Greek Yogurt: Light, Luscious & Indispensable

Strawberries with Greek Yogurt & Sucanat

Greek yogurt–thick and rich and consisting simply of milk, cream and cultures–is a staple in my refrigerator.  Not only is it a fantastic stand-in for sour cream, if you want fruity yogurt, you’re far better off blending your own by adding fresh fruit to Greek yogurt than buying any of the commercially-prepared fruity yogurts.  The next time you stroll by the dairy case, take a hard look at those ingredient labels–they’re mostly sugar in one form or another (high-fructose corn syrup, xylitol, aspartame, fructose, etc.).  While you still need to read the labels on Greek yogurt (read them on everything!), it’s reasonable to expect that it won’t contain any of those things.

Try using Greek yogurt in the following ways:

- Combine it with fresh fruit to top pancakes, toast, good-quality cereals, etc.

- Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream on baked potatoes, Polish dishes, Mexican dishes, etc.

- Blend it with fresh sliced mango and a bit of extra milk to make the classic Indian lassi (or add it to other fruit smoothies)

- Use it as a dip for strawberries and other fresh fruits–the most divine dessert imaginable is fresh strawberries with Greek yogurt and organic brown sugar sprinkled over the top [pictured]

- If you have a sweet-tooth craving, just drizzle a bit of honey over a spoonful of Greek yogurt; it’s a much healthier alternative to a candy bar

- Use Greek yogurt in place of butter in baked goods (this works better for items that should be more dense than fluffy–i.e., quick breads and pound cakes rather than airy chiffons)

- Serve Greek yogurt as a topping alongside Middle-Eastern and Indian dishes (lamb kebabs and spicy samosas immediately come to mind)

- Thicken soups and sauces with Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream–you’ll get a nice consistency plus a slight tang (warning: add the yogurt at the table, not at the stovetop–if you over-heat yogurt, it will separate!)

Greek yogurt is typically available in non-fat, 2%, and full-fat.  Though this may seem counter-intuitive, choose full-fat every time to avoid consuming the oxidized cholesterol that is found in all fat-free and most reduced-fat dairy products.  (This occurs because milk powder–i.e., milk solids that have been subjected to high temperatures and refinement to make them into a dry powder, resulting in oxidized elements–is typically added to reduced-fat dairy products to give them more body.  Consuming oxidized fats/cholesterol is much worse for your health than consuming healthy, unrefined fats.)

The next time you’re in the market for yogurt, go Greek–it’s not just for tziki sauce anymore!

Tags: dips, frosting, greek yogurt, middle eastern, smoothies, sour cream