Discovering Greek Yogurt

Greek Yogurt is becoming increasingly popular and this housewife loves to use it as a replacement for sour cream, mayo, or cream cheese. It’s the consistency of sour cream and pretty close to the flavor as well. What you need to look for is the plain flavor of strained Greek yogurt in the lowest fat version.  I happen to love the FAGE brand the best. Greek yogurt is made from cream, whole milk, and yogurt cultures just like regular yogurt but the whey gets strained out of it. The ratio of milk to end result is 4 to 1. This process basically doubles the protein and lowers the sugar in comparison to regular plain yogurt.  It’s high in protein, calcium, and low in calorie.

There are countless ways to use it.  Try it on its own with a little honey or fruit.  Use it as your binder in chicken, tuna, or potato salad. Plop it on a big fat baked potato or tacos. You can even make dips out of it (as I did in a previous post). So don’t be scared, give it a try!

 

 

Greek Yogurt “Cheesecake”

7 Oz Graham Crackers

8T Butter
3 Eggs
½ C Honey or Light Agave Nectar
2 C (or 24 Oz) Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
1 T Vanilla Extract
¾ C Flour
Approx. 2 C Fresh Fruit (I used 2 Peaches and ½ C Raspberries)
½ C Sliced Almonds
2 T Apricot Jam plus a splash of Water 

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and pull your dusty spring form pan out from under your kitchen cabinet.

To make the crust, melt the butter.  Crush the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the honey or agave for 2-3 minutes. Add the yogurt and vanilla.  Fold in the flour and pour into the pan.

Clean and slice your fruit and arrange it into a pattern. Stone fruit and berries will work the best, but be adventurous! Sprinkle the almonds on top and bake for 40-45 minutes or until firm.  

After you pull it from the oven, melt the apricot jam in your microwave for about 20 seconds.  Brush it over the top of the fruits as a glaze.

 *I recommend serving it within 24 hours.  I found the fruit to be a little juicy and hard to slice nicely after that time period.

 

 

Cranberry Apple Chicken Salad

Serves 3-4

1 Pound of Cooked Chicken, Diced or Shredded

1 Really Delicious Large Apple, Diced
¾ C Dried Cranberries
¼ C Red Onion, Diced
¼ C Celery, Diced            
¼ C Chopped Pistachios (almonds or pecans work well also)
¾ C Plain Greek Yogurt
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Throw it all in a bowl…Done!

I enjoyed mine on multigrain bread with spinach. Yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honeyed Apricot Almond Greek Yogurt Parfait

Serves 4         

14 Fresh Apricots (can substitute with 4 peaches)

2/3 C Honey
1 C Sliced Almonds, Lightly Toasted
16 Oz Plain Greek Yogurt

Slice Apricots into quarters and put into a bowl.  Add the honey and almonds and stir together with the apricots.  In 4 dessert cups, layer half of the apricot mixture. Then add a layer Greek yogurt. Top with remaining apricot mixture and serve.