Yogurt Spread (Vegetarian, Lacto-ovo)

Although I eat this most often at breakfast, it is also a wonderful spread to serve as a snack or appetizer.  I have served variations to guests, and no one has ever realized that this is a low-calorie, low-fat recipe.  The trick is to keep the flavours strong – roasted onions and reduced-fat blue cheese are excellent choices.

The following proportions are enough for my nutritional requirements. You may need to adjust amounts for your own diet.

1/4 cup non-fat cottage cheese, or Greek yogurt (regular yogurt is too runny)

1 oz non-fat feta cheese or reduced-fat blue cheese (depending on the variety and the brand, this is about a 1/4 cup, but it varies. I use a kitchen scale to  measure)

Chopped vegetables of your choosing, enough to make the spread nice and chunky. ( I usually use about a 1/2 to 3/4 cup of roasted vegetables. I am in the habit now of roasting vegetables every time I turn on the oven or grill, and refrigerating until needed.)

Fresh or dried herbs. Some nice combos:  basil with tomatoes, rosemary with chopped olives, cajun or chipotle blends with onions or peppers; mixed Mediterrean or Greek spices with eggplant or squashes.

Mix all together and enjoy!

Yield:  One serving

Based on the above recipe with 1/2 cup mixed non-starchy vegetables:

Calories: 110

Protein:  15 grams

Carbs: 12 grams

When served with 1 sheet of Joseph’s flax/oat lavash

Total Calories: 210

Total Protein: 25 grams

Total Carbs: 26 grams

Total Net Carbs: 20 grams

Fat: 4 grams (from the flax)