Cottage cheese: From breakfast staple to versatile dinner hero

We often think of cottage cheese in the context of breakfast. Add fresh vegetables or simply slice it and serve it on sandwiches with honey. However, it can also be used to create dinner dishes. They have an added benefit, as they can also be eaten as a dessert. It's worth turning to dairy products, especially during hot days. Dishes based on them are light and delicious.

Cottage cheeses from our local dairies are so delicious that you often can't resist buying a whole block. However, it can be difficult to eat it all for breakfast in such quantities. In that case, it's best to use it for dinner dishes. I have two proven tips.

Cottage cheese can be called our national treasure, and Poland is famous for dishes based on it. This topic came up in my conversation with Dr. Bogdan Gałązka, who specializes in culinary history. On a daily basis, we tend to forget about it. And cottage cheese is not only tasty and suitable for many dishes, but it is also very healthy. First and foremost, it's a great source of protein, which is considered the most important building block of the body, obtained from food. Without protein, we wouldn't be able to function normally. It is a component of blood, lymph, hormones, and enzymes.

My first idea for a cottage cheese-based dinner is, of course, the popular "lazy" dumplings. We usually serve them sweet. Prepared with breadcrumbs, cream, cinnamon, butter, or cheese, it's already a classic. In this form, they also work well as a dessert. However, lazy dumplings pair excellently with savory additions. In summer, chanterelle sauce or other mushroom-based sauces are unbeatable. You can also prepare a sauce with seasonal vegetables. But the key is good, soft dumplings.

Ingredients:

• 450 grams of semi-fat cottage cheese,
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour,
• 2 eggs,
• 2 tablespoons of sugar,
• a pinch of salt.

Preparation:

1. Crush the cottage cheese with a fork and add the flour. Then add the eggs, sugar, and salt. Mix all the ingredients.
2. Now knead the dough (dust the countertop or board with flour) and form it into a roll. Divide it into several smaller parts.
3. Cut the lazy dumplings at an angle with a sharp knife. Boil water in a pot.
4. When the water begins to boil, carefully drop the prepared dumplings in. When they float, wait another 2 minutes and drain.

These soft dumplings are associated with summer because they taste best with fruit—now strawberries and apricots, but soon plums. This dish came to us from German-speaking countries, where it is viral. Its classic, most well-known version is based on potatoes. However, dumplings can also be made from cottage cheese. They will be more delicate this way. The cottage cheese will give them incredible softness and increase their nutritional value. These dumplings can be served with sour cream or melted butter with breadcrumbs.

Ingredients:

• 400 grams of full-fat cottage cheese,
• 2 eggs,
• 50 grams of sugar,
• 30 grams of butter,
• 200 grams of breadcrumbs,
• half a vanilla bean,
• juice of half a lemon,
• whole strawberries, preferably large and sweet,
• cream for serving.

Preparation:

1. Mix the squeezed cottage cheese with eggs until smooth. Add half a vanilla bean and 50 grams of sugar.
2. Then, add the butter, lemon juice, and breadcrumbs to the mixture. Knead the dough. Refrigerate the ready dough for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the topping: melt the butter in a pan, add sugar, and when the ingredients combine, add chopped nuts.
4. Wash the strawberries and remove the stems.
5. Take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into 8 parts.
6. Flatten each piece of dough in your hands and place a strawberry in the center. Seal the whole, forming neat balls.
7. After they float to the surface, cook the strawberry dumplings over low heat in lightly salted water for 5 minutes.
8. Serve with sour cream.