cheese experts needed

The faculty professors just slapped us with another assignment. Part of it is modifying a recipe to make it healthier. This is a recipe I chose to tackle:

SAUSAGE AND CHEESE LASAGNE

Ingredients

sauce

2 tbsp butter
500g beef sausages
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
330g canned tomato in juice

filling

1.5 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cups ricotta cheese
1.5 cups grated tasty cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

assembly

4 fresh lasagne sheets
3 cups grated tasty cheese
1 cup grated parmesan



Ok, for my healtheir version I decided to replace the butter with olive oil spread and the tasty cheese with low fat cheddar. But my problem now lies with the ricotta and parmesan. Is there any way I can substitute these without compromising the overall flavor, texture and quality of the dish?

Thx!

Instead of ricotta, use natto.

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Wolfgang says:

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In a lasagne!?

I was actually thinking of another kind of cheese or dairy product. How would natto affect palatability and overall lasagne-ness??

how about cottage cheese

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“	Originally Posted By: Unkotare Instead of ricotta, use natto.	”

“	Originally Posted By: Diamond Finger In a lasagne!? I was actually thinking of another kind of cheese or dairy product. How would natto affect palatability and overall lasagne-ness??	”

it would make it very healthy and completely disgusting

Chief108

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all hail Martyr Fakka

“	Originally Posted By: wingchun warrior how about cottage cheese	”

YACK! I guess I am not a healthy eater... :P
Cottage chease's shape is like goat poo. Though tasteless fortunatelly. Depending on where you live you can subtitute parmezana with another spicy and salty cheese, like Kefalotiri... I also use some smoked cheese some times. Just keep in mind. Salty and spicy.

You could replace the beef with eggplant or portobello mushroom. Or if you still have to use meat, go with chicken sausage.

There is a fat-free ricotta on the U.S. market, IMO it has the consistency of wax compared to real ricotta ... but then I'm a snob because the deli down the street makes it fresh.

Eliminate the egg to reduce cholesterol but you'll need another binder; egg whites alone can kind of work.

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"Pain can be a great teacher of compassion and humility."~ Unkotare-san

"Whatever the case, it proves that countless disasters can be prevented by simply assuming everyone you're working with is a moron." ~ Adam Brown, 5 Tiny Mistakes...

i would swap the parmesan with picarino romano

same thing but sheep instaed of cow

i assume that the riccota is for the white sauce ?

if so use semi skimmed milk or set yogurt

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"...any theory that satisfies the facts demands assumptions which are completely absurd."

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Replace beef sausage with chicken or turkey sausage.
Use 2 eggs and remove the yolks.
Leave the cheese alone. It won't be lasagne if you go messing with the cheese!!!!!!

Peace-
Cam

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Rock On!
Cam
"Raise up your mind....."

“	Originally Posted By: Lugaldamhara Leave the cheese alone. It won't be lasagne if you go messing with the cheese!!!!!!	”

Dam straight.

__________________
"Pain can be a great teacher of compassion and humility."~ Unkotare-san

"Whatever the case, it proves that countless disasters can be prevented by simply assuming everyone you're working with is a moron." ~ Adam Brown, 5 Tiny Mistakes...

“	Originally Posted By: Diamond Finger The faculty professors just slapped us with another assignment. Part of it is modifying a recipe to make it healthier. This is a recipe I chose to tackle: SAUSAGE AND CHEESE LASAGNE Ingredients sauce 2 tbsp butter ***replace with buttermilk ICBINB 500g beef sausages **precook them and drain them/press the warm fat out 1 medium onion, chopped 3 large garlic cloves, chopped ** don't mix this with olive oil or you'll make plak 2 teaspoons dried oregano 330g canned tomato in juice filling 1.5 cups fresh basil leaves 2 cups ricotta cheese 1.5 cups grated tasty cheese **if you use a peppered cheese fats emulsify 3/4 cup grated parmesan **romano has similar flavour but requires much less 1 large egg **two eggs, yolkes removed 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper assembly 4 fresh lasagne sheets 3 cups grated tasty cheese 1 cup grated parmesan Ok, for my healtheir version I decided to replace the butter with olive oil spread and the tasty cheese with low fat cheddar. But my problem now lies with the ricotta and parmesan. Is there any way I can substitute these without compromising the overall flavor, texture and quality of the dish? Thx!	”

low fat cheese is really difficult to make as tasty as if it had all the fat it could muster. however, mixing cheeses and using a low fat one is practically useless, too. just tell the faculty to walk it off. fat alone isn't bad. infact too much fat can lead to a catabolic metabolism. which may actually be good for most sedentary faculty: it'll burn out just about everything, including their tenure!

I'm not making it for the faculty, the target is non-specific. However, I still have to make it in line with National Heart Foundation guidelines.

Also, what do you mean by 'plak'? If the olive oil is in margarine spread form, is it ok? What is ICBINB? And exactly how muich romano cheese would I need?

plak=plaque, the nasty stuff that actually clogs up in your arteries and veins and feels like glass dust shredding it's way through your cardiovascular system when you take crestor. you know, plak. when olive oil and garlic oil combine they make a sticky plaque forming substance like there is no other thing to do...besides, oils/fats and carbs are a really bad idea to combine in the GI tract within a 24hr period.

the abbreviation is a mistake: I can't believe it's not butter. it's a margarine that has a stronger butter flavour because it has buttermilk in it.

romano: probably 1/4 to 1/5 the normal volume for a similar flavour depending on how strong the other stuff's flavour is which you include in your recipe. romano is a very strong flavour. i bought a quarter pound (125g) chunk for home use about a year ago and threw most of it away a week ago. so if you're replacing parmesan topping a few teaspoons per tray should be plenty. just make sure your spread it evenly. i think it also comes in shaker bottles like parmesan.

also i think cam's sugestion of replacing the beef and removeing the yokes is a good one

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"...any theory that satisfies the facts demands assumptions which are completely absurd."

Aleister Crowley