LEMON ZEST PROTEIN CHEESE CAKE

LEMON ZEST PROTEIN CHEESE CAKE

I was playing around with some recipe ideas after a client mentioned her love of Lemon Cheese Cake. I always ask customers and clients to give me their all time favorite desserts (regardless of Calories etc). I normally make "Protein Cheese Cake" for myself using Protein Powders, and used to make it daily (with a lot less ingredients). I wanted something that a non protein-powder loving or owning lady would like. Hence the Lemon Zest Cheese Cake.

There are many alternative versions I will be posting later (using protein powder etc) but for now I wanted to make one without relying on buying additional supplements:

LEMON ZEST PROTEIN CHEESE CAKE- powder free version

1/2 cup skim milk
1 Cup scalding milk (enough to melt gelatin)
2 Envelopes Knox Gelatin or Sugar Free Lemon Jello powder
1-2 tb lemon zest (according to taste)
1 Tb lemon juice
1 cup splenda (or sweetener alternative like Stevia, Sweet and Low etc)
4 Egg Whites
1/4 Tsp Salt
3 Cups Cottage Cheese (I used dry curd, low sodium). You can use 1% or Fat free as well, but then reduce the scalded milk to 1/2 cup.
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract or another flavor/ extract (mango, orange etc)

For Crust:

60 grams (2oz) of oatmeal or
fiber one, shredded wheat, wheatabix,
or wheat bran mixed in.
or GG Scandinavian Bran Crisp Bread
Instructions:

Add 1 cup of milk to a sauce pan and heat until scalding. You need this HOT to dissolve the gelatin.
In a separate bowl, beat/blend/whip the cottage cheese until it is smooth.

In a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the skim milk (cold) and let it dissolve-6 minutes approx. Add the HOT milk, and blend until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, 3/4 of the sweetener, vanilla and half the egg whites. Stir cottage cheese into the above mixture. At this point I would let it chill until it sets a bit.

Beat the remaining 2 egg whites until peaks form, and then add remaining sweetener, and keep beating until "meringue-like' and stiff with visible peaks. Fold in the Gelatin Mixture into the Egg Whites.

Add crust to a pan (I used a mixture of oats/wheat bran/wheatabix/Scandinavian Bran Crispbread or Sprinkles (primarily GG Scandinavian Bran Sprinkles), and pour the Cheese cake on it. You can add some more lemon zest on top, or add more 'crust' on top. You can refrigerate or flash freeze it for a bit, but the bottom may get soggy.You can also add some 4Fiber or Fibersmart, add some egg whites and Walden Farms Chocolate Dip (to bake the crust).
I love adding Walden Farm's calorie free Peanut Butter Spread to my crusts! It really shines in this area. I have also added peanut flour. I will post these later.

Variations and recommendations:

-You can use a pudding mix (Jello Sugar Free Lemon Pudding) or vanilla etc.
-Silken Light Tofu works well!

-Adding Poppy Seeds makes it SO FREAKING AMAZING!
- I highly recommend adding some sugar free jam or fruit to it (not acidic, as it won't set). I used blueberry and strawberry! You can add Walden Farms' jams, syrups, or chocolate dips to it!
- You can use GREEK YOGURT instead of the cottage cheese.
-Almond milk works, but lowers the protein content.
- Try adding Rosemary! See my post on Herb Pairings HERE

I have made Maple Walnut, Peanut Butter, Strawberry, Banana, Chocolate, Caramel, Marshmallow, Cookie Dough, cookies and cream etc. HAVE FUN.

Crust Alternatives:
Of course, you can crush Ginger snaps, Graham crackers, or any cookie of your liking. Experiment with CEREAL such as Fiber One, Nature's Path Pumpkin Granola Flax, Mesa Sunrise, Flax Plus, Spelt/Kamut Flakes, Chocolate Cheerio's, Kay's Protein Cereal, Hi-Lo Cereal, Wheat Berries, Uncle Sam's, Bran Buds, Dixie Diner's Nutlettes, Dixie Diner's Carb Controlled Granola,  Dixie Diner's Smaps Cereal etc.
You can also add egg whites to the base and bake it for 'crunch', or useMillet, Quinoa, Wheat, Peanut Flour, Almond Flour, psyllium. I love usingFiber Smart or 4Fiber! You can mix a TB into the crust batter, into the filling, or on it's own with some egg whites. I will post the recipes with protein powder at a later date!
You can also use Sugar Free Cookies, a sugar free pre-made graham cracker crust, sugar free Graham Crackers, Lemon or Vanilla Wafers etc!