We are in the middle of a recovery/rest week. Yes, it feels good. In order to keep the recovering process going, we need to eat well. Recovery foods are crucial for athletes (you are an athlete), and one of our favorite go to recovery foods is Daisy cottage cheese. Real ingredients, no additives or thickeners, and protein packed.
The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Daisy Cottage Cheese. All opinions are my own, always!
![image[3]](https://www.cottercrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/image3.jpg "image[3]")
But let me brag about this protein for a minute. It has GREAT NUTRITIONAL VALUE!
The protein content in cottage cheese is what you call a COMPLETE protein, which means that it provides all the amino acids your body needs to function properly. Amino acids are needed in order for our muscles and tissues to grow and repair.
So think about it. You train hard, your muscles break down. You need these proteins (amino acids) to help REPAIR and REBUILD. Make sense?
See, I told you it’s an amazing recovery food! But what I also like about using cottage cheese for our recovery foods is that it’s versatile. It can be savory or sweet. It can be used in baking, in sauces, in a smoothie, in pancakes, in casseroles, etc. The options are endless.
![image[1]](https://www.cottercrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/image1.jpg "image[1]")
So far I used cottage cheese on paleo bread with maple syrup, stuffed in dates with a pistachio on top (post workout snacks seen above), on salad, and mixed with hummus and nutritional yeast for a protein packed “cheesy” spread. But my favorite dish so far is hands down the one below. A spur of the moment dinner that turned out to be divine! Grain free, high protein, and veggie packed!
Any guesses? Well, I’d say it’s a combination of salad capris and zucchini fritters.
Here’s whatcha need:
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (sliced)
- 1/2 cup coconut flour or other flour of choice
- one egg
- 1 small summer squash or zucchini
- 1/4 cup daisy cottage cheese
- 1/2 oz to 1oz aged cheddar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup or one bunch of basil leaves (fresh)
- lemon juice
- diced or minced garlic (1-2 tsp)
- crushed black pepper (optional)
- Balsamic vinegar to drizzle on top
- Extra tomato slices, basil, and cheese for topping.
![image[2]](https://www.cottercrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/image2.jpg "image[2]")
Directions:
First, make sure every dry ingredient is chopped up. Then add everything (minus the flour and egg) into your food processor or blender. Grind until smooth. Pour out thick batter into a bowl. Add in your flour and egg and any extra spices. Mix until until a thick dough is formed. Roll into patties and cook on oiled skillet like you crab cakes. A few minutes each side or until golden brown. Plate the fritters then top with extra tomato, basil, cheese, black pepper, and drizzle with balsamic oil.
Makes around 6 fritters.
Feel free to add “ a dollop of daisy” on top. You know I just had to say that. Oh, and this makes for a perfect for a dinner or lunch al fresco!
The next time you’re at the store, I’d check out the new Daisy Cottage Cheese design and pick up some for this recipe. Daisy is setting itself apart in the dairy aisle by introducing new, modern packaging that highlights what makes “The Daisy Difference” versus other brands – better ingredients.
I may be bias, but it’s pretty darn good for a recovery meal!
Also, if you’d like to learn more about how to POWER YOUR WAY through your day with healthy fuel, please join the FitFluential folk and Daisy Cottage Cheese for a fun twitter chat on April 10, 2014.
Sweet or Savory? What’s your favorite way to use cottage cheese?
Cheers!
LC
Oh girl! These sound incredible! I’m a HUGE fan of cottage cheese and actually, when I’m not buying Friendship’s no-salt-added, Daisy is my second brand of choice…I love the minimal ingredient list! Hate it when they stuff all those thickeners and nonsense ingredients in my CC! I tend to lean more toward sweet…especially since I use it mostly like a sub for Greek yogurt, but I have been known to whip up a few savory dips…adding nooch and/or hummus is my fave!
Congrats on a wonderful recovery week, and oooooo do those look amazing! Harry and I really need to start using more wholesome ingredients when cooking (which we do five or six days of the week for dinner). Starting with healthy (ful)fillers (omg did I just make that up?!) like these is just what we need!
yep making these asap
report back! xxoo
If only I still had that Costco-sized package of those sundried tomatoes still in my fridge. (I like ’em cold.) These look AMAZING! You are so creative. I’m coming to Austin so you can cook for me, mmmk? I’ll trade you with aid in Healthy Bite production. (And by that, I mean taste testing. Clearly.)
oh how i wish you were still in austin… we’d be making great things!
They look and sound just as good as I had hoped when I first saw them on Instagram. I love it, I love the flavors, the nutritional stats, the tomatoes, the fresh basil, everything! Thanks my friend.
i knew you’d love. too bad we aren’t neighbors, i’d pour you a glass and then we could cook… perfection
We’d be drunk most evenings if we were neighbors. 😉 We’d eat really well too.
i see that as a good thing
Yum! What a delicious looking recipe! I had cottage cheese as part of my dinner tonight 🙂 I go through so much of it as it is such a good recovery food. Once again we are alike! I will have to try it in dates with pistachios though. My favorite will always be pineapple with it, but I am pretty easy going. I love to put it in my butternut squash lasagna instead of ricotta! Adding nutrition without sacrificing taste 🙂
ohh i like that plan! eat and train!
I love cottage cheese but almost always eat it cold. I can’t remember the last time I used it in a recipe. Thanks so much for the reminder – these look delicious!
you so need to try it in this recipe then! and report back, deal?
i love me some cottage cheese! used some in a strawberry and spinach smoothie the other day!
i like the sound of that!
Ill be there and chatting and eating my PLAAAIIIIN 🙂 Daisy.
YUm! I always love our recipes nd can;t wait to try this one!
let me know if you do!
Yum! Another great must-try recipe. I may even give dairy a try for this one 🙂
ohh i love that you might try! but if you can’t do dairy, just sub for a non dairy cheese, no problemo!
Unless you want to see a stomach explosion, you might not want to feed this to me. But that don’t mean I can’t look. No it don’t no. Ah ha ha! My grammar just went to S***.
don’t explode!! or maybe, do it and then you’d get more publicity. haha. But really, we can gigi-ify these. no eggs or dairy. but use potato starch and baking powder perhaps??
I’m not gonna lie, thanks to you I’m totally thinking of picking up Daisy cottage cheese tomorrow! I loooove cottage cheese anyway, but I’m always on the hunt for the perfect one. Also, I loved your post about the rest week!!! That’s an intense workout right there! 😉 It’s actually pretty hard to rest for more than a few days for those of us who are always active. In your opinion though, how ACTIVE should one be to take a whole week of rest?
that’s a great question friend. As i mentioned in that last post, we had put a lot of time and energy into our work/training/dreams. That means a little more stress and physical activity. 6 days of teaching, training, and 7 days always trying to play catch up on work, life, etc. –> i needed to do something to reduce this stress. And since i can’t really control my work right now, i decided resting physically would help. And i was tired. That’s a clear sign to me. Today i feel so much better. I’ll probably wait till next sunday or monday to really workout again. Although i did have to teach once this week. Does that makes sense? maybe i need another post about this? haha
Mmm, I love basil. And Ian just finished building our raised garden bed tonight, so hopefully we can plant some this weekend! It’s been forever since I’ve had cottage cheese. We used to always eat it in the summer growing up, on fresh tomatoes with black pepper. Yum. I also love it on toast with cinnamon!
I have never tried Bob’s Red Mill Coconut flour, I have used their pancake mix, but you no have the ideas flowing. Maybe I can still have my fried green tomatoes….
YOU TOTALLY CAN!! I made them coconut flour, almond meal, or bob’s all purpose. SO GOOD. or garbanzo flour
This looks so freaking good! Nick would hate it haha, so definitely a lunch time meal for me 🙂
ill come over for lunch!
Gosh it has been so long since I have had it, but it has been on my brain for a nice additional protein to add into the mix…I think Costco sells Daisy…LOL!
haha yes! we used to buy the big tub at costco!! costco it up woman!
These fritters sound delightful!!! Really I want to come to your house to eat like every single night. 🙂
you are always welcome! and bring the boys!
I absolutely love Sundried Tomatoes. It’s one of my fave things. I was planning on including some in my next loaf 🙂
oh my! can i come taste? make it GF!
dollop of daisy made me giggle 😉 I ADORE cottage cheese, it is so versatile, isn’t it? so many either love or hate it, think the texture of it gets so many. But I love it. great protein source too. these fritters look yummy, as does the idea of mixing cottage cheese with hummus!
Those look delicious!! YUM. I used to eat cottage cheese all the time but for some reason I haven’t had it in forever! Going to pick some up at the store next time!
Recovery week… I almost hate those weeks more. Justin is so crabby then! Girl, I am loving these recipes. Keep them coming and you’ll keep my family happy!
LOL! I feel ya! and why don’t we live closer? darn, we could share meals!
I love your throw togethers.. these look so tasty!
I loveeee all the creative cottage cheese posts! Cottage cheese is my favorite. I eat it on kabocha squash basically every night with almond butter. Also love using it as a topping with pancakes and mixed in with frozen fruit. So – sweet – for sure!
okay that is brilliant! i must try that next
Can I start by saying I just love saying the word “fritters?” These sound soooo good. Gonna bookmark this and add it to the shopping list for next week.
Dallop of daisy…love it!
I just can’t do cottage cheese sweet. I go in stages where I love it and then can’t even look at it! I’m pretty sure I could get on board with this recipe though!
let me know if you try it!
My husband and youngest son love cottage cheese. It is one of those things I can’t do – I’m pretty sure it is a texture thing but…..
The recipes look good – I should make them for Chris!!
I need to pay your photographer to shoot my food pics…awesome visuals!
hire me anytime. Loooove food photography. 😉
Looks amazing woman!
Rest on!
How do you come up with these amazing recipes?! I will be saving and sharing this one!
I love using cottage cheese for an extra protein punch 😉 I love it on toast with honey and fruit or in pancakes/waffles!
I love cottages cheese sweet to savory… but my sweet tooth generally wins. That said, I want your fritters. Dairy is hard to go without!
This looks delicious! I usually eat cottage cheese plain, and no one else in my house is really a fan of it so I haven’t tried using it in other recipes or other ways. This I could definitely eat, though!
I wish, wish, WISH that my stomach handled cottage cheese better — it’s one of my favourite things, but I can only eat so much of it before my stomach starts acting up. Still doesn’t stop me from doing it on occasion, though, because I love the stuff so much. And sweet… always, always sweet. Usually paired with either honey or jam.
Delicious! I haven’t tried many savory cottage cheese lately. I’m usually a fruit kind of girl but with sun dried tomatos and basil, this one sounds like a winner!
I always say this, but I wish you were my Sherpa Wife! So much yumminess comes out of your kitchen. I gotta try this!
These look so good- I love the tang of sun dried tomatoes. What a great recipe! I’ll have to try the maple syrup toast too. You know how I love Daisy, it’s in our frig at all times.
I really need to give cottage cheese another try. I hated it as a kid but most other things that I didn’t like I’ve come to love (yogurt, cream cheese, sauerkraut). Your fritters look awesome!
I love Cottage Cheese – especially whipped with cacao powder and honey – fresh, it tastes like pudding, put it in a freezer it turns into parfait. So good!
Ooooh…yum! I love anything with sundried tomatoes! They add so much yummy flavor.
I tend to eat cottage cheese with sweet things like fruit, but I’d totally be open to trying it in a savory way.
I’ll be there for lunch!
Tomato and basil are such a kick ass food combo! Especially sundried tomatoes…YUMMY!
Yummm! I’ve been anticipating this recipe since I saw your pic the other day. I am not a big cottage cheese fan, I think it’s the texture, but this may be the perfect way to enjoy it.
i think you will approve! well, at least i hope so. and the cheese is blended so no texture
I have not been a cottage cheese fan for a few years now – not sure what happened cause I used to like it plus I have the whole dairy thing that the bod does not like.. BUT that recipe looks amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sweet over savory for me always. 😉
Oh i’ve got other alternatives for you if want to try these! dairy free
Oh these sound divine! I love cottage cheese – such a great alternative protein source! I will definitely have to try them!
When I was a kid I used to love cottage cheese with fruit cocktail, you know the syrupy kind? Funny to think of it now.
As a kid I used to think cottage cheese looked and tasted revolting, but I love the stuff now! I like it mixed with cinnamon – so simple, but SO good!
Mmmmm these look amazing friend!!! I love cottage cheese with fruit as a snack so yummy!!! Haven’t had in ages… Might need to return soon hehe 😉 <3
mmmmm these fritters sound MARVELOUS darling!!!!! Cottage cheese on toast is so good! Right on! Try cottage cheese on toast topped with avocado and some pepper! OMG
Savory. Almost always savory with anything. I haven’t had cottage cheese in a while. Maybe I will add it back in (when my appetite comes back).
email me if you do. I have other versions of this recipe. Ps How you feeling?
oh I wish I could eat cottage cheese! Looks delicious!
i’ll eat it for you. 😉 but you can make this with other nondairy cheese or without any
This recipe looks and sounds like the one that could turn my ill feeling on cottage cheese around!
oh yes, totally will!!
MMM gotta love a dollip of Daisy 😉
now it’s gonna be stuck in you head! ha
yum!! i’m more of a savory cottage cheese eater, but occasionally i like to add fruit in to make it sweet!