Thursday Thirteen - Yogurt

A. Catherine Noon and I were discussing our mutual appreciation of yogurt. As a result, I’ve listed thirteen uses for plain, fat free yogurt.

1. Hummus – a tablespoon of tahini (sesame paste), some garlic, 1 tbsp. cumin, and a can of chick peas makes a great, low fat hummus with half a cup of yogurt; I add hot peppers for heat before blending

2. Chicken tikka masala – yogurt makes a fabulous chicken breast marinade with 2 cloves chopped garlic, 1/2-inch cube of freshly chopped ginger root, 2 tsp. ground coriander, and 1/2 tsp. ground garam masala

3. Ginger sauce for salmon – 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger, 1/4 tsp. minced garlic, 1 plum tomato (seeded and chopped), 1/4 tsp. Cumin, 3/4 c. plain non-fat yogurt, 1 thinly sliced green onion, 1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint, Dash red pepper sauce, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. freshly grated ground pepper

3. Pie crust - 2 C flour, 1 tsp. salt, 2/3 C plain yogurt, 3 to 4 tbsp. cold water; Sift flour, add salt. Cut yogurt into flour using a pastry blender. Add cold water until flour is moistened. Makes two 8 or 9 inch crusts (yogurt substitutes well for shortening and reduces the fat content while it adds nutritional value to your crust and makes it easier to handle)

4. Mixed with a fair amount of hot sauce – it makes a tasty vegetable dip for a heat loving palate

5. Topped with cherries from the freezer department – this is my personal alternative to pricy “fruit-on-the-bottom” containers

6. Sweet potato pie – even the cat approved of Alton Brown’s dessert recipe! You can find it here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sweet-potato-pie-recipe/index.html

7. Chicken enchilada casserole – yogurt makes a smooth sauce with a tangy taste (I actually replaced the sour cream and liked the results better); the recipe can be found here: http://southernfood.about.com/od/chickencasseroles/r/bl80118e.htm

8. Sauce for gyros – combine ½ C yogurt with an equal amount of minced and seeded cucumber, 2 tbsp. each freshly chopped mint, cilantro, and green onion, and 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

9. Blended with dill to taste – this goes great with crusty bread, vegetable trays, and baked fish

10. Sauce for turkey meatballs – mix 1 C plain low-fat yogurt with 1 tsp. finely chopped Italian parsley, 1 tsp. sugar, 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice, 1/8 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

11.Marinade for lamb – 1 c. firmly packed fresh minced mint, 1/2 C white wine vinegar, 2 tsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. water, 3/4 C plain yogurt, 2 cloves minced garlic

12. Baked chicken - 3 1/2 lb. broiler-fryer chicken cut into serving pieces, 1 C plain yogurt, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp. ground ginger, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 C scallions sliced diagonally in 1-inch pieces including green part; marinate at least eight hours in refrigerator and bake for one hour at 325 degrees Fahrenheit

13. My simple favorite – on a baked potato with a dash of salt and pepper, usually a dollop of hot sauce