High Protein Green Jello Salad

Processed cottage cheese replaces evaporated milk and mayonnaise in David's Mom's recipe, which he loves, but which is too rich to eat very often. The combination of lime and lemon jello in the original recipe is a little more balanced than all-lime Jello. But some people like the intensity of all-lime Jello in this recipe.

Adaptable - use as a sweet salad or a dessert. This salad makes a nice addition to a dessert table for buffets, as a choice for diabetic guests or those on low-fat diets. This recipe is easy to double, so you can make a large one (say, 9 x 13 inch) to take to a function and a smaller one (say, 8 x 8 inches) to leave home.

You can substitute apricot Jello for lime if you prefer.  You might like to try a variation with orange Jello using pineapple and carrots, and maybe a little coconut. You could make either of these salads substituting regular Jello for one or both packages of sugar-free Jello.

Cottage Cheese and Pineapple Green Jello Salad
Reduced Sugar, High-Protein

1 package each (2 cup size) lemon and lime Jello sugar-free gelatin
OR 1 package (4 cup size) lime Jello sugar-free gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
20-oz. can crushed pineapple in juice (in syrup for a sweeter salad)
Juice drained from pineapple plus water to make 1 cup
1/2 cup cold water (may include 2 or 3 ice cubes and/or 1 or 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
2 pounds (2 pints or 1 quart) cottage cheese, regular or low-fat

Directions: Drain pineapple well in a sieve or colander (preferably over a 4 cup measure or microwaveable bowl), reserving juice. Chill pineapple while preparing the Jello mixture. Also chill the dish(es) in which you will chill the salad (8 x 8, 9 x 9 or 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish, custard cups, dessert dishes or individual-serving plastic containers).

Sprinkle Jello powder slowly and evenly over 1/2 cup cold water in a 3 quart stainless steel bowl, Tilt bowl to wet any dry powder near the edges of the water. Allow to soften for at least 5 minutes. (I like to soften  sugar-free Jello in cold water before dissolving because the sweetener in it, Aspartame, is degraded by heat. Many recipes using unflavored gelatin also call for the gelatin to be softened in cold water before dissolving in hot liquid.)

While the gelatin softens, place pineapple juice in a 4-cup glass measure and add water to make 1 cup, if necessary. Bring juice and water to boil in a microwave, pour over softened gelatin and stir to dissolve completely. Place the bottom of the stainless steel bowl in a larger bowl or pan of cold water to cool gelatin. Add 1/2 cup cold water (or water and ice to speed cooling). You may also substitute 1 or 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice for part of the cold water if you like.

Meanwhile, process 1 pound (2 cups)* of cold cottage cheese in a food processor or blender until smooth on the tongue.  Have the cold processed cottage cheese ready to add quickly to the gelatin as soon as it thickens to the correct consistency.

Cool gelatin to about room temperature over cold water, stirring occasionally. Add some ice to the cold water in the bottom pan to thicken gelatin, stirring the gelatin slowly but constantly with a wire whisk after adding ice.  It should not take long to thicken. Gelatin should be just a little thicker than egg white. Do not allow it to gel completely. (If it gels too much, put it over warm water and whisk with a wire whisk, then place over cold water again and stir for a few minutes to get the right consistency.) Gelatin a little thicker than egg white will produce a uniform, fluffy product.

Immediately whisk the cold processed cottage cheese into the thickened gelatin until well-blended. Quickly fold in pineapple and the remaining two cups of cold cottage cheese (not processed). Add any additional ingredients. Pour into an 8 x 8 inch, 7 x 11 inch, 9 x 9 inch or 9x13 inch glass baking dish, custard cups, dessert dishes or individual plastic containers. A standard 8 x 8 dish will be filled to the top (if you want to top salad with sour cream or whipped cream in the dish, remove some salad to individual serving containers before salad sets). A 9 x 13 inch dish produces a rather flat salad.

Cover and chill until firm. "Frost" with sour cream if desired. Cover and keep refrigerated until served.

*OPTIONS: You can make this salad less sweet and firm by increasing the proportion of cottage cheese processed to 2 1/4 or 2 1/2 cups. For dessert, you can serve it with whipped cream and a cherry. Or, if you like a little crunch in your salad, add chopped apples, celery and/or walnuts or pecans with the pineapple and cottage cheese.

I really like this salad on a thick bed of chopped celery, but I haven't figured out how to make this into an elegant presentation. It's also good over equal amounts of chopped celery and apple dressed at serving time with just a small amount of mayonnaise - sort of a minimalist Waldorf Salad.

Yield:  Basic recipe makes about 16 servings, 4 fluid ounces each (fewer if servings are larger). Basic salad can be made the day before serving. Best served the same day if you add significant amounts of apples and celery to the salad (can become watery over time). Preparation in individual containers may be the best option if you will not finish the salad in one day.

Nutrition information per 4 fl. oz. serving (approximate)
Basic recipe made with low-fat cottage cheese:

Calories 70
Calories from fat 7.5

Total fat 1 g
Saturated fat 0.75 g
Cholesterol 2.5 mg
Sodium 190 mg

Total carbohydrate 7 g
Carbohydrate from sugar 6 g
Dietary fiber 0.25 g
Protein 7.5 g

Allergy information: Contains fermented milk products, pineapple and citrus. Check cottage cheese carton for corn products.