After a week of food indulgence on a birthday break in Queensland I was keen for my first recipe post holiday to be super healthy. Something gluten free that I could dip vegetables into without feeling boring and plain. I quickly decided to use ricotta for the base.

A little while ago I started to experiment with making ricotta cheese. It’s really easy with some basic equipment and milk. In fact it’s so easy that when posting the recipe I came close to saying that I’d ‘never buy ricotta from the supermarket again’. A few months later am I whipping up home-made ricotta every week? Not exactly, I’m forever distracted by my growing list of must cook new recipes, many of which come from fellow bloggers, so I still find myself adding a tub of ricotta into my shopping basket now and again.

Anyway if you’re a fan of creamy ricotta – store bought or home-made – then this is a recipe is for you.

Salted whipped citrus ricotta

I was lucky enough to find some unwaxed lemons recently at my local farmers market. Lemons, like other citrus fruits are waxed to increase their shelf life and make them look shiny, and so the zest of unwaxed lemons is such a treat in comparison.

The magazine that I found this recipe in lured me with stunning food photograph and the caption “once you make this, you’ll be searching frantically for vegetables, bread or a sneaky finger to dip in”. Having made the dip I’d add to this caption with “once you’ve tasted this you won’t look at plain ricotta the same again”. It’s a really simple way to turn ricotta into a clever dip that’s sure to impress. In fact with a preparation time of less than five minutes I almost struggle calling it a recipe. It’s more of a throw a few ingredients in a bowl and whisk……

I adjusted the original recipe, including the addition of a little lemon juice. I’ve also suggested alternatives for the fresh herbs. Play around with the base ingredients to find a flavour that works for you!

Ingredients

• 400g soft ricotta, preferably full fat
• A splash of milk
• 1 lemon – zest and juice
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs – parsley, thyme, chives

Method

1. Add all of the ingredients, except the herbs, to a mixing bowl, seasoning with salt & pepper.
2. Whip together until light and fluffy.
3. Fold in the chopped fresh herbs and drizzle with olive oil to serve.

By Laura (Feast Wisely)

Other recipes you may like:

• Make your own ricotta cheese at home
• Dukkah – with pistachios & macadamia nuts
• Kale pesto – a simple recipe with or without nuts
• Salsa verde with mint, basil & parsley
• Tomato sauce – home-made and sugar free ketchup