Pineapple and cottage cheese is the sweet new way to enjoy an all-time favorite fruit—pineapple. Everyone can enjoy pineapple, whether it’s sliced into various shapes and sizes, decorated, or juiced, especially these days, as people are conscious of the health benefits of what they eat.
Most times we enjoy junk food, we wonder when we’ll ever get serious with our health and diet. If you are thinking of living healthy, but also don’t want to miss out on the irresistible taste of sweets, then cottage cheese and pineapple is the combo you have been searching for. And, it’s something even the kids can enjoy!
Apart from the sweetness and creaminess, there are interesting health benefits of cottage cheese and pineapple that may surprise you. Not to mention the fact that the color of the pineapple in this dish makes me super excited (I love yellow in most of my favorite dishes, so why not).
Why Cottage Cheese and Pineapple?
It’s quite interesting to know that both ingredients have exceptional health benefits on their own, and eating them together is a bonus.
Cottage cheese is often referred to as curds. Its discovery dates back to somewhere between 3000 and 510 BC, where it was made in a sheep’s stomach-bag. Known for its nutritional benefits, cottage cheese is recommended as a substitute for meat because of its high protein level. During the first World war, it was marketed as a rich protein replacement for meat, especially in the US, because they needed to save meat for infantrymen.
A pound of cottage cheese contains more protein than a pound of beef and chicken. As for pineapple, a good kitchen tip to be aware of is: if your pineapple is not ripe, just place the pineapple upside down in a cool, dry place. Oh, lest I forget—cottage cheese doesn’t have a long shelf life, so you might want to make this dish as soon as possible.
So why cottage cheese and pineapple?
Well, here are some health benefits of cottage cheese and pineapple that will make you understand why (apart from the fact that it’s awesome):
It helps in weight loss as it contains fewer calories. And we definitely need more food with low calories.- It contains the daily protein needed by the body.
- It is good for the digestive system, as it is quite easy to digest.
- Interestingly, it boosts the immunity of the body.
- It aids the development of muscles.
- It is an excellent source of calcium.
- It reduces blood clot.
- It contains high levels of vitamin B and C, which are essential in the body.
And there’s more, as the dish is also good for children. Eating cottage cheese and pineapple before bed has a better effect on weight loss. So, what are we waiting for… Let’s go make some!
Cottage Cheese and Pineapple Recipe
One good thing about this recipe is that the cottage cheese and pineapple ingredients are easy to get, and the dish is very easy to make. Don’t forget to share this amazing dish with a special friend.
Moreover, if you’re thinking of trying out this recipe and you have your pineapple but no cottage cheese—relax, I’ve got you covered. How about making homemade cottage cheese? It’s easy and there are different methods. However, I have an easy method which you can make out of whatever is in your fridge.
Things you will need to make cottage cheese and pineapple for two people:
250 grams of cottage cheese or homemade cottage cheese.- 1 small-sized ripe pineapple
- 1 tablespoon of honey
For the homemade cheese, you’ll need:
- ¼ cup of whole milk
- ½ teaspoon of citric acid or lemon juice, your choice.
- 6 tablespoons of heavy cream or half and half
Steps:
- To start our recipe, let’s make our cottage cheese first. Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat it until it begins to simmer. Don’t allow it to boil. Remove from heat once it’s simmering.
- Then, add the lemon juice to the milk while it is still warm.
- Stir the mixture slowly for a few minutes.
- Cover the saucepan with any cloth suitable for straining and leave for an hour for the curds to form.
- Strain the content with a cloth, allowing it to drain for about 5 minutes.
- Rinse the curds while they’re still in the cloth until they have completely cooled.
- Squeeze the cloth until it is a little bit dry.
- Place the curds in a bowl and add the salt and heavy cream or half and half (I prefer heavy cream). Perfect! Your cottage cheese is ready. Now, measure out 250 grams of cottage cheese.
- Roughly crumble the cottage cheese (homemade or purchased), and place the chunks in a bowl.
- Peel and chop the pineapple into the desired shapes and sizes (l love small cubes).
- Add the chopped pineapple to the crumbled cottage cheese.
Add honey or any syrup of your choice and mix well.- Serve immediately and enjoy with a glass of fresh juice. No pineapple juice please, that’s just too extra—pick out any other flavor; think of something contrasting.
Note:
If you are not a fan of the awesome citrus flavor, white vinegar or liquid rennet can also be used to make your own homemade cottage cheese. The amazing thing about making your own cottage cheese is that you can enjoy the whey that was strained from the curd, which has a lot of proteins and absolutely no fat. It can be stored for a few days and can also be used as a stock or for making a milkshake.
What to do with the leftovers
So you’ve made and enjoyed the cottage cheese and pineapple, and now there are leftovers. You don’t have to panic; there are other ways to enjoy this combo.
The good thing about cottage cheese and pineapple is that it can be transformed into any fun dish—there are lots of options to choose from, and I know the best and simplest options. You can make a cottage cheese pineapple tortilla, and it’s even better than it sounds because you are just adding one more ingredient.
To make this dish, your ingredients will include your leftover cottage cheese and pineapple and one 8-inch multi-grain tortilla. The first step is to layer the leftover cottage cheese and pineapple onto the tortilla. Then, gently and neatly roll the tortilla into a wrap. To serve, pair it with a glass of fresh juice.
Other wonderful options for your leftover cottage cheese and pineapple are: making a salad, using it as a topping for your pancakes, or better still, you can make a cottage cheese-and-pineapple pancake. If you’re using cottage cheese and pineapple as toppings for something, you might need to make your pineapple slices smaller than usual.
There’s more, and trust me, it gets better. Apart from enjoying this dish with just the two main ingredients, you can also make a cottage cheese pineapple salad. Let’s begin then.
To make this, you’ll need:
- 1 cup of cottage cheese
- ½ cup of chopped pineapple
- ½ cup of dried cranberries
- ¼ cup of shelled sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice
Steps:
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss them well.
- Serve immediately and enjoy it.
You can add any other fruit or berry of your choice (I recommend crushed walnuts for some crunch). You can experiment with different flavors and textures, which is one thing that makes this dish fascinating.
Final Thoughts
Although cottage cheese and pineapple make an excellent and healthy dish, there are some risks associated with the ingredients. Thus, if you were planning to make this your favorite daily snack, you might want to think twice about it—better safe than sorry.
Even though cottage cheese is good for the bones and for weight loss, it is insanely rich in sodium, and sodium increases blood pressure. Hence, it is risky to eat cottage cheese too much. It is especially dangerous for those with hypertension, as they may be advised not to eat cottage cheese, or to only have it in small quantities.
Also, even though pineapple is very effective in reducing blood clots and boosting the immune system, it does tenderize meat (or any flesh), so eating too much of it will be dangerous to the mouth. And let’s not forget that overindulging in any dish makes that dish lose its appeal.
The cottage cheese and pineapple diet is definitely one great option that we have. It’s enjoyable and works well with our weight loss plans. With cottage cheese and pineapple, you don’t have to worry about leftovers—just make something new with it.
