When I was in Italy a few years ago I noticed that for breakfast it was nearly impossible to find eggs or yogurt or any of the traditional American breakfasts that I was used to. Breakfast was ricotta toast with jam and a selection of fruit and cheese. Have I been doing wrong all along I thought?! Now I love me some ricotta cheese but I always viewed it as more a dinner food in ravioli and eggplant rollatini. But to my surprise, it was light and refreshing and damn good too!
What is Ricotta Cheese Anyway?
Well, let’s start with what it’s made from. Ricotta can technically be made from the milk of cows, sheep, goats, or water buffalo, but the ricotta that we consume most frequently—the stuff you can buy at almost every grocery store—is made from the milk of a cow. There are tons of easy make-at-home recipes too but I prefer to leave that work up to others and just purchase the fresh stuff. Fresh is best when you can – trust me!
Fig Almond Spread – Must Buy!
Not all jams are created equal. The Gracious Gourmet uses ingredients I can understand with no added sugars and they are a women-run business based in Connecticut. You can check out another recipe I have using their Lemon Artichoke Pesto. Lucky for me my local Paul & Patricia carry their products so I was able to grab a few goodies. (And you can use code CHERISE15 for 15% off their website and in-store shopping!)
What You Will Need
I used rosemary bread from Whole Foods but any bread will do.
Fresh ricotta whipped with a touch of lemon juice.
Fig Almond Spread and carmelized walnuts to top (optional but really tasty)
Maybe even a drizzle of honey or sprinkle of cinnamon if you are in the mood.
That’s it! I did toast the bread so it had a light crunch to it.
You can keep all the ingredients separate in the fridge for leftovers.
Fig Almond Ricotta Toast
Ingredients
- 4 Slices of Rosemary Bread (or any bread will do)
- 4 tbsp Fig Almond Spread From Jar
- 2 cups Fresh Ricotta Cheese
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 cup Chopped Walnuts
- 1 tsp Honey or Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
- Place ricotta & lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk together well so it becomes fluffy. Set aside
- In a separate bowl add walnuts, honey and cinnamon. Mix well to coat the walnuts.
- In a greased pan set over medium heat, add the walnuts and toss for a few minutes to caramelize. Be careful not to burn.
- Toast bread if desired, spread with Fig Almond Spread, top with ricotta and walnuts.
- Enjoy right away or keep the ingredients separate for future use.
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