Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Ideas For Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese makes a healthy snack.


Cottage cheese is a soft, mild-tasting cheese that is primarily composed of chunks, or curds. A versatile product, cottage cheese has many health benefits; according to the Health Mad website, cottage cheese is high in protein and calcium and low in fat, calories and carbohydrates. Available in many forms, such as low-fat and fat-free, cottage cheese can be eaten in a wide variety of tasty ways.


Fruit


Cottage cheese makes a great companion for fresh or canned fruit. Simply add sliced bananas, strawberries, grapes, pineapple chunks, fruit salad or any other fruit you prefer to a serving of cottage cheese. Enjoy this mixture as breakfast or a midday snack.








Nut Butter


Dietriffic.com recommends mixing a tablespoon of nut butter, such as almond butter, into a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese to eat as a snack. This tasty, protein-packed combination is digested slowly, keeping you full and amounts to between 200 and 300 calories.


Smoothies


Adding this soft, mild cheese to smoothies is a creative way to enjoy the nutritional benefits of cottage cheese even if you dislike the taste or texture. Combine a serving of cottage cheese with fresh or frozen fruit of your choice, natural yogurt and baby spinach for a healthy breakfast or snack; the flavor of the fruit and not the cottage cheese or spinach, is what shines through.


Meals


Cottage cheese can also be incorporated into larger, savory meals suitable for dinner. While you can browse through a cookbook or look online for recipe inspiration, cottage cheese goes well with shell pasta and can also be used to make protein-rich pancakes, quiche, savory pies, hot dips, which work well as appetizers, loafs and casseroles.


Homemade


Try your hand at making your very own cottage cheese at home. Many simple recipes are available; the Food Network recipe for Quick Cottage Cheese requires only four ingredients, kosher salt, pasteurized skim milk, vinegar and heavy cream. The skim milk is heated and, after the vinegar is added, the curds and the whey separate. The mixture is then strained, rinsed and dried to create cottage cheese.

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