# Yogurt!!



## bigdaddy3k (Oct 12, 2009)

Confession time. I am a fat American. In my defense, I do have an out of wack thyroid but I have been chubby my whole life so the thyroid just added to that. 

I enjoy cooking and have always tried to reach a nice balance between rich and sparce when it comes to fats (cheeses, creams, oils...) but now I realize that I need to change my habits because normal cooking habits just aren't working.

yeah I know, a long way to come to the point. I have started subbing lowfat yogurt in recipies that call for cream, sour cream, mayo, parmesan...

Each instance is at least a 50% replacement but in some cases its as much as 80%! These recipes are turning out fantastic!

Tuna salad 20% mayo, 80% yogurt.

Mashed potatoes I subbed for half the butter and all the sour cream! People RAVED about these potatoes. When I told them it was yogurt they were shocked.

I always add parmesan cheese to my spagetti sauce. Subbed 50% yogurt. It tasted fantastic.

I started this as a diet aid. I am switching full time to these variations as they taste fantastic.


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## Wyogal (Oct 12, 2009)

Do you use your yogurt as-is, or strain it? I love it strained, nice and thick!


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## apple*tart (Oct 12, 2009)

What kind of yogurt are you using? I'm assuming "plain," but is it fat free, low fat, or cream top?


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## Wyogal (Oct 12, 2009)

"I have started subbing lowfat yogurt"


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## apple*tart (Oct 12, 2009)

whoops


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## bigdaddy3k (Oct 12, 2009)

I used it as is but in the past I have made yogurt cheese to make (oh I can never spell this word) tseciki sauce?  Gyros sauce! 

I am very excited about this as I was reluctant to do it in the past as I don't like to compromise on flavor.


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## Alix (Oct 12, 2009)

Tsatziki I think.


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## sear (Jan 4, 2010)

some grateded yogurt to go with your pasta sir ?


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## bigdaddy3k (Jan 4, 2010)

Never gonna happen. LOL

On the other hand! I made horrible boxed macaroni and cheese (yes, yes I know but the kids requested it) and instead of the huge amount of butter I used yogurt. They declared it delicious.


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## sear (Jan 4, 2010)

this is plain non-fat yougurt ?


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## bigdaddy3k (Jan 4, 2010)

Yes. I keep a large container on hand now for everything.

BTW, welcome to the forum! This place has got a huge amount of info and tips. I hope you like it here!


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## sear (Jan 4, 2010)

Thanks !


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## Yakuta (Jan 4, 2010)

Bigdaddy, it's great that you discovered yogurt and all the things you can substitute it for.  

In Indian cooking we use it for so many dishes and most of them are easy, delicious and low fat.  I use it to make chicken tikka and then grill them on my George Foreman.  No oil whatsoever and the flavor is great and the sauce that the yogurt creates with the spices even more fantastic.  You can use a similar recipe to cook fish. 

You can use it in curries.  I also make an eggplant, green onions and yogurt salad that is healthy and tasty.  I also make a garbanzo beans, boiled potato and yogurt salad with some tamarind chutney and cumin powder that is a crowd pleaser. 

Finally if you use yogurt so much you should make it at home.  It's cheaper than buying it from the store.  All you need is a small container of yogurt (smallest one that sells like 2 for a dollar or less) and then boil milk, let it come to room temperature.  Stir it with yogurt in a container and put in the warmest part of your kitchen (I also live in Chicago and in this weather, I normally start my oven to 180, when it reaches that temperature I shut it off).  I let the oven cool a bit for 15 minutes or so and then the milk and yogurt mixture goes in overnight.  Refrigerate it in the morning for atleast 3 hours and it's ready for use. 

If you need any recipes send me a PM.


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## recipedirect (Jan 4, 2010)

I really like the plain Greek yogurt.


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## Janet H (Jan 4, 2010)

I am also a major fan of plain yogurt and prefer Greek style (the thick stuff).  The best tasting I've found is made by a company called Greek Gods and we buy it in quart sized containers - but avoid the non-fat stuff.  If you want to try something substantially more sinful - give their baklava ice cream a go, to die for!


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## Alix (Jan 4, 2010)

Yakuta said:


> Bigdaddy, it's great that you discovered yogurt and all the things you can substitute it for.
> 
> In Indian cooking we use it for so many dishes and most of them are easy, delicious and low fat.  I use it to make chicken tikka and then grill them on my George Foreman.  No oil whatsoever and the flavor is great and the sauce that the yogurt creates with the spices even more fantastic.  You can use a similar recipe to cook fish.
> 
> ...



Yakuta, can you post a couple of recipes? I would really like to try this.


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## jet (Jan 4, 2010)

I make yogurt weekly, and much prefer it to store-bought.  It's not exactly like commercial yogurt (because it lacks all of those hard to pronounce ingredients).

Here's the recipe that I use: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/dining/15curi.html  Also, I would not recommend actually bringing the milk to a boil, in my experience that's a recipe for a grand mess.


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## bert bakering (Jan 4, 2010)

if you make dressings, take the oil out and substitute with yogurt as well, (add some chopped fresh herbs)  

also use whole wheat pasta instead normal pasta

butter milk in mash potato also is nice
use _No fat milk_ in Mash potato
and you can take all the butter out of that mash.....?


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## Yakuta (Jan 5, 2010)

Hi Alix, I am not sure which recipes you'd like but here are two that are simple, healthy and use a fair amount of yogurt. 



Eggplant and Yogurt Salad:

Large Eggplant - Peel, cut into small chunks 
3 cups of thick yogurt - I either use Middle Eastern yogurt or home made yogurt
1 tbsp of freshly roasted and ground cumin (roast in a dry skillet and powder it in coffee grinder)
1 small serrano chili finely chopped (I like it spicy, if you don't, skip it and use 1/4 tsp of black pepper)
2 bunches (yes two full bundles) of green onions finely chopped
handful of cilantro finely chopped
salt to taste

Cook the eggplants in a little water (1/4 cup or less) until tender.  Mush it with a fork.  It should resemble a thick globby mushy paste. 

In a bowl, add the yogurt, cumin, chili, eggplant mush and mix it all with a wooden spoon to combine.  Next add the green onions and cilantro and combine all of that.  Refrigerate it atleast for an hour before serving.  I eat it with some rice pilaf on the side but you can eat it with a peice of fish or any protein.  It has no oil and tastes great.  

Note:  I normally smoke this salad.  Smoking in Indian food is different than the west.  Here is how I do it.  It's optional but I love it.  You take a charcoal (I always keep these at home for the grill).  Take some tongs and place the charcoal on open fire (just turn on your stove burner and place the charcoal on it).  Keep turning the charcoal until it's grey and red hot.  Take a small peice of aluminum foil and make a small a small bowl from it.  Place it on the salad surface lightly.  Place the hot coal on the foil and pour a tsp of oil over it.  It will start to release smoke.  Cover the entire bowl (charcoal and all) tightly with a foil or lid or whatever you have.  Let is sit for half an hour.  Then open and discard the charcoal and foil bowl it is sitting on.  The salad will now have a smoky flavor.  

Tandoori Fish

I use Tilapia Fillets - I would say about 6 to 8 of them (you can use any white fish, I would avoid Tuna and Salmon)
2 cups of thick yogurt
2 tsps of freshly grated ginger
juice of 1 lime
1 big pinch of red food color
Freshly roasted cumin, corrainder (2 tbsps)
2 tsps of chili powder
handful of fresh cilantro and mint chopped
salt to taste

In a bowl combine all the ingredients - yogurt, spices, ginger, lime juice, cilantro and mint, salt and then pour over the fish.  Place it in the fridge for an hour.  

You can either grill it.  I use my George Foreman or use a stove top grill for it or you can just place it in the oven and after 20 minutes or so on 350, you can broil it on low (if your oven has a built in broiler).  

Serve with some roasted veggies on the side.  It's again healthy and full of flavor and uses no oil.


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## bigdaddy3k (Jan 5, 2010)

Yakuta said:


> Bigdaddy, it's great that you discovered yogurt and all the things you can substitute it for.
> 
> In Indian cooking we use it for so many dishes and most of them are easy, delicious and low fat.


 
This is EXACTLY why I started exploring yogurt! I started experimenting with simple Indian dishes (sort of a fusion or Americanized Indian) and I am a fan of spicy but my children are not so much. They were using sour cream to cut the "heat" and I brought the yogurt home so they would not ingest all the fat in sour cream.


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## bigdaddy3k (Jan 5, 2010)

Janet H said:


> I am also a major fan of plain yogurt and prefer Greek style (the thick stuff). The best tasting I've found is made by a company called Greek Gods and we buy it in quart sized containers - but avoid the non-fat stuff. If you want to try something substantially more sinful - give their baklava ice cream a go, to die for!


 
You can take regular yogurt and turn it into greek style by putting a coffee filter in the bottom of a collender and then pour the yogurt in to drain the excess whey. They also call this yogurt cheese. If you do this you can make all sorts of dips and sauces. Its the start of tsichi (I will never spell that correctly) Gyro cucumber sauce!


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## FrankZ (Jan 5, 2010)

Tzatziki <=-  There ya go.


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## bigdaddy3k (Jan 5, 2010)

frankz said:


> tzatziki <=- there ya go.


 
tanks!!!


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## FrankZ (Jan 5, 2010)

Anytim!


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