Kerry’s Baked Ricotta

Kerry’s Baked Ricotta sounds hot, but the ricotta is baked then cooled and kept for numerous breakfast or snack creations in the days ahead. “The creamy baked sweetness of ricotta pairs beautifully with toasty seeds and coconut, with crispy apples and banana cutting through to make a real statement breakfast. I couldn’t resist a sliver of my local sourdough bakery’s fruit loaf to stack it all on. Unbelievably delicious!” Kerry

Perfect during preconception, pregnancy and post birth. Soft cheese is safe during pregnancy if thoroughly cooked.

Serves 1, with leftover ricotta.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh ricotta
• 1 tablespoon raw honey or maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 a banana
• 1/4 a red apple, skin on, sliced
• 1 tablespoon shredded coconut, toasted
• 2 tablespoons mixed seeds or slivered nuts
• 1/2 a banana sliced
• 1/2 lemon or maple syrup
• 1 slice sourdough fruit toast (optional)

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 200°C
Break up fresh ricotta into small chunks.
Place on a large piece of foil.
Drizzle with honey (or maple syrup) and olive oil
Push ricotta back together and form into a nice round or square shape.
Wrap ricotta in foil and bake for about 20 minutes – if you peek in the foil it will be bubbly and soft. Then open up the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes or so to get a golden crust.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. (You could eat it right away, all soft and crumbly on toast – or bake it the night before and eat it cold for breakfast).
Toast your bread, seeds or nuts and coconut.
Pile your ricotta on toast or or simply top with the fruit, nuts and/or seeds and finally, coconut.
Drizzle with a little lemon juice or maple syrup for extra indulgence.

Ricotta will last several days in the fridge and can be added to a salad, a sandwich – anything really.

Do you want help crafting general health, fertility or pregnancy food plans? Book in with any of our naturopaths from Fertile Ground Health Group or The Melbourne Apothecary.

Submitted to The Breakfast Project by Kerry Marshall, Mornington acupuncturist, long term friend and colleague of Fertile Ground Health Group.