CHEESE please!

I don't drink milk. I've always hated the way it tastes. I won't even use it with cereal (actually, I don't eat cereal anyway, who am I kidding?). I don't mind cooking with it but straight milk? Ugh. So for calcium, cheese has always been my go-to. Unfortunately good cheese = fat. I miss it! I still try to eat cheese daily but nothing like it used to be.

Here are two of my favourite cheesy ways to enjoy your vegetables!

Vegetable Ideas:



I used to love jalapeno cheese poppers- mmm, deep fried cheese with a little spice! Jalapenos are vegetables though, and there are still ways to enjoy them on plan!

Note: Before you start making these, I highly recommend wearing gloves. The first time I made them, I didn't, and I couldn't get the spice off my hands no matter how many times I washed them- it took days. And it hurt any time I touched my eyes! Not to mention I could taste the spice on anything I touched. It's definitely not worth the hassle so now I always wear gloves.

Jalapeno Cheese Poppers:

4 jalapeno peppers
2 tbsp Philadelphia Ultra Low Fat cream cheese
1 tbsp Egg Beaters
1 tbsp breadcrumbs

Cut the tops off the jalapeno peppers and make a slit down one side. Scoop out the seeds and veins as best you can. Put 1/2 tbsp of cream cheese inside each pepper. Dip the peppers in the Egg Beaters and then in the breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is leaking out all over your pan. Serve with salsa as a dipping sauce if desired. I count this as a veggie and free foods since you use so little of the egg and breadcrumbs, but if you use mozzerella I'd count it as a veggie and a dairy serving.

These are really yummy! If you have extra dairy remaining you can mix a little shredded mozzerella in with the cream cheese but you really don't need it. Personally, I'd rather save mine for the next recipe!


Cheese Sauce:



If you're like me, one of your favourite ways to eat veggies with dinner was smothered in cheese sauce. I had to come up with an NS friendly way to recreate this! It doesn't have the same rich flavour or heavy texture but it certainly livens up steamed veggies a little.

1/4 cup milk
1 tsp flour
1 tsp butter or olive oil
3/4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
garlic
Italian spices

Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour and garlic. Slowly add in the milk and Italian spices. When the mixture is thick and smooth, add in the cheese and stir until well blended. Serve hot over your favourite steamed veggies- I like it especially with broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans. Counts as a fat, dairy, and free foods.

Just a quick note that this is one of my favourite meals. I made the Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes as indicated on the package, and fried a salmon burger in PAM spray (protein serving). I saved a carb serving to eat it on a bun and used a wedge of Laughing Cow Light as a free food, sprinkled with dill and topped with green onions. Then I have my vegetables with cheese sauce. This looks exactly like a meal I would have had pre-NS and it's so filling and delicious!