Yogurt Cheese Pick-Ups
Yogurt cheese picks up whatever flavors, herbs, and spices you decide to blend it with. You can add a few slices of ripe tomato and some lettuce to this English Sage Cheese spread on your favorite whole wheat bread and have a quick and tasty lactose-free snack or sandwich in no time!
Yields 8 servings
Calories: 54.98
Fat: 2.35 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.98 grams
Carbohydrates: 3.92 grams
Calcium: 137.52 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
1 cup yogurt cheese
2 tablespoons minced green onion
1 tablespoon dried sage
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Herb Cheese
A burst of herbs combined with yogurt cheese makes this cheese smell like a little herb garden — and it tastes even better! How does your little herb garden grow? Full of calcium and void of lactose weeds!
Combine all ingredients in medium-sized bowl.
Whisk together until well blended.
Cover tightly. Chill until ready to serve.
Yields 8 servings
Calories: 43.43
Fat: 1.37 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.88 grams
Carbohydrates: 3.44 grams
Calcium: 105.43 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
1 cup yogurt cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon caraway seed
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon snipped fresh chives
Tropical Cream Cheese
When choosing canned fruits, make the healthy choice for those packed in their own juices with no extra sugar added!
Combine yogurt cheese and ginger in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Fold in nuts and pineapple.
Cover tightly. Chill until ready to serve.
Yields 12 servings
Calories: 74.71
Fat: 5.28 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.96 grams
Carbohydrates: 4.17 grams
Calcium: 75.07 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
1 cup yogurt cheese
1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
⅓ cup well-drained crushed pineapple
½ cup finely chopped pecans
Sweet Yogurt Cheese Spread
This is a real zero-lactose treat on bagels, English muffins, and toast! It resembles a fancy real cream cheese spread made with LI-friendly yogurt cheese!
Combine yogurt, dried fruit bits, honey, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Chill mixture thoroughly before serving.
Dried Fruit Trivia
Dried fruits tend to be a more concentrated source of calories than fresh fruit. The drying process removes most of the moisture, which prevents the growth of bacteria. Naturally, some vitamins and beta carotene may be lost in dried fruits. Freeze drying maintains the highest amounts of nutrients in dried fruits.
Yields 16 servings
Calories: 67.03
Fat: 1.84 grams
Saturated Fat: 1.17 grams
Carbohydrates: 7.04 grams
Calcium: 140.97 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
2 cups yogurt cheese
3 tablespoons mixed dried fruit bits
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Apple Honey Spread
This simple spread is packed full of flavor.
Combine all ingredients in blender.
Process until smooth and well blended.
Cover tightly and chill until ready to serve.
Yields 8 servings
Calories: 53.46
Fat: 1.38 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.88 grams
Carbohydrates: 6.05 grams
Calcium: 105.53 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
1 cup yogurt cheese
2 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
2 teaspoons honey
A natural fruit spread can, of course, be spread around. Think about using a dollop of this blueberry fruit spread on top of a bowl of fresh fruit or melon balls.
Combine gelatin and ¼ cup water in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine blueberries, ½ cup water, sugar, and lemon juice.
Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove saucepan from heat. Add gelatin. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.
Cool to room temperature. Pour into a pint glass jar or 2 half pints. Cover tightly. Keep refrigerated.
Fresh Fruit Spreads
You may be amazed to learn that a lot of homemade natural fruit spreads have fewer calories than butter! You may find you can make the switch to fresh fruit spreads from butter rather easily.
Yields 16 servings
Calories: 16.95
Fat: 0.06 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.01 grams
Carbohydrates: 4.22 grams
Calcium: 1.21 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
¼ cup water
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Strawberry Orange Spread
Mingling orange rind and orange juice with fresh strawberries makes a refreshing spread on crackers or small rounds of bread. This spread would be great served at an afternoon tea!
In a small, aluminum-free saucepan, soften gelatin in orange juice.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin dissolves.
Remove from heat. Stir in mashed strawberries, sugar, orange rind, and ground coriander.
Cover and refrigerate until spread is firm.
Orange Peel Trivia
The orange peel, sometimes called zest, is an ingredient totally separate from the fruit inside! Orange peel contains an aromatic oil. Use a zester to get the zest, and don' get into the bitter white pith just under the orange peel. Be careful when purchasing your citrus for zesting; you need to make sure the fruit hasn' been waxed.
Yields 10 servings
Calories: 10.21
Fat: 0.07 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.0 grams
Carbohydrates: 2.24 grams
Calcium: 4.13 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
¼ cup unsweetened orange juice
1 cup mashed, fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
Banana Spread
This spread is best when it's made fresh. Spread on warm whole wheat toast or a toasted English muffin.
In a small, deep bowl, mash ripe bananas with a fork.
Blend lemon juice with mashed banana.
Add lemon zest, cinnamon, yogurt, and honey. Blend well.
Banana Trivia
Bananas are high in potassium, which is a necessary mineral for muscle function. Bananas are a great on-the-move snack because they come with their own packaging and can go just about anywhere with you!
Yields 8 servings
Calories: 34.25
Fat: 0.17 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.08 grams
Carbohydrates: 8.63 grams
Calcium: 4.11 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
2 ripe bananas
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
Pineapple Peanut Butter Spread
Sweet and luscious pineapple combined with a favorite old stand-by makes for a delightful spread on warm toast or a dip for fresh fruit. You can also stuff celery with this spread for
a snack that is beyond de-lish!
Drain pineapple, reserving juice.
Combine pineapple with peanut butter.
Add pineapple juice and cinnamon. Mix all ingredients until well blended.
Yields 5 servings
Calories: 83.14
Fat: 6.47 grams
Saturated Fat: 1.32 grams
Carbohydrates: 4.55 grams
Calcium: 9.19 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
½ cup canned crushed unsweetened pineapple
¼ cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon juice from pineapple
Pinch ground cinnamon
Stove-Top Apple Butter
Apple butter is a great replacement for butter or margarine on toast.
Peel, core, and slice the apples. Place in a large, heavy kettle. Add apple juice concentrate to apples.
Place over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until apples are tender, about 20 minutes.
Place the hot mixture in a blender. Purée briefly; there should still be small chunks of apples in the mixture. Return the mixture to the kettle. Add lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, allspice, and ground cloves.
Cook over low heat until mixture thickens, about 30 minutes. Be sure to stir often so mixture doesn' stick; apple butter scorches easily!
Allow to cool to room temperature and store in glass jars.
Granny Smith
One of the world's most famous apple varieties, Granny Smiths are bright green and shiny. They are very juicy and have a slightly tangy flavor. Granny Smiths were first cultivated in Australia in 1865 by Marie Ana Smith. They slowly made their way around the world, reaching the United States more than one hundred years after they were first cultivated.
Yields 56 servings
Calories: 44.59
Fat: 0.09 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.01 grams
Carbohydrates: 11.62 grams
Calcium: 6.87 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
12 large Granny Smith apples
1 cup frozen apple juice concentrate
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup brown sugar
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon allspice
Pinch ground cloves
Plum Pineapple Butter
Plum delicious! Plums contain lutein, which is good for your eyes!
Pit and quarter plums. Combine all ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer until plums are tender, about 10 minutes.
Pour hot mixture into blender. Process until smooth.
Return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened, about 15–20 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.
Serve warm or chilled.
Yields 12 servings
Calories: 42.98
Fat: 0.18 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.01 grams
Carbohydrates: 11.00 grams
Calcium: 6.51 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
1½ pounds plums
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Fruit Medley Butter
This is a rich and fruity spread for toast, bagels, toasted English muffins, or the specialty bread of the day!
Combine all ingredients in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
Let stand uncovered for 10 minutes.
Transfer to a blender. Purée until smooth. Cool.
Cover tightly and refrigerate.
Yields 18 servings
Calories: 56.51
Fat: 0.07 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.01 grams
Carbohydrates: 14.67 grams
Calcium: 5.35 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
8 ounces mixed dried fruit
1 cup apple juice
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
12
Sauces
Mango Sauce
Strawberry Yogurt Sauce
Raspberry Sauce
Horseradish Apple Sauce
Yogurt Mint Sauce
Almond Apricot Sauce
Fruit Fondue Sauce
Banana Fondue Sauce
Nutty Raisin Sauce
Dilled Mustard Sauce
Tomato Fresca Sauce
Easy Chocolate Sauce
Mustard Cream Sauce
Mushroom Sauce
Spicy Tofu Sauce
Bordelaise Sauce
Mustard Sauce
Yogurt Dill Sauce
Mango Sauce
This sauce is a tasty complement to fish or chicken. It also makes the presentation very pretty!
Combine all the ingredients in blender.
Process until smooth.
Mango Tango
Mangoes are very messy to eat! With recipes like this one, you get the full, fresh flavor of this awesome fruit without the mess. Pick plump, fragrant mangoes that are heavy for their size. To tell if a mango is ripe, push the skin. If it gives, it's ripe — but avoid fruit that feels mushy.
Serves 10
Calories: 28.90
Fat: 0.09 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.02 grams
Carbohydrates: 5.81 grams
Calcium: 3.02 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
1 cup cubed mango
2 tablespoons orange-flavoredliqueur
3 tablespoons unsweetened orange juice
Strawberry Yogurt Sauce
Top a bowl of fresh fruit with this sauce or make a beautiful presentation of a fresh fruit platter and serve it as a fruit dip.
Combine all ingredients in blender. Process until smooth and creamy.
Chill thoroughly.
Serves 6
Calories: 43.34
Fat: 1.40 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.86 grams
Carbohydrates: 6.52 grams
Calcium: 53.28 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup fresh strawberries, stemmed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons sugar
Raspberry Sauce
This sauce is so tempting it's hard not to lick it right out of the pan!
Place raspberries in blender. Process until smooth purée.
In a small, heavy saucepan, combine raspberry liquid and cornstarch. Stir until well blended.
Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Stir constantly until mixture becomes smooth and thickened.
Remove from heat. Stir in orange juice.
Cover and chill thoroughly.
Serves 6
Calories: 60.81
Fat: 0.11 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.01 grams
Carbohydrates: 15.21 grams
Calcium: 8.83 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
1 10-ounce package frozen raspberries in light syrup, thawed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup plus
2 tablespoons unsweetened orange juice
Horseradish Apple Sauce
Bye-bye, mayo! You're gonna love this on your sandwiches instead!
Cut celery into 1″ pieces. Pare, core, and cube apples.
Place celery, apples, onions, orange juice, and horseradish in blender. Process until smooth.
Scrape into bowl. Stir in crushed fennel seeds.
Chill thoroughly.
Serves 16
Calories: 25.84
Fat: 0.19 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.03 grams
Carbohydrates: 6.60 grams
Calcium
: 3.64 mg
Lactose: 0.0 grams
½ stalk celery
1½ pounds tart apples
¼ small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened orange juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated horseradish
¼ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
Yogurt Mint Sauce
Fresh mint in almost anything is so refreshing! This sauce can be a complement to an entrée or a great sauce or dip for fresh fruits or veggies.