For a change, here we present a recipe for preparing a dietetic pizza and another for a delicious cheese snack. Both use natural ingredients, especially quark and mozzarella (for the pizza) and pumpkin and cottage cheese for the Qutab.
Mozzarella, originally from Naples (Italy), was from the milk of buffaloes, but today it comes from cow’s milk. This product contains niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, biotin and vitamin B6, which are all critical for skin, vision and health maintenance.
It contains calcium, phosphorous, potassium, chloride, iron and sodium. The intake of mozzarella also provides the organism with protein (muscles and energy), as well as protection of the intestine.
The calcium protects against breast cancer and heart disease (or stroke) and contributes to weight loss. Mozzarella contains enough biotin (or Vitamin B7) which is essential especially for pregnant women.
It also protects your nails and lowers the levels of glucose (diabetes). Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) is also present in mozzarella, and it helps against anaemia and migraine.
A Low-Calorie Pizza and a Recipe for a Delicious Snack with Cheese
Diet pizza
Ingredients
- 200 g Quark 1,8-2%
- 3 tbsp Green buckwheat flour (you can change it with any diet flour which you like)
- 3 tbsp Half-baked flour (you can change it with any diet flour which you like)
- One pc. Chicken egg
- 1 g Salt
- One pc. Tomato
- 30 g Mozzarella (or suluguni, you can add more if you want)
- 20 g Basil (little batch)
Instructions
- Spread quark with egg, add flour and salt.
- Make a ball, wait for some minutes until the dough bulks up.
- Roll out the dough on silicon mat making lips.
- Fillings can be different: my favourites are Caprese and mushroom. Put cut into circles tomatoes and cheese OR cut mushrooms, yellow pepper, tomatoes, olives and strew with grated one.
- Grease the pizza base with tomato paste + 1 bulks of diet sauce Teriyaki.
- Bake pizza in oven at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
- Put a little basil on the Caprese or greenery on the mushroom. That’s all! Have a nice meal!
Cottage Cheese Pizza
Ingredients
- garlic and herb pizza dough from Trader Joe’s (you could use any crust – or be super awesome and make your own from scratch)
- low fat or fat-free cottage cheese (I probably used about a cup and a half)
- grape tomatoes (sliced in half)
- sun-dried tomatoes (diced)
- mushrooms
- reduced fat mozzarella (I probably used about a cup)
- reduced fat or fat-free Feta cheese
- fresh basil (about twenty leaves)
Instructions
- Spread out the dough on a pizza stone or baking sheet. Then, I pre-bake the crust a bit in the oven so that it doesn’t end up soggy in the middle. I followed the directions on my package of dough, which said 425 degrees, and I probably baked it for 6-8 minutes.
- Spread the cottage one on the pre-baked dough in a thin layer.
- Top with grape tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, and mushrooms.
- Sprinkle on mozzarella and feta. Then top with the basil.
- Bake in the oven (425 still) until it has all melted. It took me about 10 minutes I think.
Notes
Qutab with diet cottage cheese
Ingredients
- 100 g Pumpkin (raw or you can change it with carrot or courgette)
- One pc. Chicken egg
- 25 g Corn flour (you can use any other diet flour which you like)
- 3 tbsp 1% kefir
- 1/4 tsp Soda (I use baking powder)
- 30 g Diet hard cottage cheese (you can use any with the least fat percent for a filling)
Instructions
- Grate pumpkin, add all other ingredients apart from the cheese, mix everything.
- Make two rounds of dough, put it on the baking paper or silicon mat.
- Bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Put the scones out and pour cootage one on one of them, then put the second one on it.
- Put into the oven again for 5 minutes.
- That’s all; a healthy tasty meal is ready. Enjoy!
Cottage Cheese, Raisins, and Cinnamon
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
- Ten raisins
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Measure out cottage cheese into small bowl. Add raisins and a dusting of cinnamon. Enjoy!
Pierogi
Ingredients
- 50 g dried mushrooms (for the filling)
- 250 g ready-made sauerkraut
- 40 g butter
- 250 g potatoes (For the filling. Cut into pieces)
- Three tbsp olive oil
- One onion (finely diced)
- 250 g cottage cheese
- 250 g self-raising flour (For the dumpling dough)
- One tsp salt
- One tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- For the mushroom and sauerkraut filling, soak the dried mushrooms in 300ml/10½fl oz water and set aside to infuse for 1 hour.
- Drain the sauerkraut in a colander and rinse under a tap to remove some of the acidity. Transfer to a pan of boiling water. Reduce the heat until the liquid is simmering and cook the sauerkraut for 30 minutes. Drain well.
- Remove the mushrooms from the water using a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid. Finely chop the mushrooms.
- Heat the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sauerkraut, mushrooms and the reserved water. Bring the mixture to the boil. Continue to boil the mixture until all of the liquid has evaporated, then remove from the heat and set aside until cool.
- For the cottage cheese and potato filling, boil the potatoes in a pan of salted water until soft enough to mash (about 20 minutes). Drain well and set aside to cool.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the onions for 4-5 minutes, or until crisp and browned. Reserve a tablespoonful of the onions for the garnish.
- For the dumpling dough, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Fill the well with the salt, oil and water. Using your fingers, gradually stir the flour into the wet ingredients, until the mixture comes together as a soft dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5-8 minutes, or until it is smooth and glossy. Wrap the dough in a clean tea towel and set aside to rest in a cold room for at least 20 minutes.
- When the potatoes have cooled, transfer them to a large bowl and crumble over the cottage cheese. Mash until smooth, then stir in the fried onions until well combined. Set aside.
- To shape the pierogi, roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3mm. Cut 10cm/4in rounds from it using a pastry cutter.
- Place one teaspoonful of the cottage cheese and potato filling into half of the pastry rounds, and one teaspoonful of the mushroom and sauerkraut filling into the remaining pastry rounds. Brush a little water around the edge of each pastry round, then fold the edges together to create a bulging semi-circular dumpling, pressing the edges together to seal.
- Poach the pierogi, in batches if necessary, in a deep-sided pan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes, or until they float to the surface.
- To serve, pile the pierogi onto serving plates and serve the soured cream in small bowls alongside. Sprinkle with the reserved fried onions and the dill.
Conclusion: A traditional food with natural ingredients, and a delicious Qutab with cottage cheese
The Qutab contains with cottage one, but it provides an essential ingredient – pumpkin. With this vegetable, you can prepare soups, salads, even desserts and much more.
It is rich in vitamins and minerals, though not so in calories. It contains potassium and antioxidants. It is an excellent source of beta-carotene.
Here, it is important to mention that our body converts the beta-carotene into vitamin A. Beta-carotene helps to reduce the risk of cancer, asthma and heart disease. Pumpkins help against obesity and diabetes, as well.
This vegetable is right for your heart (potassium and vitamin C), for it reduces hypertension and the risk of stroke. It also helps in the absorption of glucose while balancing its levels in the liver.
Pumpkins are a natural storage of fibre, which decreases sugar absorption into the blood and helps to smooth digestion by promoting regular bowel movements. The intake of pumpkins helps to protect the immune system (vitamin C and beta-carotene), thanks to the combination of nutrients.