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What to Do with Plain YogurtGranola, sure. But also dressings, marinades, soups, and muffins. |
Yogurt is really just aged milk, cultured with the bacteria Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus. Some producers add other cultures, but streptococcus and lactobacillus are what the FDA requires in its definition of yogurt. Yogurt’s health benefits have long been touted: Not only is it full of calcium and protein, but also the active cultures are said to protect the gastrointestinal tract from infection. It’s commonly eaten for breakfast, but its uses go way beyond granola.
Note: Look for organic, whole-milk plain yogurt. Most organic brands that are labeled “cream on top” are more liquid, so they work well in recipes. They also contain fewer stabilizers—additives used to maintain texture and consistency.
In dressing: Yogurt adds tanginess to salad dressings and dips. You can use it in place of sour cream or buttermilk in just about any recipe, like our Blue Cheese Dressing.
In a marinade: The acidity in yogurt acts as a tenderizer, making it a good ingredient in Tandoori-Style Marinade, a spicy marinade for grilled meats.
Blended: Yogurt is a good cooler in blended concoctions like smoothies; try our Mango Lassi.
In soup: Many soups call for yogurt. We enjoy it in this Cold Minted Cucumber Soup with Toasted Walnuts.
Baked: Using yogurt in batter adds moisture and a little tang. Try these Zucchini–Pine Nut Muffins to see what we mean.
Strained: Many cultures make what is known as yogurt cheese by straining yogurt for a few hours through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer. The process drains away excess liquid, resulting in a soft “cheese” that has a consistency similar to cream cheese and is great in this Sweet Yogurt Sundae with Saffron and Pistachios.
Cooked: Mixing yogurt and rice is common in Middle Eastern cuisine, as in Persian-Style Rice with Saffron and Lentils.
Hold the cream: Replace the heavy cream called for in many recipes with whole-milk yogurt. Traditionally, panna cotta is made with cream, but here’s the yogurt version: Australian Lemon Myrtle and Yogurt Panna Cotta.
Pseudo Crème Fraîche: Crème fraîche is thick, rich, and tart, a complement to fresh fruit, desserts, or anything you’d like to make a little richer. And now you can make it yourself!
As a snack: You already know this one. Top yogurt with anything from honey and granola to dried fruit and saba for a quick snack that’s good anytime.
For a simple light alternative to strawberries and cream, mix something sweet into the yogurt, like brown sugar, honey and vanilla, or fruit syrup or jam. It will thin the texture enough to act as a dip, and still cling to the fruit. For less tang, go for European style yogurt.
Making your own yogurt is also very easy and far cheaper than buying the good stuff (especially if you eat it a lot).
The best tasting yogurt I've found in the grocery so far is Fage Total Greek-Style Yogurt. No other yogurt even comes close.
Fage is so amazing. It really replaces sour cream for me in mexican dishes. Out with the sour cream, in with the fage.
Ya, I always keep my home fridge stocked with fridge. When it came to testing the recipes listed here, we used Strauss Family Creamery Plain Whole Milk Yogurt. Use it if you can find it because it's really good stuff! No matter what make sure you stay away from flavored yogurt as it won't taste good in these recipes.
Mixing in maple syrup makes a good, quick snack.
a healthy dessert or snack can be any fresh cut up fruit topped with Vanilla Goats milk yogurt, cinnamon, and trail mix with nuts and seeds, blueberries, etc.
Cinnamon is excellent for regulating the blood sugar and preventing low blood sugar!
Honey is not recommended, since it is TOO concentrated and therefore too sweet. Most people use too large an amount and end up having too high blood sugar, while craving more.
i agree on the marinade. yogurt is a great marinade for lamb and beef for grilled kabobs....if you marinade beef in turmeric, saffron, salt/pepper, onions, garlic, lime juice AND yogurt - it is so delicious.
I love smoothies-with yogurt,fruit,ice a bit of orange juice then blend--favorite is strawberry-next banana with a touch of vanilla
I love plain 1% Yogurt in my medium or hot Salsa.
it tastes MUCH better than using any sour cream.
Plain yougurt is my favorite addition to lentils and black beans, especially when paired with rice and veggies in Indian type dishes. I add it at the table.
yumm
I've made yogurt cheese a couple of times, but this last time I made a discovery. I usually dampen the cheesecloth, as this makes it easier to pull off afterwards. This time, I used heavily salted water to dampen the cloth. Not only did it draw more of the whey out more quickly, but it seasoned the cheese a bit and cut down on the bitterness.
Also, I recommend using non-Balkan style yogurt since it separates more readily.
I think my "right now" favorite condiment is whole milk yogurt, fresh garlic, cayenne pepper, cilantro and kosher salt. I love this on basmati rice (made with salt and butter) with mixed greens on top. I also love to dip fresh raw veggies in this--especially broccoli from my garden, red pepper and cucumber...oh yummy!