Instructions: These are some cool ideas for using cottage cheese I found ages ago in a

Pasta Alfredo: Blend until smooth: one part skim milk to four parts cottage cheese, some grated Parmesan, a little fresh dill, nutmeg and black pepper. Toss with hot whole-wheat pasta.

Salad dressing: 2 tablespoons cottage cheese, 2 teaspoons oil, 2 teaspoons apple-cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon oregano, a dash of garlic powder.

Whipped-Cream substitute: Whip at high speed 1 cup cottage cheese with 2 tablespoons any kind of unsweetened frozen fruit-juice concentrate until peaks form. Serve immediately. (My favourites are pineapple or lemon concentrate. )

Sour cream taste-alike: In blender, process 1/2 cup buttermilk, yogurt or skim milk with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Gradually blend in 1 cup cottage cheese until consistency is right. (I find the yogurt works best for this. )

Low-calorie cream: Blend together equal parts low-fat cottage cheese and vanilla yogurt. Even lower in calories: Use plain yogurt, vanilla extract, and Sweet `N Low (or equivalent). Refrigerate at least 8 hours before using. Serve over fruit.

Imitation cream cheese: Blend 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese and 1/4 cup plain yogurt; add a teaspoon or more of skim milk, as needed, for cream-cheese consistency.

I keep mucking around with amounts and seasonings and have ended up with some really strange-looking concoctions. If anyone has any other suggestions or methods, please share!

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