A Scientific Dinner Is Better Than a Filling Dinner: Cottage Cheese

Who doesn’t like cheese? Probably people who are lactose intolerant. Or serial killers. But it’s a largely accepted fact that molded milk, more commonly known as cheese, is one of the finest delicacies out there in life. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of variations of cheese which differ from one country to another in their preparation method, consistency, taste and odor among other factors.

While most people’s minds drift towards Cheddar, Swiss, Gouda or even Feta cheese, this post will revolve around a less coveted type of cheese; cottage cheese or “gebna 2areesh”.

It’s no secret that cottage cheese does not commonly rank in the top five cheese choices by most individuals, it’s rather hard to find in most grocery stores and its consistency and somewhat bland taste fall on deaf ears for most people who opt for more flavorful types of cheese.

But cottage cheese is a unique kind of cheese. How so, you ask? Well, it’s science time, bitch!

The majority of cheeses are created using the whey protein derived from milk, whey if you are unaware, is the major component in most post-workout powder shakes due to the body’s ability to absorb it with significant ease and speed. Cottage cheese is in the unique position of being derived from casein protein, which unlike whey, is a slow-digesting protein which can take up to eight hours to fully digest; providing a steady stream of amino acids during that time.

“Why should I eat that for dinner? I’d like to have it for breakfast!” Well, you can do that of course, but the reason I recommend cottage cheese as the optimal dinner time meal is what I just stated above. Unlike most other foods which can be completely digested within three to four hours, cottage cheese can easily last during your entire sleep, keeping your stomach churning and burning during your sleep, supplying your muscles with protein during your slumber, preventing catabolism and boosting your overall metabolism.

Now that we’ve established a logical reason why you should be eating cottage cheese before bedtime. It’s time we tackle the second issue which affects cottage cheese; flavor. Once again, like pretty much any food (except Okra [Bamia], because fuck Okra) its flavor depends on how you use different ingredients to bring out its glory. I’ll share with you a few recipes which I utilize on rotation basis which add a great twist on my cheese and keep me more than satisfied.

Cottage cheese a la thyme and olive oil:

Ingredients:

• One small bowl of cottage cheese
• One tablespoon olive oil
• One teaspoon fresh thyme
• Dozen almonds
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Process:

• Add the paprika and pepper onto the cottage cheese in the bowl.
• Add the olive oil and thyme on top.
• Mix well using a fork to mash the cheese with the other ingredients.
• Add almonds on top.

You can eat this as is with just a fork or have it with a side of whole/multi-grain bread.

Cottage Cheese a la mustards and Brussels Sprouts:

Ingredients:

• 2-4 pieces of whole/multi-grain toast
• One bowl of cottage cheese
• One tablespoon mustard
• Fistful of Brussels Sprouts
• One small tomato diced laterally
• One small yellow bell pepper diced laterally
• One tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
• ½ teaspoon black seeds

Process:

• Heat your toast pieces in a toaster till they’re at a crunchy (but not burnt) consistency
• Layer up the cottage cheese so its evenly spread on your toast
• Add the paprika, black seeds, ginger, black pepper and mustard atop the cheese
• Add the balsamic vinegar on top
• Spread the mustard on top
• Add the Brussels sprouts and sliced tomato and bell pepper

Cottage Cheese a la sweet tooth:

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of whole/multi-grain toast
• One bowl of cottage cheese
• Two tablespoons of honey
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon powder

Process:

• Heat your pieces of toast till they’re crunchy
• Layer up the cheese evenly atop the bread
• Spread the ground cinnamon powder evenly on top
• Drizzle the honey

This is one dinner plate that will leave your taste buds satisfied and ensure that your body’s got something to do while you’re snoozing. Let me know what you think about the recipes and share your own twists by commenting below!

If you have any question on techniques or execution please comment below or reach out to me on Twitter on @Foxicakes I’ll be more than glad to assist!

Bonne appétit