Sautéed Shrimp over Mashed Potatoes...

...and Homemade Ricotta Cheese Pie!

Saturday night was The RQ's birthday! P< rose to the occasion and accomadated ALL of her culinary requests! Shrimp and potatoes are two of The RQ's favorites. Ricotta cheese cake for dessert brought The RQ right back to her Gram's kitchen adding even more rich memories to the occasion. 

Shrimp was marinated in a chile lime sauce and sautéed in butter & garlic and delicately placed atop mashed potatoes. A touch of sour cream finished P<' interpretation of Chef Jason Wilson's recipe as featured in FRESH (Vol. 6).

The RQ prepared fresh ricotta (another FRESH recipe) while P< rested up for an evening of cooking! Three ingredients made this cheese cake extraordinary, the fresh homemade ricotta, the combination of both lemon and orange juices, and the gingerbread cookie crust. The cheesecake recipe featured in FRESH (Vol. 5) reminded me so much of my Gram's cream cheese pie, I've included her recipe below. The RQ will post Gram's Ricotta Pie later this fall!

Gram's Cream Cheese Pie
(This is a quick & easy delight anytime.)

crust
Cinnamon Graham Crackers, 1 pkg, crushed
3 Tblsp butter, melted

filling
1-8 ounce pkg cream cheese (whole milk), softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tblsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp grated lemon rind
2 eggs, separated (egg whites stiffly beaten)

Crush graham crackers into crumbs with a few pulses of the food processor or with a rolling pin (crackers placed in zip lock bag not quite closed).  Combine melted butter reserving 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top of pie. Press remainder in a 9" pie dish.

Combine softened cream cheese with sugar, lemon juice & lemon rind, beating until fluffy. Add egg yolks mixing until well blended. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour filling into crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Bake at 350, for 25 minutes or until slightly firm.
Chill at least one hour before serving.

A special thanks to Darigold's magazine FRESH that supplied these wonderful recipes! ~and to CP for sending the magazine to The RQ just in time for her birthday dinner.