greek yogurt | James & Everett

Making Greek Yogurt

Christoph — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 14:30:30 +0000

Rich and thick, Greek style yogurt has become a very popular item for breakfast, cooking, dips, and even desserts. Strained yogurt, yogurt cheese, labneh cheese, or Greek style yogurt is simply regular yogurt that has been strained through a cloth or filter to remove the whey, giving it a consistency somewhere between yogurt and cheese. In most stores Greek Yogurt is twice the price of regular, however there is great news, it is simple to make, all you need is a little time.

To make your own Greek Yogurt:

regular or non-fat plain yogurt
tea towel
wooden spoon
pot or pitcher

Line a colander or strainer with a clean tea towel. Empty yogurt directly into the towel.

Draw up the corners of the towel and tie them around the handle of a wooden spoon or dowel stick.

Suspend the towel over a pot or pitcher.

Make sure the pouch does not touch the bottom of the pot, but instead clears it by several inches.

Place the pot in the refrigerator for at least eight hours or overnight. You will be surprised at the amount of whey that drains out of the yogurt, leaving you with thick rich goodness.

The post Making Greek Yogurt first appeared on James & Everett.

Chicken Souvlaki Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Christoph — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 14:30:08 +0000

Tender pieces of chicken thigh, marinated in olive oil, lemon juice and Greek spices, served in a warmed pita bread with onion, black olives, tomato, and feta cheese. Dressed with a creamy yogurt dill tzatziki sauce, this sandwich is an amazing combinations of flavors. Light, fresh and full of herby goodness, this dish will transport you to the Mediterranean isles.

Chicken Souvlaki

Tender pieces of chicken thigh, marinated in olive oil, lemon juice and Greek spices, served in a warmed pita bread with onion, black olives, tomato, and feta cheese.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 4

Cook Time 20

Total Time 4 20

Servings 8

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or 3/4 tsp dried
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 tsp dried
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 3/4 tsp dried
2 lemons juiced
1 pound chicken thighs or breasts cut into 1½” cubes
1 red onion thinly sliced
1 medium tomato diced or sliced
1/4 cup black olives sliced
1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
1/4 cup tzatziki sauce see below
pita bread

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and toss chicken cubes well to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or place in a zip lock bag and refrigerate for at least eight hours or overnight.
Skewer the chicken pieces pushing them tightly together on the skewer (This will help to keep the chicken from drying out on the grill).
Brush grill to clean and heat on high. When hot reduce heat to low and oil the grate. Place skewers on the grill and cook for about 8 minutes before turning (Chicken will stick to the grill if you try to turn it too soon).
Turn the skewers of chicken until each side is well-marked and the chicken is no longer pink.
Remove chicken from the grill and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before removing from the skewers (If you wait too long to take the chicken off the skewers it becomes difficult).

To Serve

Place slices of red onion down the center of a warmed pita bread, followed by chicken, tomatoes, olives and feta. Spoon tzatziki sauce over and fold bread to create a “taco” (wrap the gyros in a piece of wax paper to hold closed). Serve with a side of cucumber and tomato salad to make a complete meal.

Tzatziki Sauce

Thick and creamy Greek yogurt is blended with cucumbers, dill, lemon and garlic to create a healthy and addictive sauce.

Course Sauce

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove minced
1 large cucumber peeled, seeded, and diced
1 Tablespoon salt for salting cucumbers
1 Tablespoon fresh dill or mint or both, depending on preference, chopped
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Begin by peeling and seeding the cucumber. Dice cucumber and place in a bowl with the tablespoon of salt.
Allow to sit for about 30 minutes to draw the excess water out. Drain.
In a food processor place the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cucumber, and chopped dill. Process into a smooth sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve

Traditionally used in gyros, Souvlaki, and other Greek dishes. Excellent with chicken or pork, or as a dip for flat bread.

Notes

It is really easy to make your own Greek yogurt (here is my recipe).

Photo credit ~ Life’s Ambrosia

The post Chicken Souvlaki Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce first appeared on James & Everett.

Cucumber Raita

Christoph — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 14:30:26 +0000

This interesting yogurt concoction from India is a salad, relish, sauce and side dish in one. It is wonderful as a dip for naan, or when made extra thick, can be served as an alternative to potato salad or coleslaw. Raitas are typically served with spicy Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi dishes to cool the heat.

There are infinite variations of this dish, and you can take them in almost any direction you like. There are mainly three types of raitas, vegetable, pluses or legumes, and fruits. All are made in the same manner using yogurt as the base, with a variety of different spices added.

Cucumber Raita

This interesting yogurt concoction from India is a salad, relish, sauce and side dish in one. It is wonderful as a dip for naan bread, or when made extra thick, can be served as an alternative to potato salad or coleslaw.

Course Appetizer, Salad

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings 4

Author Christoph

Ingredients

1 cup plain yogurt
½ cucumber peeled and seeded
½ teaspoon cumin seed
½ teaspoon masala powder
3 springs fresh cilantro
pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Peel, seed, and dice cucumber. Toss cucumber with a teaspoon of salt and place in a strainer over a bowl for about a half an hour to remove water. This will keep the raita from becoming to watery. Rinse to remove excess salt.
Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth and creamy.

Serve

Serve with warm Naan Bread

Notes

I used full-fat yogurt, but you could use low-fat or Greek yogurt.

Raita can be made with a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Here are some examples of other types of Raitas:

Vegetable: Tomato, Onion, Carrot, Pumpkin, Potato, Mint, Spinach.

Pulses: Sprouted green gram, Boondi.

Fruits: Pineapple, Banana, Mango, Guava, Grape.

Raita prepared very thick with large chunks of vegetables served as a salad.

The post Cucumber Raita first appeared on James & Everett.