Recipe basics

Thus far, I've used a lot of basic recipes. Oatmeal with maple syrup and brown sugar, grits with milk and honey, etc. The package directions can get you pretty far, but after a short period of time they get really same-ey. The biggest challenge is creating something that's both delicious and doesn't add a whole heck of a lot of calories.

One night, I decided that since cream of wheat is great with 1/2 tbsp of butter and salt, it'd be even better with swiss cheese. Guess what: it is! This recipe, my first to post, is much like a lower-calorie version of fondue. It's delicious, flavorful, and works well if you slice up an apple and dip it in. Here's the scoop (always assume the pun is intended):

Cream of Wheat Fondue

3 tablespoons cream of wheat
1.5 oz shredded cheese -- Swiss or Emmentaler work best, but anything that melts works great
1 tsp garlic powder
fresh-ground black pepper and salt to taste
1 apple of your favorite type

Prepare cream of wheat (CoW) according to package directions. After it has stopped bubbling, put it in a bowl that's got a bit of room. Mix in cheese and garlic powder; the cheese should melt quickly, considering the temperature of the CoW. Add black pepper to taste, starting with just a pinch. Slice up apple -- personally, I prefer Granny Smiths for this, since their sourness is offset by the richness of the cheese -- and use to dip in the "fondue."

Other fruits, especially grapes, also work well. It's easy to adjust this recipe for richness by adding more cheese. Problem is, the more cheese you add, the more fat and calories come in, too. For a stronger fondue-ey flavor, replace half the water you use to prepare the CoW with inexpensive white wine. Again, it adds calories, but hot dang is it tasty.