Tag: homemade yogurt

Avocado Yogurt Dressing

Served on salmon this simple dressing was delicious.  It would also be great as a veggie dip.   I found the recipe in Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.  I only made half of this recipe for a salmon dinner because Bittman said it doesn’t keep well . . . and he was right.  It tastes fine the next day, but it turns a little brownish, so it’s probably a good idea to make a half recipe unless you’ve got a big crowd to eat it up for you.

What you need:

1 large ripe avocado

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons minced shallot or sweet onion

1/2 cup plain yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

1.  Scoop the avocado flesh along with the lemon and orange juices into a food processor or blender.  Puree.

2.  Add the remaining ingredients and puree again, tasting to see if you need to correct the seasonings.

Belgian Waffles, Yeast-Raised

I’ve made lots of waffles before, but I wanted to try something new for a birthday brunch.  I saw a few recipes online about yeast-raised waffles and figured I could try that out.  I balked at the amount of butter the recipes called for, so I cut back on it a little.  They are not difficult to make, but you need to plan ahead as you need to let the batter raise for about an hour before you want to use it.  This recipe is huge – I think it made more than 15 waffles.

I found this recipe on kitchen addiction.

What you need:

2 & 1/4 teaspoons yeast

3 cups lukewarm milk

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled (original recipe calls for 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup sugar

1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups flour

3 eggs, separated

What you do:

1.  Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm milk and let sit for 10 minutes.  To do this, just sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm milk; if it gets foamy you know it is working.

2.  Whisk the melted and cooled butter with the 3 egg yolks and 1/4 cup lukewarm milk in a large bowl .

3.  Whisk the yeast mixture into the butter mixture along with the sugar, salt and vanilla.

4.  Next you need to add the flour, alternating with the remaining 2 & 1/2 cups of warm milk.  Add half the  flour, then half the milk, the remaining flour, and the last of the milk.

5.  Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then fold into the batter.

6.  Cover the bowl and put it in a warm place for about an hour, or until it has doubled in volume.

7.  Preheat your waffle iron.  Give the batter a little stir to deflate it, then add about 1/2 cup batter to the waffle iron, or more or less depending on the size of your waffle iron.  I know my waffles are almost done when I see steam escaping.

8.  Top with maple syrup and any other toppings you like.  I love some fresh fruit or a warm fruit sauce, and a dollop of yogurt.

I cooked up all the batter, then put the leftovers in the freezer to pop into the toaster another day – soooo much better than eggo!

Quick and Yummy Chicken and Veg Noodles

This is another old standby, usually with just the broccoli, but I try to add extra veg whenever I can.  It’s comfort-foody, plus it’s pretty easy.  Feel free to switch it up with your favourite veg.

I use plain yogurt in this, but you can use sour cream if you prefer.

What you need:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2-3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 small onion, chopped

1-2 red/yellow/orange peppers

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups chicken stock

3 cups medium egg noodles

1 large head broccoli, broken into florets

1 cup yogurt or sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

1.  In a large frying pan heat the oil, then add the onions and saute until translucent.  Add the garlic and chicken and cook for a few minutes.

2.  Add the stock into the frying pan and bring to a boil.  Add the noodles and cook for about 6 minutes, or until the noodles are almost cooked, stirring from time to time.

3.  Add the broccoli and cook for a few minutes, making sure the broccoli is still bright green when it is served.

4.  Add the yogurt/sour cream just before serving and season with salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe is from More Six O’Clock Solutions by Ruth Phelan and Brenda Thompson.

Oven-baked Onion Rings

I’ve been trying for a while to find the right way to do this.  I tried one recipe that had cornmeal, and they were awful and cardboardy.  And a lot of the recipes I googled were coated in potato chips – pretty much defeating the purpose of oven-baking.  I wanted them to be delicious AND healthy – too much to ask?  Apparently not!

I just did what I usually do with breaded foods, but I added some yogurt to the egg coating to make them a little more tender.  And yum, it worked!  And it’s easy!

What you need:

1 egg

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

1/3 cup breadcrumbs

salt and pepper

1 sweet or red onion

What you do:

1.  Crack the egg into a bowl and add the yogurt.  Mix well with a fork.

2.  Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl with some salt and pepper.

3.  Cut the onion into thick rings, about 2cm wide.

4.  Dip each ring into the egg mixture, then coat thoroughly with the breadcrumb mixture.

5.  Place the breaded rings on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 400F.  Flip the rings over and bake for another 10-15 minutes.  They are done when they are quite browned.

Serve with a yogurt dip.  I like to add a bit of dill, salt and pepper to some plain yogurt.  Adding some curry powder to the plain yogurt is nice too.

Lentil Vegetable Soup with Yogurt

This colourful soup is packed with nutritious veggies and plenty of flavour.  There aren’t many seasonings, but this soup gets its flavour from the vegetables, especially the browned onions.  A dollop of plain yogurt as you’re serving finishes it off perfectly!

What you need:

1 large onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves, sliced

1 leek, sliced

1 red pepper, diced finely

1 fennel bulb, diced finely

2 carrots. grated

1 parsnip, grated

1/2 jalapeno with seeds, finely diced

4-5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup red lentils

salt and pepper, to taste

yogurt

What you do:

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large pot and cook onions until slightly browned.

2.  Add the garlic and leek and cook for a few more minutes.

3.  Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes.

4.  Add the broth and lentils and cook for about 30 minutes, simmering on low.

5.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with a dollop of  plain yogurt.