Taste of Thyme: Good & Good for You Food

Usually, I am the first person to walk away from anything that is "mock". But in this case, I really like this as a low fat version of Sour Cream. Place 1 cup of low fat or fat free cottage cheese in a blender with 1 tablespoon of FF Milk. Blend until smooth. This is not quite as tangy as the real thing but is great in dips, cheese cakes, and even in those jello concoctions that call for sour cream (or try it in stroganoff or paprikash) . I often make low fat versions of sauces or dips that call for sour cream when catering using this method. My customers are always aware of the switch, but the guests never have a clue and seem to enjoy everything as much or more than the high fat versions.

What could be more difficult than this trendy Italian dessert? This is actually so easy to prepare and you don't have any baking to do as you would with creme brulee or flan. You'll want to enjoy this with friends so go a head and doulbe or triple it! Keep in mind, when working with gelatin (I love this but I am not a fan of Jello) that the gelatin melts at 86 degrees and starts to set at 68. 2 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup sugar 1 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 teaspoon lime zest To prepare panna cotta, coat 4 (6-ounce) custard cups with cooking spray. Sprinkle gelatin over whole milk in a small saucepan; let stand 10 minutes. Cook milk mixture over medium-low heat 10 minutes or until gelatin dissolves (it doesn't need to boil), stirring constantly with a whisk. Increase heat to medium; add 2/3 cups sugar, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add buttermilk and zest, stirring well. Divide mixture among prepared custard cups. Cov...

I just love Mayo! Unfortunately it is about 98% fat or oil. Here is a an idea to get the flavor and feel of mayo and not the fat. Replace the mayonnaise in tuna, egg, pasta and chicken salads with pureed, seasoned silken tofu or plain low-fat yogurt, dressed up with your favorite diced vegetables and seasonings. To make the tofu or yogurt taste more like mayo add a bit of mustard, white wine vinegar and salt to taste. Those are the ingredients that give Mayo its background flavors!

These mini meatloaves are great! They are easy to make, cook quickly, preportioned and they freeze well! Kids love 'em too! 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/ teaspoon dried thyme 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup ketchup, divided 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw) 1 c oatmeal 2 tablespoons mustard 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 large eggs Cooking spray Preheat oven to 350°. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, thyme and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool. Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl. Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes. If you want gravy (which I alway...