On the cover:

Turkish breakfast bowl with baked ricotta

This tasty baked ricotta can be eaten warm, not long out of the oven, but it’s equally enjoyable served cool. It can be made ahead of time, or indeed the day before, in which case this breakfast is pretty quick to assemble. If you pop your eggs on to cook first up, they’ll be done by the time you’ve arranged everything else.

Serves 4

1 tsp pul biber (Turkish crushed chilli) or crushed chilli flakes 450g firm fresh ricotta 2 free-range eggs Spring onions, finely

chopped 2 vine-ripened tomatoes,

sliced 2 Lebanese cucumbers,

sliced 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled

and halved

To serve

Black and green olives Baby spinach or rocket

leaves Sliced toasted Turkish

bread Extra virgin olive oil 1 Heat the oven to 160C fan-forced. Lightly grease a shallow ovenproof baking dish with olive oil spray. Sprinkle the base with the crushed chilli. 2 Mash the ricotta in a bowl using a fork. Add the egg and spring onion and mix well. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish, smooth the surface and bake for 35–40 minutes or until puffed, golden and set in the centre. Set aside for 10 minutes to settle. 3 Loosen the edges of the baked ricotta and turn out on a cutting board or plate. The baked ricotta may be served warm or cold. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days if not using straight away. 4 Cut the ricotta into wedges and serve into large shallow bowls. Add the tomato, cucumber and egg. Serve with olives, spinach leaves and Turkish bread slices, and drizzle with olive oil.