Whipped Ricotta With Honey and Mixed Berries

2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temp
4 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups mixed fresh berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and halved strawberries)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Blend ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 2 Tablespoons sugar, honey and vanilla in processor until very smooth. Transfer to bowl. Cover bowl and refrigerate until ricotta mixture is slightly set, about 2 hours.

Combine berries, lemon juice and remaining 2 Tablespoons sugar in a large bowl; toss to coat. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.

Divide ricotta mixture among 6 wine glasses & then top with berries. Serve.
Yield: 6 servings

Real English Scones

8oz General Purpose Flour
Heaped Teaspoon Baking Powder
3oz Butter
2oz Sugar
1 Egg
Handful of Raisins
Milk

Mix flour, baking powder and sugar.
Cut in butter to ‘breadcrumb’ consistency.
Add egg and raisins and just enough milk to produce a fairly stiff dough
Flatten to 3/4" thick cake. Use cookie cutter to cut into suitable sizes.
Place on a greased baking sheet, brush tops with milk and bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes till golden.

Blueberry Muesli

1 cup jumbo oats
¾ cup apple juice
1 red apple, cored
1 tbsp lemon juice
Scant ¼ cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Scant ½ cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp runny honey (optional)
2 ½ oz fresh blueberries

Put the oats and apple juice in a bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and let soak in the refrigerator for an hour, or overnight.  Grate or chop the apple and mix with the lemon juice to prevent discoloration.

Add the apple, hazelnuts and cinnamon to the oat mixture and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into serving bowls and top with the yogurt. Drizzle over the honey, if using.  Spoon the blueberries over the muesli and serve. Serves 2

Asparagus with Poached Eggs and Parmesan

10- 1/2oz asparagus trimmed
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 large eggs
3 oz Parmesan cheese
Pepper

Bring a pan of water to a boil. Add the asparagus, return to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes, or until just tender.

Meanwhile, to poach the eggs, in a skillet bring water to a simmer and add the vinegar. When the water is barely simmering, carefully break the eggs into the skillet.  Poach the eggs for 3 minutes, or until the whites are just set but the yolks are still soft.

Drain the asparagus and divide among 4 warmed plates. Top each plate of asparagus with an egg and shave over the cheese. Season to taste with pepper and serve at once. Serves 4.

Waffles with Caramelized Bananas
6 oz all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp superfine sugar
2 eggs, separated
9 fl oz milk
3 oz butter, melted
3-1/2 oz butter, cut into pieces
3 tbsp dark corn syrup
3 large ripe bananas, peeled and thickly sliced

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a bowl. Whisk the egg yolks, milk and melted butter together with a fork, then stir this mixture into the dry ingredients to make a smooth batter.

Using an electric mixer or hand whisk, whisk the egg white sin a clean bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter mixture.  Spoon 2 large tablespoons of the batter into a preheated waffle maker cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

To make the caramelized bananas, melt the butter with the dark corn syrup in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until combined.  Leave to simmer for a few minutes until the caramel thickens and darkens slightly. Add the bananas and mix gently to coat.  Pour over the warm waffles and serve immediately.