Your Safety Belt Snack

Eating right means being prepared. When hunger strikes, have on hand low-fat snacks such as this cottage cheese spread.

This recipe was given to me by a Hungarian friend, Ildiko Worner. She likes to make a batch and keep it in the refrigerator. When she wants a little nibble of something, she has a bit of dip with fresh vegetable sticks or a toasted baguette slice.

The consistency of the spread is best when the cottage cheese is pressed through a sieve; pureeing it in a food processor tends to make it too thin. I like the simple flavors of onion and caraway seeds, but fresh herbs can be added to vary the taste.

Cottage Cheese Spread (Korozott)

Active Work Time: 10 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes * Vegetarian

2 cups low-fat cottage cheese

2 teaspoons grated onion

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 (8-ounce) thin baguette

Nonstick cooking spray

Carrot and celery sticks, for serving, optional

* Press cottage cheese through sieve with back of spoon. Stir in onion, paprika, caraway seeds and salt. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

* Cut baguette into 32 thin slices and place in single layer on baking sheet. Spray slices with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees 5 minutes. Turn and spray second side with cooking spray. Bake until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool, then store in resealable plastic bags until serving.

* Serve cheese as spread on toasted baguette slices or serve as dip with celery and carrot sticks.

2 cups spread. Each tablespoon with 1 toast: 20 calories; 131 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 0 fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.09 gram fiber.