March 27, 2003

Prairie Fare: Say Cheese

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

Many of the discoveries of science occur by accident. In the history of food science, the discovery of cheese is an example of such serendipity.

According to legend, cheese was discovered when a traveler several thousand years ago decided to use a sheep stomach to carry milk on a journey. When he checked his makeshift "canteen" he found coagulated milk, which we now know as cottage cheese. Whether the surprised traveler ate the cheese or not is lost in history, but someone must have dared to sample it.

Today’s cheese industry is a highly controlled, sanitary process with hundreds of popular products. In the United States, every person consumes an average of about 30 pounds of cheese yearly, including about 13 pounds of American cheese. About one-third of the milk produced in the United States is used to make cheese.

Cheese is divided into several categories by flavor or texture. Harder cheese has less moisture and generally a stronger flavor and aroma. "Soft" cheese types include ricotta and cream cheese. "Semi-soft" cheese varieties include Monterey Jack, Muenster and mozzarella. "Hard" cheese varieties include Swiss, cheddar and Colby, and "very hard" cheese varieties include Romano and Swiss.

Nutritionally, cheese varieties differ widely in their fat, protein and calorie content. One-ounce of cheddar cheese contains 9.4 grams of fat and 115 calories, while one ounce of part-skim mozzarella contains 5.8 grams of fat and 80 calories. Cheese is a good source of calcium, with up to one-fourth of the day’s recommendation in one ounce. Cheese, however, is not fortified with vitamin D as milk is, so vitamin D needs to be obtained from another source such as fortified cereal.

"Say cheese," the old expression used by many amateur photographers has some scientific merit, too. Cheese, with its ample calcium and other minerals, has been shown to help prevent tooth decay in research studies.

Here’s another reason to smile about cheese. Cheese is generally well-tolerated by people with lactose intolerance, the inability to digest milk sugar or lactose.

Cheese is perishable, so refrigerate it between 35 and 45 degrees in its original wrapper or wrapped in foil or plastic wrap. While harder cheese lasts a relatively long time due to its low moisture content, all cheese will eventually spoil.

What should you do with moldy cheese? Mold on hard, aged cheese types can be trimmed one-half inch on all sides of the mold. Moldy soft cheese varieties, however, should be discarded. It’s best to use soft cheese varieties like cottage cheese and ricotta within a week of purchase.

Cheese can be frozen in air-tight wrapping for up to three months. Freezing promotes changes in texture, so previously frozen cheese should be used as crumbles on salads or in cooked dishes.

Cheese contributes flavor and texture to all parts of a menu including appetizers, salads, main dishes and even some desserts. Here’s a quick and easy main dish or appetizer. To reduce fat content, use lower- fat versions of the cheese.

Microwaveable Vegetable Cheese Enchiladas

1/2 c. carrots, chopped
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 c. mushrooms, drained and diced
1 Tbsp. butter
1 (1.62 oz.) pkg. enchilada sauce mix
1 (18 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. water
8 corn tortillas
8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, sliced
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

Place vegetables and butter in a glass casserole. Microwave on high 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute; set aside. Combine enchilada mix, tomato sauce and water in 1 1/2 qt. glass bowl. Microwave on high 3-4 minutes until boiling.

Spoon half of the sauce into a 2 qt. dish, dip tortillas in sauce. Place one slice of Monterey Jack cheese (about 1 oz.) and 2 Tbsp. vegetables on each tortilla. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and microwave on high for 8-10, turning every 2 minutes. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top and let melt.

Makes 8 servings. Each serving contains 289 calories, 16 g fat, 23 g carbohydrate and 4 g fiber. Using lower-fat cheese, each serving contains 240 calories, 10 g fat, 23 g carbohydrate and 4 g fiber.

###

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu

[Editors: We’ve updated the illustrated column identifier for Julie Garden-Robinson’s Prairie Fare column. If you’re using an older version or if you would like to use the identifier, please download this printable EPS file. Prairie Fare (142 Kb eps file)]