Tag Archives: cottage cheese

Mango Ice cream

Gluten Free, Pureed, Snacks/Desserts, , , , ,

So what do you serve for dessert when it’s 102 degrees outside?  Ice cream, of course!  This is a fresh and fruity twist on an old time favorite.  My husband likes his with a sprinkle of shredded coconut while my girls prefer it without the banana.  With the Vitamix I can make 2 servings at a time in less than a minute so everyone gets exactly what they want!

Mango Ice Cream
Mango Ice Cream

1 coconut milk (or fat free milk) cube
1 pureed cottage cheese cube
2 oz frozen banana
6 pureed mango cubes
6 pineapple cubes
(Makes 2 servings)

1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase to Variable 10, then High.
4. Use Tamper to press ingredients into the blades.
5. In about 30-60 seconds, the sound of the motor will change and four mounds should form.
6. Stop machine. Do not over mix or melting will occur. Serve immediately.

Food Tip: I have found that using frozen pureed cottage cheese cubes makes for a smoother ice cream that is higher in calcium and lower in fat than using half n half or heavy cream. This recipe is very versatile. Try mixing and matching any frozen fruit and “milks” you have to create your own healthy fruit “ice cream”.

Money tip: Buying a 3pound container of cottage cheese may seem like over kill but I use it to replace almost all of the milk products in my recipes. At Costco it only costs $4.99 whereas the 16oz container can cost $2.50 in the grocery store. After the larger container is opened it will keep for 5-7 days. Freezing a portion when it is opened will ensure freshness and minimize waste.

Time tip: Using Frozen fruit and cottage cheese cubes takes the guess work out of balancing flavor and texture. Preparation time is shorter because there is no need to measure anything. Also you won’t have to spend extra time making the ice cream trying to break down cottage cheese curds.

 

Ranch Dressing

Dips and Spreads, Gluten Free, , ,

Try this one out on your family (Shhhh! Don’t tell them what’s in it). They will fall in love with it and your cottage cheese haters will be shocked. I tried making this with a regular blender but my husband did not like it because the texture was not creamy enough. Not so with the Vitamix. I pack about a tablespoon of it in a small container and put it in his lunch with garden fresh veggies.

Ranch dressing with veggies1 cup low fat cottage cheese
½ cup milk
½ cup mayonnaise
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

1. Place cottage cheese and milk into the Vitamix container and secure lid.
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and increase speed to Variable 10.
4. Blend for 10 seconds or until smooth.
5. Remove lid and add mayonnaise and ranch dressing mix.
6. Secure lid and select Variable 1.
7. Turn machine on and increase speed to Variable 6.
8. Blend 10 seconds or until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
9. Pour into a 3 cup container and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Food tip: Using cottage cheese to replace a portion of the milk and mayonnaise reduces fat while adding calcium and protein. The cottage cheese also thickens the dressing to make it perfect for dipping vegetables instead of using sour cream. To use as a salad dressing, add enough milk to reach the desired consistency. For thicker vegetable dip use 2/3 cup of mayonnaise and 1/3 cup of milk. You can make this recipe with just cottage or a combination of cottage cheese and milk but, if you are looking for the traditional tang of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, you will want to use the mayonnaise.

Time Tip: When using the Vitamix this dressing takes about 5 minutes start to finish.

Money Tip: Hidden Valley has a 3.75oz container of this dressing mix. It is always cheaper than the individual packages and keeps well for months in the cupboard. Cottage cheese can also be bought in larger containers for a lower price and can be used in a variety of recipes to replace whole milk, cream or half and half.

Cream of Celery Soup

Gluten Free, Pureed, Soups, , ,

GE

This recipe is a hit even with my teenagers.  It can be reduced by half and made in the 32oz container but the 64oz container is perfect for family sized soups.

2 ½ cups of water
2 green onions
4 cups of chopped celery
1/3 cup zucchini or yellow squash
1 small potato scrubbed, baked
1 garlic clove
2 tsp Knorr Chicken Bouillon
¼ tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
¼ cup low fat cottage cheese
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1. Place all of the ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid.
2. Select variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to variable 10, then to High.
4. Blend for 3 minutes or until steam escapes from the vented lid.

Image

Food tip: Using cottage cheese instead of cream, half and half or whole milk makes a richer soup while adding calcium and protein. With the Vitamix there is no need to precook the vegetables so they retain their nutritional values. Canned creamed soups contain added salt, fat and thickeners and only a small amount of vegetables. Using chicken bouillon works well but if you are on a salt restricted diet you will want to use a salt free chicken stock. Homemade stock is always the best and it can be frozen in 1-2 cup portions for easy use.

Money Tip: Fresh celery can cost less than 25 cents a pound and none of the celery needs to go to waste. This size recipe makes 2 quarts (8 servings) and costs less than 50 cents. A can of condensed celery soup (2 servings) costs $1.50 to $2.00 a can.

Time Tip: Instead of taking time to bake the potato in the oven, microwave it until it is soft then simply add it to the Vitamix container skin and all. You can also save time if you happened to bake potatoes for dinner. Simply save a small one in the refrigerator and make your cream of celery soup within the next few days. In almost the time it takes to open a can of condensed celery soup, reconstitute it and cook it, you can have 2 quarts of fresh celery soup for the entire family.