Making Homemade Vanilla-Flavored Greek Yogurt

Because Greek yogurt is generally such a good treat for the health-conscious consumer, I advocate incorporating it into your diet if only sparingly. It helps if you can learn how to make your own, so as to avoid the sometimes excessive cost of yogurts like Fage and Chobani on supermarket shelves - when they aren't on sale, that is. Many people refuse to pay more than a dollar for yogurt (understandably), which makes my mother's homemade vanilla Greek yogurt recipe such a timely treasure to share.

It takes a full liter of milk (I use a cup of Présidente's skimmed milk), a generic or popular brand of plain yogurt (I use the brand Carrefour, which is 0% and natural, unsweetened), and added 3 cups skimmed milk powder, 3 cups of a brand of vanilla extract, and only 1 cup of liquid sweetener.

I then heated the milk in the microwave for one minute only (while in fact in my yogurt maker instructions it indicates that you do not need to heat or boil the milk if you're using a brick) and added the remaining ingredients. Well I removed everything I could but there still remained some yogurt whey. This will solve the problem for you the next time: use a larger container and a wire mixer (this time I was craving the live rush and I had no patience to do otherwise).

I poured in the glass jars, covered it with the straining lid and plugged in the clear plastic whisk, and gave the little button a surreptitious push. My boy, who is an avid eater of Greek yogurt, told me he would take some with him fishing and feed the trout. And why have you not covered the boats? Can you not see them rushing out the water? But alas, that is not the point and he can do as he pleases - I think it is a great waste to feed trout Fage Greek yogurt - even if it does happen to be homemade; but, back to the preparation instructions.

Well, having been in the fridge all night, this morning the choppy yogurt did not look so weird on the outside... I liked it! The texture had changed for the better, and was creamier and smoother. It closely resembles those bought in Andorra, but these actually different - richer and fuller. It's not as "stiff" as the those variants, but is still very good. I will use the blender and see if that improves the final look even more next time. One thing is certain, and that is the Greek yogurt with a dab of vanilla didn't last a full day in my household, as my trout-feeding son and the rest of the 
children helped themselves to the entire batch.


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Why Greek Yogurt Benefits Us In Cooking

I find that Greek yogurt is one of those foods that is vastly under rated, or under used in cooking. However, I think that once you have discovered the creamy, thick texture of it, and the many ways it can compliment your cooking, you will want to create more and more fabulous dishes using it.

You can buy Greek yogurt from most supermarkets, and it is very reasonably priced, but if like me you want to cook from scratch, then it is quite simple to produce your own. Simply purchase a plain, unflavoured yogurt, then strain it through a muslin cloth to remove the excess liquid. This will produce a richer, creamier consistency equivalent to that of the supermarket brands.

Now lets see how Greek yogurt benefits us in our cooking, as an example I have included a simple dip recipe for you to try.

Curry and mint dip- A very easy dish to prepare which can be made with regular yogurt, however the benefit of Greek yogurt is it will give it that extra creamy thickness and quality. There is no cooking required with this dip, simply add about 2 cups of yogurt with several teaspoons of curry powder. Then chuck in some freshly chopped mint to taste. Great with meats, vegetables or seafood.

Some of the benefits of using Greek yogurt-

When used in baking it really gives a glorious shine to your pastries and doughs.

You can use it in salads and other vegetarian dishes to really compliment the flavours. It particularly tastes exceptional with root vegetables such as baby beetroot.

As ingredients go for use with meats and poultry, Greek yogurt benefits the consistency of sauces for use with any of these. Try combining it with garlic for that extra zing.

Of course, where would we be without a delicious dessert. Try it with unlimited variations such as fresh fruit, jams and nuts, or just drizzle it in local honey....simply beautiful!
There are some fantastic ways to use Greek yogurt in your cooking to really add quality and texture to it. The great thing is that Greek yogurt benefits your digestive system too. This is due to the active cultures added during processing, and as it has about 50% more of these than regular yogurt, surely it is a no brainer. Switch to Greek today and see the benefits for yourself. Once you have tried it I promise you will not go back.



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