{"id":83242,"date":"2016-11-25T13:44:03","date_gmt":"2016-11-25T18:44:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=83242"},"modified":"2016-11-25T13:44:03","modified_gmt":"2016-11-25T18:44:03","slug":"cheese-fondue-thats-healthy-thanks-sneaky-ingredient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2016\/11\/25\/cheese-fondue-thats-healthy-thanks-sneaky-ingredient\/","title":{"rendered":"Cheese fondue that’s healthy thanks to a sneaky ingredient"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Amanda Slater\/Flickr<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cheese fondue is the ultimate winter comfort food. Living in France in my early 30s, I fell in love with the classic recipe made with crisp white wine and nutty gruyere cheese.<\/p>\n

One of my favourite spots in Paris was a restaurant whose named translated literally into \u201cBread, Wine, and Cheese\u201d that was hidden away in a cozy underground cave with low ceilings. Stepping inside from invariably chilly rainy Paris nights, we’d be hit with an appealingly musty aroma, like a freshly-popped wine cork combined with heady, fatty, aged cheeses.<\/p>\n

French fondue is life-changing. And I’ve found a way to capture all that flavour for a fraction of the calories. Just kidding. Truth is, I can’t completely mimic my beloved wine-cave version of melted bliss. But, I can get close enough to scratch the cheese-fondue itch in a dip while staying reasonably healthy, thanks to a sneaky ingredient: white beans.<\/p>\n

Cooked white beans add lush body to the dip, so I can swap out a bunch of the cheese and heavy cream, bringing the calories and fat way down. Low-fat cream cheese, or Neufchatel, boosts the cheesy factor, so a mere half cup of high-quality grated gruyere goes a long way to keeping the dip squarely in the cheese-fondue flavour profile, helped by dry mustard and a dash of ground nutmeg.<\/p>\n

The beans are also a wise way to boost the nutrient profile\u2014one cup of white beans adds 19 grams of protein and 13 grams of fiber. If you are entertaining on a budget, including frugal-friendly beans in your menu to stretch more expensive ingredients (like gruyere) is a smart move \u2014 guests will be satisfied with the extra fiber and protein. Since this is a dip, it pairs beautifully with veggies to create a stellar winter crudite \u2014 steam up cubes of butternut squash if you really want to winterize.<\/p>\n

The beans offer a final benefit, and I’ve saved the best for last. Blended beans stabilize the cheesy dip, so you can serve it warm, room temperature, or chilled \u2014 a relief if you are entertaining this holiday and don’t want to worry about cheese congealing. This dip will stay perfectly creamy all party-long.<\/p>\n

CHEESE FONDUE DIP<\/p>\n

Start to finish: 15 minutes<\/p>\n

Servings: Approximately 8<\/p>\n

1\/2 cup sliced shallot (about 2 large shallots)<\/p>\n

1\/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage<\/p>\n

2 teaspoons unsalted butter<\/p>\n

2 teaspoons flour<\/p>\n

1\/2 cup dry white wine<\/p>\n

1\/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth, divided<\/p>\n

4 ounces Neufchatel cheese (\u201clight cream cheese\u201d)<\/p>\n

1\/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese<\/p>\n

1 tablespoon lemon juice<\/p>\n

1\/2 teaspoon dried mustard<\/p>\n

pinch ground nutmeg<\/p>\n

pinch ground black pepper<\/p>\n

1 cup cooked white beans, drained and rinsed if canned<\/p>\n

Cook the shallot and sage in the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, until shallots are soft (but not brown), about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour and over the shallots and cook for 1 minute, stirring.<\/p>\n

Deglaze the pan with the wine, and let bubble for a minute to let the alcohol evaporate. Add 1\/4 cup of the broth and stir. Add the Neufchatel cheese and stir as it melts and creates a thick, creamy mixture, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the gruyere cheese and turn off the heat \u2014 it will melt with the residual heat. Let mixture cool a few minutes.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, place the remaining 1\/4 cup broth, lemon juice, dried mustard, nutmeg, pepper and beans in a blender. Blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds. (If bean mixture is too thick to blend, add a tablespoon of water.) Scrape the cream cheese mixture into the blender and blend all together until very creamy, about 30 seconds.<\/p>\n

Serve warm, room temperature or cold.<\/p>\n

Nutrition information per serving: 118 calories; 48 calories from fat; 5 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 17 mg cholesterol; 122 mg sodium; 9 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 6 g protein.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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