 minutes or until rhubarb is soft.
• TO SERVE: Ladle the warm fruit over the blintz and top with a dollop of sour cream. Garnish with a fresh strawberry half.

CHEESE BLINTZES WITH STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB COMPOTE

Steps:

• Make crepes:
• Stir flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Whisk eggs, milk, butter and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Add to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
• Spray with vegetable oil spray and heat over medium-low heat. Pour 2 tablespoons crepe batter into pan and swirl pan to coat bottom thinly. Cook until edge of crepe is light brown, about 1 minute. Loosen edges of crepe gently with spatula. Carefully turn crepe over. Cook until beginning to brown in spots, about 30 seconds. Transfer crepe to plate. Place paper towel atop crepe. Repeat with remaining batter, spraying pan with vegetable oil spray as needed and covering each crepe with paper towel, forming total of 16 crepes.
• For filling:
• Mix farmer cheese and cream cheese in large bowl to blend. Stir in sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract and ground cardamom.
• Place 1 crepe on work surface. Place 2 tablespoons filling 3-inch-long log just below center. Fold bottom of crepe over filling. fold sides in. Roll crepe up, enclosing filling completely. Transfer blintz to plastic-lined dish. Repeat with remaining filling and crepes.(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill overnight)
• For compote:
• Simmer orange juice and honey in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add rhubarb and stir until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in vanilla extract and ground cardamom. Cover and refrigerate. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Keep chilled.) Stir in strawberries.
• Preheat oven to 200°F. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Place 5 blintzes, seam side down, in skillet. Cook until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer blintzes to baking sheet; keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 11 blintzes in 2 more batches. Place blintzes on plates. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

RICOTTA MASCARPONE BLINTZES WITH RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Mix together the ricotta, mascarpone, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest and a small pinch of salt.
• With the cooked side in, place the "tail" of the crepe toward you and spoon about 2 ounces of the filling inside the center of the wrapper. Fold and hold the two opposite sides of the crepe over the filling until they almost meet and then fold the "tail" over the ingredients pulling the stuffing toward you. Fold the crepe over until you form a seam on the blintz. Set finished 2-inch by 1 1/2-inch flat "eggroll" shaped blintz on a dry towel with the seam side down.
• Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium high heat, beginning with the seam side down. Saute each blintz until golden brown, carefully so the cheese does not escape. Flip the blintz onto the other side. To warm the ingredients in the blintz, lower the flame and cook slowly, about 2 to 5 minutes to avoid burning the crepe.
• Gently toss the rhubarb, strawberries, flour, sugar and lemon and let stand until moist, 5 to 10 minutes. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the fruit mixture. Cook the fruit for approximately 35 minutes, stirring to make sure the fruit does not brown. Cover 5 minutes or until rhubarb is soft. Ladle the warm fruit over the blintz and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with a fresh strawberry half.

CHEESE BLINTZES WITH THREE-BERRY COMPOTE

Steps:

• Filling
• If using cottage cheese, place in center of kitchen towel, gather towel around cheese and squeeze to remove excess moisture. Measure 2 1/2 cups packed cottage cheese (reserve remainder for another use). Combine 1 1/4 pounds hoop cheese or 2 1/2 cups packed dry cottage cheese and sugar in processor; blend well. Add eggs and salt; process until almost smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Transfer to bowl. Cover and refrigerate. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Crepes
• Combine 1 1/2 cups water and eggs in blender. Add flour, sugar and salt. Blend on lowspeed until very smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of container. Pour batter into medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Brush very lightly with oil. Transfer 3 tablespoons batter to small cup. Working quickly, pour batter into center of skillet; tilt and shake skillet to spread batter into 7-inch round. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook crepe until bottom is speckled brown, about 45 seconds. Loosen sides of crepe with spatula and turn out onto paper towel, cooked side up. Cover with paper towel. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan occasionally with oil and layering crepes between paper towels.
• Place 1 crepe cooked side up on work surface. Place 1/4 cup filling in 3-inch-long log just below center. Fold bottom of crepe over filling. Fold sides in. Roll crepe up, enclosing filling completely. Transfer blintz to plastic-lined platter. Repeat with remaining filling and crepes. (Can be prepared ahead. Cover and chill overnight or freeze up to 1 month. Do not thaw frozen blintzes before cooking.)
• Compote
• Combine all berries, sugar and lemon peel in large bowl. Let stand at room temperature until berries defrost, sugar dissolves and juices form in bowl, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Strain berry mixture thoroughly, reserving juices. Place cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually add reserved juices to cornstarch, whisking until smooth. Whisk over high heat until syrup boils and is thick and clear, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Cool 15 minutes. Mix berries into syrup. Adjust tartness with lemon juice. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Assembly
• Pour oil into 2 large nonstick skillets to depth of scant 1/8 inch; heat over medium-low heat until hot. Place blintzes seam down in skillets. Cook until bottoms are brown and crisp, shaking pans gently and moving blintzes occasionally to prevent sticking, about 6 minutes (for frozen blintzes, cover skillet for first 6 minutes). Using spatula, turn blintzes over; cook until blintzes are brown and crisp and blintzes feel firm when lightly pressed, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined platter. Place 2 blintzes on each plate. Spoon compote over blintzes. Top with sour cream. Sprinkle with lemon peel.