Eating for life — Want to indulge a bit? Blue cheese is sure to please

When you’re in the mood for a decadent dip, a nip of blue cheese is sure to please.

Go ahead. Indulge in a smidgeon of high-fat high jinks. If you watch your portion size, an intensely flavorful starring ingredient can help satisfy your cravings for rich, creamy foods without the guilt.

The Star’s Blue Cheese Spread uses skim cottage cheese, low-fat cream cheese and fat-free evaporated milk as a rich and creamy backdrop for the bolder, more pungent blue cheese. Top off with a sprinkling of crumbled low-fat turkey bacon bits and green onions. Spread on low-fat crackers.

Now that’s an elegant appetizer worth singing about.

When spotlighting a single ingredient, buy the highest quality item you can afford. While blue cheese “crumbles” are inexpensive and readily available, it’s just as easy to crumble your own by hand.

Blue cheeses include gorgonzola, Roquefort and stilton. Danish blue cheese varieties are most widely available in supermarkets but are saltier than creamy Maytag blue made in Iowa.

Because blue cheese has a strong aroma, be sure to store it in an airtight container.

This story was originally published November 5, 2013 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Eating for life — Want to indulge a bit? Blue cheese is sure to please."