Summertime has definitely arrived – the dawn chorus is waking me up waaay too early each morning (thanks guys – really appreciate the 4am alarm call…) the weather is heating up, and I have a craving for something cool, fruity, and easy to eat (read: drink!)
How about a cool, creamy, tangy, ultra thick strawberry cheesecake ‘shake?
It’s summertime (& cheesecake!) in a glass…
I wanted to create a recipe that was a little on the healthier side of ‘shake territory. Although I love me a full on, creamy ice-cream style milkshake, I know my waistline won’t thank me for indulging in too many of those!
I can only use the “it’s too hot…” excuse for so long…
So, in order to introduce a little healthy into my summertime slurp, can I present the case for…wait for it…
Cottage cheese…
I can hear the groans from here…
Before you hit that little “x”, let me explain…
I have a love / hate relationship with cottage cheese…
Okay, maybe that comes across a bit too strong, I actually quite like the taste – I don’t know anyone who would wax lyrical and say they love the taste of cottage cheese though…
I don’t even mind the texture (although I do have to be in the right frame of mind…is that just me?) but for years, I never, ever bought the stuff…
Why not? After all, I seem to buy pretty much every other type of cheese…it’s kinda my thing…
So, what did I hate about cottage cheese, why did I refuse to buy it for so long?
Simple…just the sight of it made me feel deprived…
I know it sounds strange, but my brain always associated cottage cheese with being on a diet – I felt miserable, grumpy and deprived, simply by seeing that tub on the store shelf!
I don’t do diets. When I was younger, I tried a few but was never much good at sticking to them (I guess I just love food too much!)
When I decided to focus my attention on balanced eating, with an emphasis on “real” food, cottage cheese somehow got dismissed as “nope – that’s diet food – I’m not going there!”
Okay, so my inner voice apparently resembles a whiny brat…but what a wasted opportunity…
If you take the time to blitz cottage cheese in a blender, you get something that’s still tangy and creamy, but also silky smooth (and super thick – the holy grail of milkshake making!) It still tastes like cottage cheese, but this way, it’s much more versatile – spoon it into pasta dishes, mix it into a pancake batter, or in this case?
Drink it in the form of a strawberry cheesecake ‘shake!
Even more good protein is added in the form of greek yogurt and milk. Tons of strawberries make that gorgeous pink colour – oh, okay, and the strawberry taste…
A sprinkling of cheesecake base style crumbs – crispy, crunchy golden toasted crumbs, made using digestive biscuits and coconut oil (a great source of healthy fat).
Add a fresh strawberry balanced on the glass – ‘cos you’ve got to make it look extra pretty, right? and there you have it – creamy, tangy and extra thick – summertime in a strawberry cheesecake ‘shake.
STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE 'SHAKE
Ingredients
- 1 cup (205g) cottage cheese
- ⅓ cup (80ml) milk (I use whole)
- 2 cups (260g) strawberries, chopped (use frozen for a thicker shake)
- ⅓ cup (80g) greek yogurt
- Maple syrup to taste
- ½ tablespoon drinking oats / oat flour - optional*
- 3 digestive biscuits finely crushed
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil melted
Instructions
- Make the cheesecake crumbs first: Stir together the crushed digestive biscuits and melted coconut oil. In a dry frying pan over a medium heat, lightly toast the crumbs, stirring frequently until golden brown and crunchy. Set aside to cool.
- In a blender, combine the cottage cheese and milk and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides when necessary.
- Add the strawberries and greek yogurt and blend well. Adjust for sweetness with maple syrup (if your strawberries are ripe it shouldn't need much!)
- If you want to thicken the shake more, add the drinking oats or oat flour and blend again to combine.
- If using frozen strawberries, serve immediately, with a heaped spoonful of crumbs on top. Otherwise, chill for 10 mins to allow the oats to thicken the texture before serving.
Notes
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