A simple rustic breakfast that comes together quickly.
A bit of sweet and fresh plump strawberries top a cloud of creamy whipped ricotta over a thick slab of grilled multi-grain french toast.
School’s finally out for everyone, including hubby who is a teacher too! Everyone keeps asking us if we are going to take one of our big road trips this summer…umm, nope…China was big enough thank you very much. Fortunately my parents have a beach house in Maine that they generously share, so vacation-less we will not be. In fact we are enjoying these first few days off seaside- Thanks Mom and Dad!
The beach makes me want to cook simple meals, leaving more time to play with the kids in the waves. I did use the grill at breakfast time, which may be a bit unusual. Certainly if your grill does not come with a water view the toast could be made indoors as well. Just beware that last night’s burgers were thoroughly cleaned off the grill, or it totally changes the flavor profile of this recipe 
If you’ve never macerated strawberries before, it’s a quick and easy technique. Simply sprinkle some sugar over sliced strawberries and allow to stand 15-30 minutes. The strawberries will begin to soften and lose their juices, creating a sort of sugary strawberry syrup. I personally like to use them after the shorter time period, when they are still firm with a bit of a sweet taste. I chose to add lemon zest which really brightens up the flavors as well as brings a nice shade of yellow to the dish.
While your strawberries are working their magic, whip your ricotta with a bit of vanilla. I just used a hand whisk, but you could go all out and grab the mixer. The fluffy ricotta is a perfect contrast to the crunchy grilled toasts. Since this was breakfast, I didn’t add additional sweetener to the ricotta. Actually my daughter exclaimed that she could actually taste the vanilla and really enjoyed that aspect. Usually vanilla kind of blends into the background of a dish, but here it can be truly appreciated. As with any recipe that has only a few ingredients, it’s very important to use the best quality possible. Only pure vanilla extract here!
Even if you are not at the beach (sorry!), your whole family will enjoy this simple breakfast. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go play in the sand
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Fresh Strawberries, Sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- Zest of 1/2 Lemon
- 2 Cups Ricotta Cheese
- 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 Loaf French Bread, Whole Wheat or Multigrain
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- Sea Salt
Instructions
- Mix together the strawberries, sugar and lemon zest. Allow to sit for 15-30 minutes.
- Slice the french bread into chunks, then split in half. Brush each half with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. Grill just until lightly toasted.
- Whip the ricotta and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- To serve, top each toast with a generous spoonful of ricotta and a few strawberries.
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