Cooking with Greek Yogurt
added 12/22/09
by Rosemary Fifield
Because of its silky creaminess, Greek yogurt can be substituted for milk, cream, butter, sour cream, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, crème fraiche, or mayonnaise in any number of recipes, both cold and cooked. It adds more protein and calcium than the same amount of other dairy products, providing a healthy bonus to your favorite recipes, and if it is not heated, Greek yogurt will contribute healthful probiotics to the dish, as well. When used in hot dishes, Greek yogurt is less likely to separate or curdle than regular yogurt, so it needs no stabilizers or special handling.
Italian Cheese Toasts
Rubbing a fresh garlic clove on lightly toasted bread releases the garlic’s sharp, pungency. If this is too intense for you, mince the garlic and add it to the cheese mixture instead. During the summer, make this on the grill.
1½ cups shredded Italian cheese (Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, or a mix)
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 baguette, cut into 1-inch slices
2-3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
Extra virgin olive oil
Preheat broiler. Combine cheese, yogurt, and herbs. Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and place under the broiler until lightly toasted. Rub each piece of toasted bread with the raw garlic clove, then brush with olive oil. Spread cheese mixture on each slice and return to the baking sheet. Broil until cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.
Edamolé Dip
Makes 2 ½ cups
This fusion recipe from the Oikos website features edamame (fresh or frozen soybeans) and the spicy flavors of Mexico. Serve it with rice crackers, water crackers, or bake your own corn chips: cut corn tortillas into triangles, spray them lightly with spray cooking oil, and bake at 350 degrees until crisp.
3 garlic cloves
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
4 tbs. olive oil
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1 tsp. cumin
1½ cups fresh or thawed, if frozen, shelled edamame
Salt and pepper to taste
Place garlic cloves, chipotle pepper, olive oil, yogurt, hot sauce, and cumin into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Add the edamame, and continue to puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
Avocado with Spiced Tahini-Yogurt Dressing
Makes six servings
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup tahini
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of ground coriander
¼ tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
3 ripe avocados
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Whisk together the yogurt and tahini until smooth. Stir in the cumin, coriander, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Before serving, peel the avocados, halve lengthwise and remove the pit. Thinly slice them lengthwise and fan half an avocado onto each of 6 plates. Spoon the dressing over and sprinkle with almonds.
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