Quick Low-Fat Cheese Pie

3 whole-wheat tortillas                            1 egg and 3 egg whites (or 3–4 eggs)

½ cup low-fat cheese                              ½ tsp. salt

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese                 1/8 tsp. pepper

1 Tb. cut chives or other fresh herb        

   or 1 tsp. dried herb                             

Put 1 tortilla in bottom of pie pan. Cut other 2 tortillas in half. Place halves with cut sides down overlapping central tortilla around edges of pie pan to form rounded edges of pie shell. Grate cheese into bottom of pie shell and spread evenly.

Put cottage cheese, herb, egg, egg whites, and seasonings in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into pie shell.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45–50 minutes until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Variations:  To make Green Cheese Pie, wash, cut up, and cook a bunch of broccoli, spinach, chard, collards, or any green vegetable you like. Drain well and place in pie shell on top of grated cheese. Pour blended cottage cheese mixture over vegetables and proceed with recipe.

For Vegetable Cheese pie, do the same for any nongreen vegetable, such as tomatoes.

For a nice added flavor with any of the versions, blend 1/4 cup smoked fish into cottage cheese mixture.

-- Susan Tornheim