Black Olive Cheese Spread – Low-Fat & Holiday Perfect!

It seems as though most holiday get-togethers always include a cheese spread, or a cheese ball, in one form or another. Cheese is delicious, but is high in animal fat. This Black Olive Cheese Spread is low in fat as compared to most cheese indulgences. It has no saturated animal fat. Yes, there is a bit of fat from the black olives, but I think of this plant fat as a ‘good’ fat. Anyway it is really good and very easy to make. Serve it in a dish, spread on crackers, or shaped into the typical ‘cheese ball’. It is yummy and guilt-free no matter how you serve it. Hmm, I was just thinking of spreading it on grilled bread and broiling it a minute or two! Oh my, that might be good too!

1 8-ounce block of fat-free cream cheese at room temp

½ cup fat-free cottage cheese

1 six-ounce can of pitted, black olives

2 teaspoon roasted, minced garlic

1-teaspoon curry powder

1-teaspoon black pepper

1-teaspoon salt  (Decrease if you are reducing your salt

intake.)

2-tablespoon juice from black olives

1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 tablespoon shredded carrot

Drain the olives but reserve two tablespoons of the liquid. Roughly chop the black olives.  Cream the olive juice and cream cheese until smooth. Add cottage cheese and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and blend all the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate one hour, or longer, prior to serving. If shaping into a cheese ball do this prior to chilling and wrap in plastic wrap.