Halloween is in 5 days! Which means… festivities? Things look a lot different this year with COVID. I am anti-social myself, however, if you’re into holiday parties, this weeks snack is one of those delights you don’t have to feel bad about snacking on!
Bat Bites!
- 4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- black seeds or black sesame seeds for a more mild flavor
- blue corn tortilla chips
- black olives
- pimentos
- Place the goat cheese, cottage cheese, salt and pepper in your food processor and pulse 6-8 times until combined.
- Scoop out the cheese and form into golf ball sized balls (about 1 1/2 and 2 ounces or 3 balls).
- Roll the balls in black seeds until they are completely covered.
- Slice some olives for the eyes and place on the cheese balls, insert pieces of pimentos in the center of the eyes. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight to firm up.
- Before serving, insert 2 tortilla chips on each side for bat wings.
I opted for some garlic and herb goat cheese, and I do not regret that decision. Goat’s milk has more medium-chain fatty acids than cow’s milk; these types of fat are rapidly absorbed in your body and less likely to be stored as fat. It may be easier for some people to digest than cheese made from cow’s milk, this may be because goat’s milk is lower in lactose and contains different proteins. In particular, goat cheese contains A2 casein, which may be less inflammatory and less likely to cause digestive discomfort than the A1 casein found in cow’s milk.
Cottage cheese is much higher in protein than other cheeses. Several studies indicate that eating high-protein foods like cottage cheese can increase feelings of fullness and help decrease overall calorie intake, which in turn may lead to weight loss
Black seeds, also known as black cumin, nigella or by its scientific name Nigella sativa. It grows up to 12 inches tall and produces a fruit with seeds that are used as a flavorful spice in many cuisines. In addition to its culinary use, it has been used for headache, toothache, nasal congestion, asthma, arthritis, and intestinal worms. It has also been used for pink eye, pockets of infection, and parasites. Today, black seed is most commonly used for asthma, diabetes, hypertension, weight loss, and digestive tract conditions.
The black seeds taste like a combination of onions, black pepper, and oregano. They have a pungent, bitter taste and smell. They were incredibly more flavorful than I expected them to be, so I would probably use less seeds than pictured or make them bigger in size to sweeten the ratios, I prepared six balls from the recipe originally. There is some scientific evidence to suggest that black seed might help boost the immune system, fight cancer, reduce swelling, and lessen allergic reactions by acting as an antihistamine.
Elevating Balance 