Cottege Cheese Cheesecake, Lowfat And Creamy

Photo: shugarysweets

Two unopened pints of cottage cheese hid in my refrigerator for a month. Naughty, naughty! Sometimes you don't crave undoctored cottage cheese, so I turned them into a creamy cheesecake. While slightly less tasty than a full fat cheesecake made with cream cheese, it holds its own in the delicious department! Unlike the rich, full fat variety, I don't feel nauseous, after eating a huge slice. Because it's high in protein -- consisting of cottage cheese, eggs and milk -- I'm serving it for breakfast on the weekend with a fresh pot of coffee. 

What's that you say? Oatmeal? Ha! I prefer my breakfast. Here's the recipe:

Cottage Cheese Cheesecake

Ingredients for the crust:

1 1/2 cups graham crackers, ground
1/4 cup real butter
olive oil to brush your pan (and add to the crust as needed.)
Optional: 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds if you have them.

Directions for the crust:

In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients and spread on the bottom of an olive oiled 9 inch cake pan. (I use a 10 inch cast iron skillet.)

Ingredients for the cake:

Now we must decide on a topping.

4 large eggs
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 pints (4 cups) cottage cheese (I use 4% milk fat at 120 calories per cup.)

Optional: You can add a bit of lemon zest if you have a lemon to zest. (Alternately, you can use one pint of cottage cheese + one 8 ounce package of Neufchatel cheese for your cheesecake. I made it both ways, all cottage cheese (which is richer in protein) and 1/2 and 1/2. Both worked.) 

Directions for the cake:

You must use a blender for this recipe to produce a creamy cheesecake. It will turn lumpy cottage cheese into a smooth consistency. 

1) Put the first 3 ingredients into the blender and blend. Pause and add the sugar, salt, some of the milk and flour. Blend until done. Eyeball the milk and use up to 3/4 of a cup as needed.

2) Pour your cheesecake batter over the graham cracker crust.

3) Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour, or until the center is done.

4) Remove from the oven and cool. After 20 minutes, take a knife and loosen from the side of the baking pan (or skillet), then let cool completely.

For a topping, you can open a can of cherries and call it a day, if you wish. I made an easy 5 minute lemon curd for mine --

Ingredients for the lemon curd topping:

2 large eggs
1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
Eyeball a careful splash of milk
Optional: 3 tablespoons of butter (I omitted butter: Flavor vs calories, you decide for yourself.)

Directions for the topping: 

1) In a saucepan, whisk the eggs into the lemon juice. Turn on the heat until it simmers; and keep whisking.

2) Add the sugar (and butter if you use it). Continue whisking.

3) Turn off the heat, and let cool a bit before adding the corn starch. Pour a splash of milk into a cup and dissolve the cornstarch into it. Corn starch will thicken the milk. Make sure it dissolves completely before pouring it into the mixture.

4) Turn the heat back on, and whisk until it thickens; then pour the lemon curd over the baked cheesecake.

I won't lie: Rich, full fat, artery-clogging cheesecake can't be beat. But, what a creamy, healthy alternative. The only bad ingredient is the sugar, which is difficult to reduce without ruining the flavor. So think of this as a dessert ... and a treat.

The cheesecake is good chilled in the refrigerator. Plus it freezes well and thaws in 20-30 seconds in a microwave.

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You Are What You Eat

Good nutrition builds body cells, keeps us healthy and helps us stay mentally alert. With spring here and summer fast approaching, it's the perfect time to add healthy foods, including an assortment of fruits and vegetables to your diet. The price is right, and you can afford to be adventurous. Have fun mixing it up. Eat a variety of colors and experiment with new recipes.

Recently I tried making homemade tomato sauce. It was nearly as convenient as opening a jar, and I thought tasted better and fresher without the unnecessary preservatives -- with names I can't even pronounce.

Then I wanted a cool, sweet treat, so I threw blueberries and skim milk into a blender and added sweetener to get a refreshing, low fat - high protein smoothie. It's cheaper than ice cream, good for you and delicious. (You may not want to give up ice cream entirely; just reserve it as a special treat.)

Both recipes are keepers. See if you agree:

Homemade Tomato Sauce

2 28 oz cans whole tomatoes (Break the tomatoes up with your fingers.)

Extra virgin olive oil for sautéing garlic, onions and vegetables in a skillet --

1 medium onion, diced and sautéed

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper

1 teaspoon oregano [all the spices to taste]

1 tablespoon basil

1 teaspoon garlic (or sautée 4 cloves garlic)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Optional:

Add any, or all the following to the tomato sauce --

1 small bell pepper, diced and sautéed

1 small zucchini, diced and sautéed
2 or 3 mushrooms, sliced and sautéed

Separately, brown and add some (1/4 - 1/2 pound will do) lean ground beef

Throw the above into a large pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Pour over cooked pasta of your choice. Makes 6 servings.

Berry Smoothie

Drop into a blender:

1 cup skim milk

Choose one: 1/3 cup frozen strawberries; or 1/3 cup frozen blueberries; or use fresh berries and 3 ice cubes

2 teaspoons sugar, or a natural sweetner.

Blend for a minute, or until smooth. Pour into a tall glass. Makes one serving, so multiply for the number of servings needed. Enjoy!