Recipe: Creamcheese & Ricotta Cheese Substitutes

Susanne:

Hopefully someone else can answer your questions about how many calories in 50% ricotta cheese, and your bread machine question.

Here is some information that may help you with your question about substitutes for ricotta cheese and cream cheese.
******************************************
Ricotta Cheese: Ricotta Cheese Substitutes: cottage cheese (lower in fat) OR pot cheese
(drier) OR clabber cream (especially as a pasta filling) OR buttermilk
cheese (especially as a pasta filling) OR fromage blanc (lower in fat)
OR tofu. (see below for Tofu Ricotta Substitute)
_________________________________________________
Cream cheese = (in Europe) white cheese
Equivalents: 2 cups cream cheese = 1 pound
Substitutes: Neufch tel (lower in fat and moister than regular cream
cheese) OR equal parts ricotta and yogurt OR tofu OR yogurt cheese
(usually lower in fat than cream cheese) OR buttermilk cheese (usually
lower in fat than cream cheese) OR tofu cream cheese
_________________________
Here are a few recipes that might help:
_________________________

Tofu Lasagna Filling (Ricotta Substitute)

1 lb Tofu
1 T Garlic powder
1 t Oregano
1 t Basil
1 t Lemon juice
1 T Olive oil
Blend all the ingredients well. Store refrigerated.
Notes: Discard if mold appears.
_________________________________________

Homemade Creamy Cheese
(Best of Bon Appetit 1979)
makes 2-3 cups

4 cups half-and-half
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp. cultured buttermilk
salt (optional)

Step 1: (allow 24-48 hours)
Heat creams until lukewarm (about 90 degrees) then stir
in buttermilk and pour into a bowl. Cover bowl with clear
plastic and wrap snugly in a bath towel; place in warm
area. In 24-48 hours it will have developed a consistancy
like soft yogurt. When it no longer flows as the bowl is
tilted, you are ready for the next step.

Step 2: (allow 12-18 hours)
Rinse several lengths of cheesecloth to remove sizing. Line
colander with cheesecloth and place in kitchen sink. Gently
pour softly curded creams into the colander and allow to
drain about 15 minutes. Fold cheesecloth over cheese and
place colander with cheese in a deep bowl. Cover completely
with plastic wrap to make an airtight seal and place in the
refrigerator to continue draining 12-18 hours.

Step 3: (allow 36-48 hours)
Spoon drained curd from cloth into bowl and stir in any seasonings
you might want (try adding chopped basil) or leave plain and add the
salt to taste. Shape into balls and put into a cheesecloth-lined un-
varnished basket or back into the colander. Put in shallow pan to
catch drippings. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 36-48 hours,
depending on how firm you want the cheese.

Tightly covered and refrigerated, the cheese will last about 5 days.
Notes: Discard if mold appears.
_____________________________________________

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

2 qts regular milk
3 tbsp distilled white vinegar or 1/4 cup strained fresh lemon
juice
Salt, if desired

preparation:
Pour the milk into a heavy stainless steel or enameled saucepan and
stir in the vinegar or lemon juice; set the pot over very low heat and
bring the milk very slowly to a simmer (a reading of 200F on a
thermometer). There will be fine beads around the edge of the milk,
which will look foamy but will not appear to be boiling; remove the pot
from the heat and set it, covered, in a spot where the temperature will
remain fairly uniform at a reading between 80 and 100 degrees; (an
unheated oven, without a pilot light, is a good spot) let the milk
stand for about 6 hours or until a solid curd floats above the liquid
(the whey); more or less time may be required, depending on the
temperature of the environment and the characteristics of the milk;
line a fine sieve with doubled dampened cheesecloth (or better yet, two
layers of very fine meshed nylon curtain netting, dampened) and set it
over a bowl; dump the curds and whey into the sieve and allow the whey
to drain off until the ricotta is yogurtlike; if you want a firmer
cheese, tie the corners of the cloth to form a bag and hang it up to
drain further; (in warm weather, the draining might well be completed in
the refrigerator; when the texture of the cheese is to your liking, add
a little salt (from 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon) if you wish; store the cheese,
covered, in the refrigerator; it will be at its best after it has
chilled for 24 hours, and it will keep well for 4 or 5 days. Makes about
1 pound.
__________________________________________________