Needed:

·         Different flavours and colours of Weight Watches jelly

·         Different Fruits; Berries, Strawberries, Grapes, Peaches all work well. Citrus, banana and Kiwi do not work well - too acidic.

·         250-500gm Tararua Lite Cottage Cheese

·         Artificial sweetener if you are that way inclined or sugar; either way, this is fewer cal's than a standard pud!

·         Lite, low sugar, fruit yogurt (I like Strawberry Fresh & Fruity Lite)

·         A large pretty class bowl (or you could do little individual ones)

To Do:

1.       Make first layer of jelly, pour into your bowl, allow to firm up in fridge a little so fruit does not sink straight to bottom, start with the lightest fruit.

2.       Once first layer is set firm, (maybe 3 hours) repeat with next layer of jelly and fruit.

3.       Repeat as many times as you like, but leave room at top of bowl for the Cottage Cheese and Yogurt layer.

4.       Mash as much Cottage Cheese as you need to cover top with a good layer. Add sweetener to taste.

5.       Just before serving, cover top of jelly with a layer of sweetened Cottage Cheese.

6.       Then top it off with a decorative layer of Yogurt and some more berries, maybe even some slivered almonds if you like.

Notes & Variations:

v      Add the Cottage Cheese layer as late as possible as the jelly colour stains it.

v      If you do not add sweetener to the cottage cheese, it has a tart, cheesecake taste that I quite like. Test it out with a little version first so you can figure out what tastes good to you.

v      You could try mixing in Philadelphia extra light cream cheese for an even greater cheesecake effect.

v      The main thing is, it looks really pretty, requires no cooking and is perfectly healthy, low sugar, high protein pudding (and no one will know)!!!  

v      If you can't serve a Christmas dessert without a wee spot of the old Sherry or Cherry Brandy, try making up one or two of the jellies with half water/ half sherry.

Amaranth seeds are tan or light brown in color and are about the size of poppy seeds. Not a true cereal grain, Amaranth is sometimes called a ‘pseudo-grain' and has been referred to as a herb or even a vegetable. Amaranth can be cooked as a cereal, ground into flour, popped like popcorn, sprouted, or toasted. The seeds can be cooked with other whole grains, added to stir-fry or to soups and stews as a nutrient dense thickening agent.

To cook amaranth boil 1 cup seeds in 2-1/2 cups liquid such as water or half water and half stock or apple juice until seeds are tender, about 18 to 20 minutes. Adding some fresh herbs or gingerroot to the cooking liquid can add interesting flavors or mix with beans for a main dish. For a breakfast cereal increase the cooking liquid to 3 cups and sweeten with Stevia, honey or brown rice syrup and add raisins, dried fruit, allspice and some nuts. 100 Grams of Amaranth contains: KCal:  374. Protein:14.450gms. Carbs: 66.70gm. Fat: 6.50gm     Amaranth has a "sticky" texture that contrasts with the fluffier texture of most grains and care should be taken not to overcook it as it can become "gummy." Amaranth flavor is mild, sweet, nutty, and malt like, with a variance in flavor according to the variety being used. The fiber content of amaranth is three times that of wheat and its iron content, five times more than wheat. It contains two times more calcium than milk. Using amaranth in combination with wheat, corn or brown rice results in a complete protein as high in food value as fish, red meat or poultry.

Amaranth with Spinach Tomato Mushroom Sauce
1 cup amaranth seed
2-12 cups water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch spinach (or young amaranth leaves if available)
2 ripe tomatoes, skinned and coarsely chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1-1/2 teaspoons basil
1-1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 clove of garlic minced
1 Tablespoon onion, minced
Sea salt and pepper to taste (or use a salt substitute)

Add amaranth to boiling water, bring back to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 18-20 minutes.

While amaranth is cooking, stem and wash spinach, then simmer until tender. Dip tomatoes into boiling water to loosen skin, then peel and chop. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and add garlic an onion. Sauté approximately 2 minutes. Add tomato, mushrooms, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and 1 Tablespoon of water. Drain and chop spinach and add to tomato mixture. Cook an addition 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lightly mash tomato as it is cooking.

Stir the sauce into the amaranth or spoon it on top.

Amaranth "Grits"
1 cup amaranth
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups water or vegetable stock
Sea salt or soy sauce to taste
Hot sauce to taste
Garnish: 2 plum tomatoes

Combine the amaranth, garlic, onion, and stock in a 2-quart saucepan. Boil; reduce heat and simmer covered until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Stir well. If the mixture is too thin or the amaranth not quite tender (it should be crunchy, but not gritty hard), boil gently while stirring constantly until thickened, about 30 seconds. Add salt or soy sauce to taste.

Stir in a few drops of hot sauce, if desired, and garnish with chopped tomatoes.