Cottage Cheese

Poor cottage cheese, so simple, so plain.  Lumpy even, sigh.  And yet…so versatile, so loaded with calcium and protein, it actually completely rocks.  I love cottage cheese, even straight from the carton (OK, with a little sprinkle of salt), although I understand that not everyone feels the same way.  It’s worth keeping in mind several of the more flavorful (interesting!) ways that cottage cheese can add creamy, low-fat nutrition to your favorite meals and snacks.  (I like the 1% milkfat Old Home and Organic Valley brands.)

A few ideas:

• Whole-grain frozen waffles are delicious topped with cottage cheese, and berries warmed with a little real maple syrup.
• In the same vein, I stir cottage cheese into whole-grain pancake batter; add a few chopped nuts and berries for a hearty, healthy breakfast.
• As in the quiche I made for Mother’s Day, add cottage cheese to beaten eggs when whipping up a light frittata or quiche.
• Pureed cottage cheese makes a much lighter mac-n-cheese – stir into hot pasta with grated cheddar and lots of minced chives.
• Cottage cheese pureed with garlic and herbs makes a fantastic, “creamy” spread for crackers and raw veggies.