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Things to do with Greek yogurt


Fat Guy

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Today I had a Greek-yogurt-based facsimile of sour-cream-and-onion dip. It was pretty good. It got me thinking about other uses for Greek-style yogurt, aside from eating it straight or with standard fruit/nut/granola-type things.

Any great ideas out there?

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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I'm a Greek yoghurt fiend (as in, an Australian fiend for Greek yoghurt, not a Greek fiend for yoghurt..heh.) I get through about a litre a week.

I use it for:

- Marinating chicken or lamb in it to tenderise and moisten (ala tandoori, with garam masala)

- Making a dip of yoghurt, chopped chillis, lemon and salt (and using that on all kinds of vegetable fritters)

- Substituting it for cream in scones (sparkling water, yoghurt and flour alone makes great scones, no butter required)

- Draining it of its liquid through a cheesecloth and rolling it into balls of labneh yoghurt cheese - rolling also in mint, chilli, chopped garlic, lemon zest. I store these in olive oil and they're lovely.

- Blending it with mango and salt for a sweet lassi, or cucumber, salt and pepper for a savoury one

- Drizzling it over roast vegetables with some olive oil and harissa

- Swirl fruit jam into it and freeze for popsicles

- I make a nice puffy egg pudding with beaten eggs, yoghurt, tomato, and any kind of cheese, poured into ramekins and baked.

So many things. I basically substitute it anywhere I'd use sour cream, or buttermilk (thinned a little), or even heavy cream, and for some things (e.g. tenderising meat), it's superlative in its own right.

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In an Indian raita with julienned cucumber, finely minced jalapeno, mint, S&P, and seeded, thinly sliced tomato. A little toasted cumin seed, ground, and about half as much sour cream as you use yogurt. Excellent as a salady-sort of side.

Same for tzatziki, with cuke, dill and garlic. A little lemon juice. As a meze, or a side with Greek food, or as a sauce for gyros, souvlaki or koftas.

With a little brown or turbinado sugar stirred in as a sauce for fruit, especially berries of any ilk (I particularly love it with blueberries).

As part of the marinade for faux tandoori chicken or shrimp (faux since none of us have tandoors, at least none of us that I'm aware of.....). But even without a tandoor, in a screamin' hot oven, finished under the broiler, or on a charcoal grill, a damn fine meal.

I never buy regular yogurt any longer. Only the Greek style. Especially for the raita/tzatziki type applications, regular yogurt is far, far too thin and watery.

--Roberta--

"Let's slip out of these wet clothes, and into a dry Martini" - Robert Benchley

Pierogi's eG Foodblog

My *outside* blog, "A Pound Of Yeast"

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I love adding it to tomato or vegetable soup. You just put it in the bowl, add a little soup to temper it and stir, then add the rest of the soup. I also top it with a little bit of caponata or other vegetable confit like the types you get in jars from eastern European and middle eastern markets.

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I don't use Greek yogurt, but I do use regular yogurt (strained) in salad dressings or to replace some (not all) of the mayonnaise in things like tuna salad, chicken salad and potato salad.

I would be more likely to buy Greek yogurt if I could find a good brand that has a plain, whole-milk version. All I see around here is low-fat and non-fat stuff.

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I mix it half and half with well drained ricotta, pinch of salt, pinch of sugar, 1 egg yolk

and fill blintzes, then fry them till lightly browned.

There are endless variations for filling blintzes.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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Try the Greek yogurt that you get at Titan -- you have to ask the guys behind the cheese counter for it. This is even better, I think, than the lebne at Kalustyan's.

Honey, of course, and nearly any kind of jam. I particularly like it with bananas and dates that have been warmed until they are soft, and chopped, with toasted walnuts.

I like to bake nice things. And then I eat them. Then I can bake some more.

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I don't use Greek yogurt, but I do use regular yogurt (strained) in salad dressings or to replace some (not all) of the mayonnaise in things like tuna salad, chicken salad and potato salad.

I would be more likely to buy Greek yogurt if I could find a good brand that has a plain, whole-milk version. All I see around here is low-fat and non-fat stuff.

Just strain regular yogurt. That's greek yogurt for you.

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I don't use Greek yogurt, but I do use regular yogurt (strained) in salad dressings or to replace some (not all) of the mayonnaise in things like tuna salad, chicken salad and potato salad.

I would be more likely to buy Greek yogurt if I could find a good brand that has a plain, whole-milk version. All I see around here is low-fat and non-fat stuff.

Just strain regular yogurt. That's greek yogurt for you.

Jenni posted that great recipe for bitter melon in spiced yoghurt a month or so ago. That was really good!

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^^^

Oh yes! Almost daily lunch food for me! But doesn't really need greek yogurt, just plain.

Interestingly enough, yours looks quite dry? Also, what topping did you do? Usually we have curd rice at the end of a meal with pickle and poppadoms. I also make a version with chopped veg in the rice that I eat as a mini meal on it's own with pickles and poppadoms.

1977-Curd Rice+Pickle.jpg

Here's a pic of mine (with a delicious curd chilli on the top!)

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^^^

Oh yes! Almost daily lunch food for me! But doesn't really need greek yogurt, just plain.

Interestingly enough, yours looks quite dry? Also, what topping did you do? Usually we have curd rice at the end of a meal with pickle and poppadoms. I also make a version with chopped veg in the rice that I eat as a mini meal on it's own with pickles and poppadoms.

1977-Curd Rice+Pickle.jpg

Here's a pic of mine (with a delicious curd chilli on the top!)

Looks great.

It was my first time making it so I'm afraid I didn't quite know how "liquid" it was supposed to be. I used golden beets and Persian cucumbers. It's topped with green mango pickle and cilantro.

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You should make the rice soft and lightly mash it. Some people mash it a lot. Don't oversalt, and make sure the yogurt is fresh and not sour. Many people (myself included) add some milk as well as yogurt to get the right taste.

This is the traditional last course in a Tamil meal and I believe in some other Southie cuisines too.

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I've used it for a "caesar" dressing. First time I made, my yogurt-hating hubby had no idea it wasn't the usual mayo-based caesar, until I told him!

It's also nice on top of fruit crumble, any kind of pie, tart - anything you'd normally put whipped cream on. Especially vanilla-flavoured.

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Eat it every morning with the typical honey fruit and granola combo, but make a cucumber raita that everyone loves. I also use it to marinate a deboned leg of lamb for grilling- that has become a family favorite.

Here's my raita recipe made with shredded english cucumber:

Greek Style Raita

Makes one dip serving (could easily serve 4)

1/2 English (seedless) Cucumber, washed and grated

1 cup Greek style yogurt (I use 2% Fage)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon/lime juice (from 1 lime, 1 lemon)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

3-4 pinches cayenne pepper

pinch ground coriander

1 thinly sliced spring onion (white and green parts)

1 tablespoon chopped chives

ample salt and pepper

Method

1. Drain grated cucumber on a paper towel to remove excess water.

2. Mix all ingredients together and check seasoning.

3. Serve with crispy vegetables chips (I like beet and sweet potato chips, but have enjoyed with crispy baked pita chips as well)

Whether served on a spoon, stacked in a stiletto, or sipped in a stem glass pleasure in life is all about taste.

The Supper Model

www.thesuppermodel.com

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@JAZ, try Atlanta Fresh. They have whole milk, locally produced from Grass Fed cows. Whole Foods and some Krogers carry it, but its cheaper at the local farmer's markets. Or at their factory store on Peachtree Industrial. I eat their flavored varieties mostly, but usually have some of the plain in the fridge for things like fresh fruit.

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Maggie, I don't know why this never occurred to me, but that's a great idea.

I know Janet -- it's such a Snap!and I had to be yearning for dessert at two am to figure it out. We sweetened some with apricot jam last night, whizzed it about in the ice cream machine,and it was so, so good. Soft, creamy sweet, and tasting of apricots.

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

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