Yogurt Strainer

What is luxuriously smooth and creamy, with only a fraction of the calories in cream cheese and none of its fat? yogurt cheese. And it's a snap to make at home. Just line a large strainer with muslin or, white paper towels or a coffee filter. (Or use a special yogurt cheese funnel.) Spoon 4 cups plain nonfat yogurt, refrigerate and let drain overnight. You'll end up with 1 ½ to 2 cups nonfat yogurt cheese. Store your cheese covered in the refrigerator. Every part of ¼ cup has about 34 calories and no fat compared to 198 calories and 19 grams of fat for cream cheese. Some brands of yogurt are emulsifiers or stabilizers in them that prevent the whey to drain. Reading the label does not always tell you if a particular yogurt is exhaustible. So try this test at home: Take a large spoonful of yogurt in the container, leaving a depression. If the hole begins to fill with fluid within minutes, you should have success making yogurt cheese for this particular brand. Here are some ways to use your yogurt cheese:

Stir in chives and use to top baked potatoes or potato skins.

Add fresh or dried herbs and use as a savory spread for toast or crackers.

Mix with minced smoked turkey and use in place of cream cheese on bagels.

Stir in orange juice concentrate and chopped fruit (such as strawberries). Use as a topping for muffins, pancakes or waffles.

Add pesto or salsa and use as a dip for raw vegetables crisp.

Elbows and Cheese

½ cup uncooked elbow macaroni

2 / 3 cup soy cheddar cheese

½ cup dry curd cottage cheese

½ cup skim milk

2 v. teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 egg whites

hot pepper sauce to taste I slice of whole wheat bread

Cook macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling water until not quite tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Coat a nonstick pan I liter with a jet. Add the macaroni and cheddar cheese. Mix well. In a blender, puree cottage cheese, milk, mustard I teaspoon, egg whites and hot sauce. Pour over pasta and toss lightly to distribute. Tear the bread into pieces and put them in a food processor with remaining mustard. Process into fine crumbs. Sprinkle the dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.

Stuffed cheese blintzes

This recipe uses cream cheese, which requires a starter culture. Blintzes

6 ounces whole wheat flour pastry

½ tsp teaspoon baking powder

Whit I egg

2/3cup skim milk

1 cup cottage cheese 2 tablespoons honey

¼ c. teaspoon ground cinnamon Garnish

blueberries, cooked pears, or applesauce grated orange or lemon zest For the pancakes: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and yeast. Whisk egg white and milk. Continue whisking until free of lumps. Coat a small nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour about 3 tablespoons batter and swirl it around to cover bottom of pan. Cook pancakes about I minute, until the top is dry and the bottom is lightly browned. Flip the pancakes on a rack or cloth turning the pan upside down. Continue making pancakes with remaining batter. For the filling: In a small bowl, mix the white mage FRO, the honey and cinnamon. To fill the blintzes, lay each blini on a counter. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of filling onto the middle of the blinis. Fold the bottom of the cheese blintzes. Then fold the sides. Finish by wrapping the whole in a small pouch. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat on medium heat. Add the blintzes and cook.