Sunday, May 27, 2012

Cottage Cheese Crescent Roll Recipe - Cornuri cu branza proaspata Recipe

Here is recipe you can use dry cottage cheese in (in English and in Spanish!):



Cottage Cheese Crescents / Cornuri cu branza proaspata



Ingredients / Ingrediente

1 cup lukewarm milk or water / 240 ml apa sau lapte caldut
1/2 tbsp sugar / 1/2 lingura zahar
1 package dry yeast / 7 gr drojdie uscata
2 tbsp olive oil / 2 linguri ulei de masline
3/4 cup cottage cheese / 170 gr branza proaspata
4 cups bread flour / 480 gr faina pentru paine

Directions / Mod de preparare


1. Pour 1 cup of lukewarm milk or water in your mixer bowl. Add 1/2 tbsp sugar to it & 1 package dry yeast   / Intr-un bol se pun 240 ml lapte caldut. Se adauga 1/2 lingura zahar si drojdia uscata.


2. When yeast is dissolved, add 2 tbsp olive oil & 3/4 cup cottage cheese / Cand drojdia s-a dizolvat se adauga cele 2 linguri de ulei de masline si 170 gr branza proaspata.


3. Mix at low speed slowly adding 4 cups of bread flour. / Amestecand la viteza mica, se adauga treptat 480 gr faina pentru paine.


4. Keep mixing until dough comes clean from sides of bowl. / Se amesteca pana aluatul se curata singur de pe bol.


5. Place dough in a greased bowl & leave it to rest at room temp until it doubles in volume./ Aluatul obtinut se pune intr-un bol uns si se lasa la temperatura camerei pana-si dubleaza volumul.


6. When risen, divide it in 2 & roll it out in a circle. Cut each circle into 8 triangles. / Cand s-a dospit se imparte in 2 intinzandu-se in forma de cerc. Se taie in 8 triunghiuri.


7. Roll the crescents & place them on baking sheets. Leave again to rest at room temp for about 20-25 minutes or until almost doubled. / Se ruleaza cornurile, se aseaza in tava de copt si se mai lasa la temperatura camerei alte 20-25 minute sau pana aproape se dubleaza in volum.


8.Meanwhile heat the oven at 350F. Just before baking them, brush  crescents with egg wash & sprinkle some dry herbs on top.  / Intre timp se incalzeste cuptorul la 180C. Inainte de a da cornurile la cuptor se ung cu ou si se presara cu ierburi uscate.


9. Bake until golden. Se coc pana devin aurii.

Where I buy Dry Cottage Cheese in Wyoming & a Recipe to make your own!

In Worland, Wyoming, at the grocery store, this is where I purchase my dry cottage cheese.  I must drive over the mountains to get it, but its well worth it!

Meadow Gold is the company that makes it from cows' milk.  They sell it in ONE-POUND (450 grams) bags!

Yes, One Pound Bags!  I bought about 4 bags recently and they've lasted in my refrigerator about 3 weeks, which isn't bad!

The label on the bag states:

Grade A - less than 1/2% milkfat

The bag says:  in 1/3 cup, it has only 35 calories, 0 grams of fat, less than 5mg cholesterol, 15mg sodium (salt), less than 1 gram of total carbohydrates, and less than 1 gram of sugars.
But it also says it contains 8 grams of protein!  Wow!!!

The ingredients are:  Cultured Skim Milk and Enzymes.

The company's address is:
Meadow Gold Daries
Division of Southern Foods Group, L.P.
Dallas, Texas  75223

Before I seriously got into consuming dry cottage cheese on a regular basis, I would feel somewhat guilty eating regular cottage cheese as I craved it and could not stand the taste of low fat cottage cheese.

With this food - dry cottage cheese - I can guiltlessly use it as much as I want and I use it on many things!  Any meal or dish you want to add protein and other valuable nutritional benefits of this food you can add it to!  It melts in the microwave, or on hot food.

Below is a recipe for home-made dry cottage cheese curds!!

Dry Cottage Cheese Curds Recipe

Ingredients
1 gallon milk (skim or whole)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup instant nonfat dry milk
1 tablespoon salt
Pot
Cheese cloth
Colander
   
Directions
Pour gallon of milk into a large pot.
Add half cup of instant nonfat dry milk.
Cook mixture on stove at medium-high, without boiling.
Once mixture has reached a lukewarm temp, stir while adding cup of buttermilk.
Cook at medium-low heat for 12 hours or until several cheese curds have formed.
Once finished, cut formed curds into 1/2 inch pieces, & raise temp between medium-high & high.
Stir & cook for 30 minutes until no moisture remains.
Scrape out curds into a cheese cloth-lined colander.
Completely drain excess liquid from curds, & then rinse them in warm water.
Drain & dry curds once more.
Place curds in a bowl & lightly sprinkle salt over them.
The curds are salvagable if you boil mixture, but try to heat it more slowly so that milk isn't scorched much.

Dry Cottage Cheese or Dry Curd Cottage Cheese or Quark

This blog is dedicated to the wonders of Dry Cottage Cheese!

Other names for it are Dry Curd Cottage Cheese, Farmer's Cheese or Quark.

This type of cottage cheese is made without adding any additional dairy products (milk or cream and salt, which makes a whey (liquid the curds are suspended in when you have normal cottage cheese) after the cheese is formed.

I'm not implying that Dry Cottage Cheese is abnormal -- far from it! 

What makes Dry Cottage Cheese a delicacy is that anyone who is crazy about cheese curds, Feta cheese or other crumbly white cheeses with a curd-like consistency will find adding Dry Cottage Cheese to their cuisine will enhance their life!!!

Both goat's milk and cow's milk may be used to make this type of cottage cheese.

In the countries of Ukraine, Russia and Hungary, this type of cottage cheese is very common.

This cheese is not commonly found in grocery stores, but you can ask your grocer to order it.

Also, you can drain the juice (whey) from regular cottage to obtain a similar product like Dry Cottage Cheese (but not as good because the curds are not as firm).

Are you a Ricotta Cheese fanatic?

But your doctor has told you to stick with a low-fat diet?

Happily, Dry Cottage Cheese comes to the rescue!!!  One Full Cup of Dry Cottage Cheese contains only 1% Fat!!!

Are you a Lactose Intolerant (Milk Sugar Lactose Intolerant) person?

Never fear!  Dry Cottage Cheese is an entirely Lactose-Free food!

Though this product, sometimes known as dry curd cottage cheese, is an ingredient in a number of recipes, including casseroles, noodle dishes, and desserts, it can be difficult to find.

Dry cottage cheese is commonly found in foods ranging from savory tomato sauce or bacon to sweet and tart desserts like custard, lemon, or sweet berries. This ingredient is favored in filled dishes like lasagna, pasta dumplings, and blintzes because the lower moisture keeps it from becoming runny.

What does Dry Cottage Cheese taste like?

Like a mild white cheese - similar to cottage cheese, but blander.

Therefore, it can be mixed with many different foods as it does not have an overpowering cheesy flavor.

I like to use it crumbled & melted over scrambled eggs, pasta dishes, steamed vegetables, and much more!

Alone, it is too bland to eat by itself to my culinary tastes.

My mother used to make Polish Pierogis which had dry cottage cheese used in their stuffing, along with whipped eggs, salt, pepper and a dash of sugar (yum!)

Here is a link to all of the nutritional information about Dry Cottage Cheese:

<a href="http://skipthepie.org/dairy-and-egg-products/cheese-cottage-nonfat-uncreamed-dry-large-or-small-curd/">http://skipthepie.org/dairy-and-egg-products/cheese-cottage-nonfat-uncreamed-dry-large-or-small-curd/</a>

A FULL CUP of this type of cottage cheese has only 104 CALORIES!!!

A FULL CUP has only 1% Saturated Fat!!!!!!!

As far as minerals this food contains, a FULL CUP contains 275.5 mg of Phosphorus, 13.63 mcg of Selenium and 24.7 mg of Calcium!  These are the top three (3) minerals in this food, in addition to the mineral Sodium, of which a FULL CUP contains 478.5 mg.

Alas, one cannot get away from salt in cottage cheese.

Well, I haven't found a low sodium dry cottage cheese yet on the market, but keep my eyes peeled for it.

Other minerals it contains are Zinc, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Copper, Manganese, and a tiny speck of Fluoride.

Now, about the proteins and amino acids in this food.

A FULL CUP of Dry Cottage Cheese contains a whopping 14.993 grams of Protein!!!

Amino Acids a FULL CUP of dry cottage contains (RDI = Recommended Daily Intake):

Histidine (63% of RDI)
Isoleucine (57% of RDI)
Leucine (55% of RDI)
Lysine (60% of RDI)        
Threonine (64% of RDI)
Tryptophan (71% of RDI)    
Valine (55% of RDI)    
Methionine     
Phenylalanine

Non-essential Amino Acids it contains:

Arginine        
Alanine        
Aspartate    
Cystine  
Glutamate  
Glycine  
Hydroxyproline    
Proline        
Serine  
Tyrosine        
Methionine + Cystine
Phenylalanine + Tyrosine

For people on a low carbohydrate (Low Carb) diet, this is a fantastic food to add to their diets, as one cup of dry cottage cheese contains only 9.65 grams (3%) of total carbs!!!  These carbs in dry cottage cheese consist of very small amounts of:

Starch  
Sugars    
Sucrose  
Glucose  
Fructose  
Lactose  
Maltose        
Galactose

Therefore, this is a superb food for Diabetics and others who must watch their sugar intake!!

This food scores 67 on the Glycemic Index, which makes it a low-glycemic food!!!

However, this is NOT a high fiber food.  Dry Cottage Cheese contains Zero fiber!  Therefore, one should COMBINE this food with high fiber foods if you are in need of high fiber in your diet.

Now, for the fat content.  Dry Cottage cheese has very low fat content.

Fatty Acids and Fat content of 1 Full Cup of Dry Cottage Cheese:

Total Fat    1%
Total Omega-6 Fatty Acids    0.00435g
Total Saturated Fats (Bad Fats)    1%
 
Butyric Acid   [Butanoic Acid]   
Capric Acid   [Decanoic Acid]       
Caproic Acid   [Hexanoic Acid]   
Caprylic Acid   [Octanoic Acid]   
Lauric Acid   [Dodecanoic Acid]   
Myristic Acid   [Tetradecanoic Acid]       
Palmitic Acid   [Hexadecanoic Acid]   
Stearic Acid   [Octadecanoic Acid]      

Total Monounsaturated Fat (Good Fats)    0.11455g   

Oleic Acid   [Octadecenoic Acid]   
Palmitoleic Acid   [Hexadecenoic Acid]   

Total Polyunsaturated Fat (Good Fats) 0.00435g
    
Linoleic Acid   [Octadecadienoic Acid]   

One full cup of dry cottage cheese contains only 10.15mg of cholesterol!


The United States Food and Drug Administration allows the following claims to be made by manufacturers of Cheese, cottage, nonfat, uncreamed, dry, large or small curd:

Cheese, cottage, nonfat, uncreamed, dry, large or small curd is an excellent source of Phosphorus, Sodium and Protein.
This means that the food contains 20% or more of your RDI for these nutrients.
Cheese, cottage, nonfat, uncreamed, dry, large or small curd is a good source of Vitamin B12, Riboflavin, Calcium and Selenium.
This means that the food contains 10% or more of your RDI for these nutrients.

So if you're still considering consuming regular cottage cheese, you might want to think again when you see the charts below which compare the nutritional value of regular and dry cottage cheeses:

Cheese, cottage, nonfat, uncreamed, dry, large or small curd vs Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 100g or 3.5oz
 
Cheese, cottage, nonfat, uncreamed, dry, large or small curd
 

Calories

72
Calories from Fat 3
 

% Daily Value*

 

Total Fat

0g
0%
 
Saturated Fat 0g1%
 
Trans Fat 0g
 

Cholesterol

7mg
2%
 

Sodium

330mg
14%
 

Total Carbohydrate

7g
2%
 
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
 
Sugars 2g
 

Protein

10g
 
Vitamin A0% · Vitamin C0%
 
Calcium9% · Iron1%
 
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.  

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 100g or 3.5oz
 
Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd
 

Calories

98
Calories from Fat 38
 

% Daily Value*

 

Total Fat

4g
7%
 
Saturated Fat 2g9%
 
Trans Fat 0g
 

Cholesterol

17mg
6%
 

Sodium

364mg
16%
 

Total Carbohydrate

3g
1%
 
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
 
Sugars 3g
 

Protein

11g
 
Vitamin A3% · Vitamin C0%
 
Calcium8% · Iron0%
 
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
 SkipThePie.org is a great resource online to check out the true data on food contents!

Now, the calorie content comparison:

Calories - Dry Cottage Cheese
Serving Size: 100g or 3.5oz   
Total Calories    72 kcal   
from Carbs    25.8 kcal    
from Fat    2.5 kcal  
from Protein    44.2 kcal        

Calories - Regular Cottage Cheese
Serving Size: 100g or 3.5oz
Total Calories    98 kcal   
from Carbs    13.1 kcal        
from Fat    37.8 kcal  
from Protein    47.5 kcal

Hands down, Dry Cottage Cheese wins all-around as the food of choice for the wise health-conscious consumer!

Now, for Vitamin Content:

Vitamin Content - Dry Cottage Cheese
Serving Size: 100g or 3.5oz

Vitamin A     8 IU
Vitamin B6     0.016 mg    
Vitamin B12     0.46 mcg    
Vitamin E (Alpha-tocopherol) 0.01 mg 
Thiamin     0.023 mg 
Riboflavin     0.226 mg 
Niacin     0.144 mg    
Pantothenic Acid 0.446 mg    
Folate     9 mcg    
Folate, Food     9 mcg    
Folate, DFE     9 mcg DFE    
Choline     17.9 mg    
Betaine     0.9 mg    
   
Vitamin Content - Regular Cottage Cheese
Serving Size: 100g or 3.5oz

Vitamin A     140 IU 
Vitamin B6     0.046 mg 
Vitamin B12     0.43 mcg 
Vitamin D     3 IU    
Vitamin D (D2 + D3) 0.1 mcg    
Vitamin E (Alpha-tocopherol) 0.08 mg    
Thiamin     0.027 mg    
Riboflavin     0.163 mg    
Pantothenic Acid 0.557 mg    
Folate     12 mcg    
Folate, Food     12 mcg    
Folate, DFE     12 mcg DFE    

Below are the figures for mineral content, comparing dry versus regular cottage cheese:

Mineral Content - Dry Cottage Cheese
Serving Size: 100g or 3.5oz

Calcium     86 mg    
Iron     0.15 mg    
Magnesium     11 mg    
Phosphorus     190 mg    
Potassium     137 mg 
Sodium     330 mg    
Zinc     0.47 mg    
Copper     0.03 mg    
Manganese     0.022 mg    
Selenium     9.4 mcg    
Fluoride     31.6 mcg    

Mineral Content - Regular Cottage Cheese
Serving Size: 100g or 3.5oz

Calcium     83 mg    
Iron     0.07 mg    
Magnesium     8 mg    
Phosphorus     159 mg 
Potassium     104 mg 
Sodium     364 mg 
Zinc     0.4 mg    
Copper     0.029 mg 
Manganese     0.002 mg    
Selenium     9.7 mcg 
Fluoride     31.6 mcg

For more detailed comparisons, please visit:

Skip the Pie Dot Org
Oh yes - for our Spanish Speaking readers, Dry Cottage in Spanish is:

Nombre Queso Blanco Grumoso

"Cottage Cheese" is thought to have originated from the fact that this type of cheese was usually made in cottages from milk left over after making butter.

The curds and whey of nursery rhymes perhaps was an old-timey way of describing regular cottage cheese.

Body Builders who do strength training and conditioning, runners and weight lifters all favor consuming cottage cheese due to it's high content of casein protein (a longer lasting protein), and because it is relatively low in fat content.

For more information about casiens, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casein

Here is a link to a forum where people are discussing use of dry cottage cheese in making the Polsh pierogi (and discusses other Polish recipes!):

http://www.polishforums.com/food-drink-8/pierogi-recipe-filling-grandmother-1609/4/