Fast but not furious cheese dumplings

This is a great idea to warm up your soul and to make your little ones enjoy healthy cheese when they don`t usually like it. You can cook it two ways, boiled or deep fried, and also salty or sweet version, it`s up to you and your dear ones` cravings. I can only assure you it works great both ways, even this will be your first kitchen experience!

First thing first, you need half a pound of good ricotta cheese and one cup of shredded parmesan. Mix them together with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg freshly grated. You should taste the cheese mix before you add salt because sometimes parmesan could have more salt than you usually know it.

Second step is to form small cheese balls. Put a thick layer of semolina into a tray and place the cheese balls into it, then shake them until will all be covered in semolina which will absorb the moisture of your cheese dumplings. Place the dumplings tray in the fridge over the night or at least for 3-4 hours.

Third step is to take the yummy cheese balls and give them a good boil in salty water until they float on the surface of the water. Enjoy them covered in melted butter with sage leaves. I like to give the sage leaves a deep fry so they could add the crunchy texture to your dish. Also, you could sprinkle some curry powder on your cheese dumplings and give them a deep fry, until they look golden and the semolina cover will turn nice and crispy.

This is a recipe you could play with different flavors, too, replacing the nutmeg with some dried thyme and garlic powder, or onion powder and some cayenne pepper, it is all up to you and your dear ones` ideas and cravings, as I told you before. The boiled version of your dumplings could be the showstopper of your next chicken soup! Just think about it! And the sweet version with some cinnamon sugar on top of them works great too! Or some bitter cherry cream, chocolate, peanut butter, or lemon zest and cream? A world of delicious possibilities for the humble cheese dumplings!