3 Free Ways to Enjoy Summer Cottage Cuisine

By Colleen Walsh Fong

Summer “break” is a misnomer for most of us. Sure, cold temperatures and rainy periods yield to sunnier skies and warmer weather. And our days lengthen too. School-aged kids can put down their books or tablets as the case may be. But anyone with a job, especially the one titled “Mom” becomes centered in a whirlwind of activity when the summer “break” arrives.

When I think of summer vacation I think first of cottages, like the ones my Mom and Dad rented for us in the summer months when I was a kid. But this summer I found something cottagey that doesn’t require travel and helps me to enjoy the break season with healthy food that’s easy to make.

One of my biggest summer challenges, even with college and adult aged children, is finding ways to feed my family healthy food while they are on the go. I recently stumbled across some yummy-flavored cottage cheeses that are easy to incorporate into scrumptious recipes. They keep your fat and calorie intake low while giving you necessary proteins and nutrients. They contain summery herbs and seasonings, cutting your chopping time down to very little! And they come with recipes so good I couldn’t create better ones myself.

So I got permission from the good folks at Hood Cottage Cheese  to print these recipes for all of my readers to use! They’re a hit in my home as family members grab these homemade take-outs on their ways to the pool, the bike trails, summer jobs, or to use as treats to share at graduation parties, backyard cookouts, and picnics.

Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Cottage Cheese Cucumber Cups

Makes 27 Cups

Ingredients

·      3 large Cucumbers

·      ¾ C Hood Cottage Cheese with Cucumber and Dill    

·      ¼ C Hood Light Sour Cream

·      ¼ tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper

·      3 dashes Hot Sauce (optional)

·      5 Tbsp 50% Less Fat Real Bacon Pieces

Procedure

·      Trim the ends from each cucumber.

·      Using a vegetable peeler, peel three evenly-spaced strips of peel from each cucumber (See picture of finished cups.)

·      Cut each cucumber crosswise into nine, 1-inch thick slices. 

·      To make cups, use a teaspoon to remove the seeds from the center of each piece of cucumber; avoid scooping through to the bottom.

·      Reserve scooped cups. 

·      Place cottage cheese, sour cream, black pepper, and hot sauce in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. 

·      Spoon equal amounts of the cottage cheese mixture into cucumber cups.

·      Sprinkle with equal amounts of bacon pieces.

·      Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Spinach, Egg, and Cheese Cups

Makes 12 Cups

Ingredients

·       2 tsp Olive Oil

·      1 medium Onion, chopped

·      4 large Eggs

·      2 C Hood Cottage Cheese with Cucumber and Dill

·      2.9 oz packages Plain Frozen Chopped Spinach, defrosted and well drained

·      1 C Reduced-fat Cheddar Cheese, shredded

·      ¼ tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Procedure

·      Preheat oven to 400° F.

·      Generously coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.

·      In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.

·      Add onions.

·      Sauté until soft, about 3-5 minutes.

·      Place the cottage cheese in a food processor.

·      Blend until smooth, about 45 seconds-1 minute.

·      Reserve.

·      Place eggs in large mixing bowl and whisk until just beaten.

·      Add cottage cheese, onions, spinach, cheddar cheese, and black pepper to the eggs.

·      Mix well.

·      Divide spinach mixture evenly among muffin cups.

·      Bake until spinach cups are firm, about 20 minutes.

·      Remove from the oven and place on wire cooling rack.

·      Let stand in pan for about 5 minutes.

·      To remove, loosen the edges with a knife and lift out with a fork.

·      Allow to cool on rack for 5 minutes more.

·      Serve warm or cold.

Mushroom and Red Pepper Flatbread

Makes 1 Flatbread

Ingredients

·       1 tsp Olive Oil 

·      8 oz White Button Mushrooms, sliced

·      ½ C Hood Cottage Cheese with Garden Vegetables

·      1 2-oz Flatbread, such as Joseph’s Toasted Sesame Seed

·      ½ small Red Bell Pepper, cut crosswise into 1/4” slices

·      2 oz Goat Cheese, crumbled

·      ¼ tsp Dried Oregano

Procedure

·      Preheat oven to 400° F.

·      In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat.

·      Add mushrooms and sauté until soft.

·      Season with salt, if desired.

·      Place cottage cheese in blender or food processor.

·      Blend until smooth, about 45 seconds to one minute.

·      Place flatbread on baking sheet.

·      Place in preheated oven for 3-4 minutes to toast slightly.

·      Remove baking sheet with flatbread from the oven.

·      Spread evenly with cottage cheese.

·      Top with mushrooms and red bell pepper.

·      Sprinkle with goat cheese and oregano.

·      Place in oven.

·      Bake 5-7 minutes, or until crispy.

·      To serve as an appetizer cut into 5 triangle shaped pieces.

·      To serve as a main meal, cut in half for 2 servings.

All recipes created by Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, 2014

I love using these delicious and easy recipes to keep my family on track all summer long! You can find Hood Cottage Cheese in your local grocery store. Check here to find more wonderful ways to use this healthy protein.

Photos Courtesy of Hood