Cottage cheese in a cheesecake sounds like a lot of cheese, like this oozing over cake you can see below. But it’s actually a healthy way to get protein.
And a way to hide the cottage-y cheese texture (especially if you’re not a natural cottage cheese fan). And in this dish, you’ll get a smooth texture you’ll love!
Use your Magic Bullet or food processor and add 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and one egg.
Pulse the blender with cottage cheese and egg a few times to smoothly blend. This will make enough for an individual portion.
You can bake into an oven-safe mug if you don’t have a baking vessel that’s the exact right size.
Anyone can make this! 😊
It’s a quick (quiche?) way to get protein that’s sweet or savory delicious and healthy.
You decide!
And this is where it gets fun because you get to decide if you want a sweeter cheesecake (dessert) or savory cheesecake with healthy veggies or more proteins, like that you would add to a quiche.
Either way, it’s about 14 grams of cottage cheese protein and much lower in calories and fat… in case that’s important to you. And the egg adds another 6 grams, so this one individual portion has 20 grams of protein, plus any other proteins you add.
The Breakstone’s 2% milk fat cottage cheese I used had 13 grams of protein, but was only 100 calories. Some creamy cheese can be more than double or triple those calories.
I went sweet (the blueberries are a hint) and I added 1 tsp of maple syrup and some berries and surprise-inside cherries. That’s it.
The bottom was brushed with coconut oil. And if you go the savory route, you can make this a Mediterranean diet olive oil serving as an option.
Oil helps for a non-stick bottom that’s baking-desirable and improves the overall bake texture.
And since I used an under 2-inch low baking vessel (that’s shorter in height than a drinking mug), I got the anticipated dramatic spillover effect that’s fun and adds a lava effect.
Like an oozing fall “lava” cake or a French Onion soup that’s baked in another baking pan to catch the flow. I used a cake pan and carried over the spill to the plate (that was scrumptious too 😋).
And you can simply cut off the baked lava or leave on for an ahhh…
After exiting the oven, you would think this dish is made with fancy cheese like Gruyere (or other fondue cheeses) that are usually more expensive per ounce and higher fat calories. You’d never think it was easy-to-source cottage cheese.
And you may at first think that using cottage cheese as the main ingredient doesn’t give a delicious bake… but not here in this cottage cheese cheesecake where it’s controversially satisfying.
Give it a try yourself. Your friends will never guess it’s cottage cheese… unless you tell them. 🧀
Tofu pepperoni is plant-based and a healthy protein snack or topping-add to your pizza without guilt. Below, it’s the new pepperoni 🍕
And even further below is how to make this liked (or disliked) food (depending on the taster), a regular part of your healthy food meal prep for grab-and-go protein. Or add to pizza food.
Unlike regular cured meat-based pepperoni that’s hands-down liked, tofu is a healthy topping sub on pizza. Regular pepperoni is high in saturated fat, sodium and acidity.
But tofu is the opposite. It’s lean. low-sodium, and considered an alkaline food.
If you experience heartburn often from certain foods, tofu pepperoni could be one protein substitution answer.
It’s also a one big block full of calcium, iron, and fiber.
…So when it’s put that way, maybe worth a go?
And maybe help sway your tofu decision in your upcoming grocery trip. Or may open your eyes to make you look at tofu in a new light.
Plus, if saving grocery money matters to you, tofu could be a good protein savings.
Tofu disguised as pepperoni could be the idea to give the creamy protein block a needed new identity (for you). If you can get your mind to agree to the tofu look and taste as similar… or at least agreeable with enough salt and spice tastes added, then you get all its benefits.
And if you’re not too familiar with tofu (or never tried the food before)…
Tofu is the Japanese name.
The other common names are bean curd or soybean curd.
It’s a soy food. You can also find soy in edamame and soy milk where you may know other soy ingredients.
But unlike those soybean products, tofu is easy to find. Today you can find it in most mass grocery stores.
It’s usually in a white container that the protein spongy-looking block looks like it would fit in, and what you find when you get inside the no-mistake-it’s-tofu packaging.
But tofu won’t end up looking like a spongy block after you crumble up the tofu protein. That’s also a legume.
Because it’s soy, it’s a legume.
Legumes are the larger plant-based food category.
It’s a broader category of plant-based foods that gives you a healthy food variety to choose from and additional fiber to add to your diet.
But usually you just call out the food name instead of legumes. Like beans, peanuts, and peas.
And if that’s what you’d like to add more of in your diet, maybe try a 15-bean turmeric soup…
With all the variety out there and plant-forward foods growing abundantly outside, it’s easy to see why natural foods is a forward path to food sustainability.
…And is great for those who don’t eat meat, and for those who do.
Plant-based tofu pepperoni can be the first thing you reach for when you’re hangry for a snack or wondering what to eat.
Spiced up, tofu pepperoni can have similar tastes to meat pepperoni.
Easy-to-find spice powders like paprika and chili powder give a closer-to-pepperoni reddish color.
You can add sharp and punchy spices flavors like fresh garlic powder and cumin. Plus, salt balances well with oregano for an herb-y taste.
Oregano is one of the healthiest antioxidant herb spices on our planet. It has a sweet peppery note and goes well with any savory Italian dish or red tomato sauce.
To make the tofu pepperoni:
From a standard 3″x4″tofu block (14 oz) that comes in a common tofu plastic container found in grocery stores, cut the tofu into 3 long rectangle pieces so then you have 3-3″x 4″ rectangles. A regular bread knife works well for this task as tofu is soft and smooth like butter.
From there, you can cut out the round pepperoni shapes. Since the tofu rectangle is about 3″x 4″, a round cookie cutter about 1-1/2″ (4 cm) works well. I didn’t have a round cookie cutter that size (and you probably don’t either), but I found a 1-1/2″ round spice container top worked perfectly. So look around your pantry and kitchen. A small juice glass could even work.
If you have perfect cuttings, then you can cut out 12 pepperoni that you can then cut again each pepperoni round in half (because they’ll be thick). I like to do it this way because it’s easier to cut smaller flimsy tofu pieces. But you do you!
So you’ll end up with 24 pepperoni plus tofu scraps that you can make into a tofu scramble 🥣 or tofu scrap (a new dish?). 💭
Then, make a spice dip. Add in all the spices you’ll be using with a little water (as the glue), and dip each tofu pepperoni in.
Dust with additional red paprika. I find a tea infuser works for this step because the small, even holes lightly dusts just enough for the reddish color effect (without adding too much of the spice).
Do this with all the pepperoni round slices.
In the process, I found I lost a few because tofu is soft and more delicate to work with. I forgot they weren’t hardy like meat.
Those broken ones went to the edible tofu scrap pile that will also get cooked up.
And in your sautée pan, cook tofu pepperoni rounds for about 15 minutes total, gently flipping over once, about halfway through.
Then they’re ready for eat-alone snacks and on pizzas. They will stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days (and you can also freeze them for longer).
On pizzas, since the tofu is already cooked, you can add them as pepperoni toppings during the last 5 minutes in home pizza oven baking.
And if you want to accompany the tofu rounds with more plant-based eating, you could add herbs and microgreens and make a salad. 🌱
Cut wet tofu block into 3 (3"x4") rectangles. Cut round tofu pepperoni shapes using a round cookie cutter (or a round kitchen item like a round spice lid top for the tofu pepperoni round size you desire). Cut tofu rounds if thicker than 1/4".
Mix spices with a small amount of water (about 1/2 the spice amount). Dip each tofu pepperoni round side in the spiced-water.
Evenly sprinkle additional paprika (for red color) on each tofu pepperoni round. Tip: use a tea infuser with small evenly-spaced holes to maximize pepperoni color effect but not adding too much additional paprika.
On the stovetop, cook tofu pepperoni on medium heat in a skillet for a total of 15 minutes, about 7 minutes on each side (flipping tofu pepperoni rounds once)
Use as a topping to pizza that can be baked in near the end or enjoy the tofu pepperoni as eat-alone snacks. They will last for 3-5 days in the cool part of the refrigerator.
Fig bar tastes is a good sweet snack for low-sugar healthy options. These are healthy baked even though they look like fried desserts.
And the wholesome figgy tastes are a reason for celebration in the season you’re in.
When I was growing up, Fig Newton cookies were my healthy go-to choice as a cross between an obvious sugared cookie, and a healthy snack cookie bar concept that didn’t yet exist in my young world.
When you’re a kid, you’re barely aware of good vs. bad, but you know cavities are bad and dodging them is good as verified by the dentist.
Back then, my little hands didn’t think grabbing and stuffing my mouth with a wholesome fig bar could fall in either a good or bad zone.
Fast forward decades later to a new century and a quarter century later (that’s today), and I’ve parted ways with most packaged daily sweets. The hardest part was weaning myself off a crispy nutrition or oatmeal breakfast bars that often are loaded with hidden sugar that I used to supplement sugar with.
Today, if I had a teaspoon of honey a day, that’s sometimes enough. My younger self would’ve never believed.
So I would’ve never seen that coming and parting the Red Sea was more believable to me.
But life is surprising and healthy changes gradually happen and you notice when you look back, and realize you’re happier with your changes.
And in case you think I’m a healthy food snob, I’m not at all… I’m not one to judge others if they’re enjoying themselves, especially since I’ve been there. We all have choice.
If you want to protect your body, that’s a healthy choice. And that was my choice. To replace, I use my tasting background (in catering) and healthy eating experiences.
While a banana a day can be boring, adding peanut butter or switching fruits is a game changer.
And finding healthy duos like cacao and unsweetened coconut, or fig and cinnamon can be enough. The flavor pair gives a tasty bite.
You don’t need that much addictive sugar unless you keep eating gobs of it, and then you need to keep the cycle going to keep your taste buds happy.
That was me too. 😊
And you can start with making low-sugar desserts like a homemade fig bar with wholesome ingredients you and I grew up with, and can easily source.
When you buy food ingredients that include sugar, the trick is to not use the whole jar. And look to avoid high fructose corn syrup. You’ll find the healthy jars aren’t that much more pricey if you look around a minute or two.
For flour, whole wheat flour and gluten-free flours like almond flour or coconut flour that you won’t know is there, is a good mix.
When you add fig jam, the taste masks coconut tastes if that’s what you want. Or it complements the refined coconut flavors.
…And these healthy bars stack nicely to make a festive plate too! They ooze with fig.
So, how do you make this fig bar?
The easy way is to roll out a rectangle to about 1/4″ thick and spread a thin layer of jam.
Then fold in the two outer sides to the center, so now you have two folded tops. It’s like easy origami. 🪅
And then cut the dough in the middle with a pizza roller or kitchen knife. It almost looks like a burrito… and it’s a fig one.
Then cut into smaller bar rectangles like shown here…
Most people cut after baking and letting the bake cool.
My tip is to cut before baking, so you lose no crumbs and get an even bake.
Look at the back side shown here ⬇. It’s golden brown on the shorter edges too. If you were to cut after baking, you would lose that additional tasty browning definition. It’s a subtle enhancement.
Bake at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes. Or until golden brown.
Some common fig bar recipe questions:
What could I substitute for whole wheat flour?
You could substitute old-fashioned or rolled oats! To get a smoothie fig bar, you should use a food processor to make or grind into smaller, fine oats.
What type of honey should I use?
Organic and raw honey is recommended as healthy. You can use a common clover honey, Manuka, or orange blossom (that has a citrusy taste). My favorite to use is wildflower honey that’s sweet with a hint of floral, and works well in baking.
What can I use besides butter?
You can use coconut oil, a neutral olive oil, or even natural peanut butter.
Should I keep the bake in the oven slightly longer for a deeper brown?
It is better to under bake these then over bake as they can get too crisp (instead of a softer bite). Take a look at them in the oven at around the 15 minute mark. You can also flip the bars topside down to give a more even bake and make golden tops.
Also don’t roll the fig bar dough too thin, as then you can get crackers. If you want thinner fig bars, lower the oven temperature from 350°F/180°C to about 250°F/121°C.
If you like this, you may like to make a low-sugar graham cracker too for craving a sweet tooth or just for a ‘lil nostalgia.
These are low-sugar bars that you can enjoy without all the sugar.
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Ingredients
1cupalmond or coconut flour (gluten-free)
1/2cupwhole wheat flour
1egg white
fig jam
1tspraw honey
1Tbspmelted butter
Instructions
Combine the ingredients to make the dough.
Roll out the dough and add a think layer of fig jam.
Fold the left and right end inward to meet at the center (like origami). Take a knife or roller and go down the vertical center. Then roll or cut horizontal/perpendicular to make rectangles.
Bake at 350°F/180°C for about 20 minutes or until soft baked. Do not over bake. The jam will be ready to eat, oozing out some!
Ceviche is a great shrimp and protein appetizer (or shrimp salad). It’s a healthy snack (or meal) that also brightens a table.
Decorating food tables with food is something I know about having planned hundreds of parties at Mediterranean cuisine restaurants.
And my humble start began creating catered events in American hotels, so making food at home brings it all full circle.
I have history with ceviche that was a hip trend in my catering days that went along with tapas (small plates).
I remember the Spanish restaurant I was at had a menu as big as Cheesecake Factory’s menu (without all the ad pages 😊).
And while I didn’t see ceviche on the menu often, Rosa Mexicano at National Harbor in the DC area was my go-to.
They crushed ripe avocados at your table to make fresh guacamole.
And what’s more exciting than fresh foods… that you can make yourself at home for very little cost! Tasty fresh guac is only a few fresh ingredients.
Avocados are the star and waiting for them to ripen faster is the hardest part if there is any. You can leave at warmer room temperatures on those efforts.
And also place next to other ripe fruit and/or a closed brown paper bag to speed up.
The beauty is perfectly fresh soft/ripe avocado has a short shelf-life of a day or two. A lot like cilantro.
For guacamole with a bite and for your ceviche, you want to use fresh cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro as some don’t, you can use fresh dill or parsley.
And for an unforgettable ceviche, you can lean on the trifecta ingredient effect of: red onions, cilantro (or fresh culinary herb), and lime juice.
If you finely chop the onions, they will be a delight in the melange.
Then you can add supporting healthy food ingredients and enhanced flavors. Like radishes, oranges, and tarragon herb spice added.
This is not a wimpy ceviche.
It’s for foodie tastes, and Chipotlehealthy food sensibilities.
And saving the best for last: the protein seafood item.
Seafood is healthy lean protein with zinc that impacts immunity and metabolism, and Omega 3s for optimizing the health of vital organs (heart, brain, and eye health).
It’s an anti-inflammatory category of foods.
You can store seafood (and fish) in the freezer until you’re ready to use.
I’m biased about the Old Bay seafood spice blend because I’m from that Delmarva area that douses Old Bay (that’s not an Old Spice deodorant) on everything savory. It’s in the water’s air. And I even douse on my ceviche.
To reel in the ocean-y ceviche appetizer to green land, I added asparagus spears and cilantro stalks. It’s now a salad.
And I made additional ceviche salad with oranges so it’s a tropical salad. Notice the salt rim that’s just too martini glass good.
This is a healthy light protein filled appetizer, meal, or snack you can enjoy year round with your favorite ingredients. You can share this or enjoy this for yourself!
Course Appetizer
Servings 1person
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Ingredients
1dozenshrimp (or seafood of choice)
1/2red onion, finely chopped
10-12leavescilantro, finely chopped
2tsplime juice (add more as desired)
1tsporange juice from a whole orange
1wedgesmall orange wedges
2tspsweet bell pepper or pimento pepper
2-3radishes, minced (optional)
1avocado, small pieces (zhugh on top)
tarragon herb spice (zhugh on shrimp)
salt (for glass rim)
Instructions
Cook the shrimp (or seafoods of choice).
In a bowl, toss onions, cilantros, peppers, radishes, and oranges like a salad with the juices. Let the juice marinade in the salad for a few minutes..
Then add salad to a martini or other presentation glass/bowl/vessel. Add salt to the rim (optional)
Using a spoon, add small avocado pieces on top. Add shrimp. Sprinkle tarragon on top. Share and enjoy!
Pear strawberry pair for a delicious and healthy smoothie. And I’m always looking for a new smoothie taste… you too?
This pear-straw amuse bouche is a great easy way to kick off healthy, brightening intentions for a blessed new year… after a holiday partridge in a pear tree.
Strawberry or strawberry lemonade is a great summer drink, but in the cool months, I found a strawberry pear-pair is a great sweet one.
The tastes seasonally complement. And you don’t need to add any more sweetness.
Because the juicy pear does the trick. 🍐 Not a prickly pear (cactus) but a regular sweet pear like a Bartlett pear. Anjou and Bosc are also common pears.
…And there’s just a ‘lil prep work that’s worth waiting for.
Like a few weeks after you buy (or pick) your pears.
As the pears ripen to a softness at room temps, you can squeeze the pear juice out. You can speed things up by putting pears near other ripe fruit (like a banana or apple), and even better put in a closed brown paper bag.
A soft pear looks the same on the outside, but inside it’s so soft that you don’t need a knife to pierce in.
You can push into the pear flesh and make pear sauce (like applesauce) if you wanted to.
And it’ll look like (and have the consistency) of juicy mashed potatoes.
That’s when it’s ripely good for a pear strawberry smoothie.🧉
Where you decide to add frozen (or fresh) strawberries.
Strawberry is the new banana in this smoothie.
Like the one here zhughed with shredded coconut… oui?
For the smoothie consistency, if you don’t have bananas around, are tired of them, or just never liked the taste of bananas, then the soft textures from frozen strawberries brought to room temps will do the trick.
Pull them out a day or two beforehand, so they can cold thaw in the fridge into useable mushy smoothie strawberries.
Then fire up your Magic Bullet, blending up your smoothie nice and smooth… and bottoms up!
So refreshing and sweet.
Spices also can enhance the pear tastes, and help remind you and I of the season we’re in… like winter, and if you’re feeling Kapha, ginger anti-inflammatory spice add a punchy but mild flavor.
And pinches of cinnamon for any Vata anxiety.
As someone who lives anti-inflammatory year-round, pears are full of fiber and are a low glycemic index food.
And strawberry is a superfood that has more Vitamin C than oranges!
So you’re doing a world of good by having a pear strawberry smoothie in your day.
Fruit, as in seeing what yields, is what keeps us going and growing and a smoothie can be the metaphor.
With a new year, we can use juicy winter fruit as a healthy symbol for what’s ahead.
I like seeing fruit in trees as a visual.
Bright berries are especially inspiring because you can find them out in nature even in the winter. Nature is not all dormant.
And fruit is abundant… and seasonal.
Fruit is a good metaphor for abundance. And what we all want is not just enough, or enough in the new year.
We want more than enough.
Because in overflow, we can give more to the world.
And by leaning into nature’s fruits, we can bring a little abundance into our daily smoothie drink.
For dominant Vatas (who love variety), seasons pose a garden backdrop of sweet fruits that help define what’s available and fresh to eat.
They show up in your kitchen and smoothie up!
And when you’re out and about…
Instead of reaching for a beverage, you can use a juicy apple (or in-season pears) to quench your thirst.
Apples and carrots are winter in-season healthy foods, and with the abundance, you can amp up in a apple-carrot smoothie with coconut tastes.
Or eat them raw if you don’t want to stop for restroom breaks.
Fruit also act as a mouth-teeth cleaner.So bringing a fruit snack with you in your travels make healthy sense all around.
And if you’re a hiker like me, they weigh little on the back.
