Yogurt For The Family
by
Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers
www.FreshBaby.com
Yogurt is as familiar as milk in the dairy cases of supermarkets
everywhere. It is available fresh or frozen and in regular, low-fat, and
nonfat varieties – and talk about the choice in flavors! As with many
processed foods, there are varying qualities of yogurt and even some
“smoothie” brands that you might assume are yogurt, but contain just
milk, no yogurt.
When purchasing yogurt, make sure the ingredients contain the two
important live active cultures L. bulgaricus and S. Thermophilus.
To remove some of the fat in your recipes and add the health benefits of
yogurt to your food, you can use plain yogurt as an alternative to
mayonnaise and sour cream in dips, sauces, dressings and more. The tangy
flavor of yogurt is often too much for a full substitution, so half and
half often works best. Here are few ideas:
- Substitute plain yogurt for 1/3 to 1/2 the mayonnaise normally used in
tuna, chicken and potato salads.
- Use equal parts sour cream and plain yogurt in your dip recipes to
serve with vegetables, or try mixing plain yogurt with chili sauce for a
simple shrimp dipping sauce.
- Add a dash of garlic powder and some fresh chopped chives to plain
yogurt and serve as a topping for baked potatoes. It’s a great
substitute for sour cream.
- Add yogurt to your favorite meat marinade. Yogurt is a natural
tenderizer and meats cooked in yogurt tend to be juicier.
- Instead of using milk in your pancake and waffles recipes, try half
milk and half plain yogurt.
- Switch from to full-fat ice cream to frozen yogurt for desserts.
Fruit-flavored yogurt in tubes can be frozen and they make a yummy
after-school or after- dinner treat.
Try this homemade creamy dill yogurt dressing on cucumbers or serve it
with fish (especially awesome with salmon). It can also be used instead
of mayonnaise to make unforgettable deviled eggs.
Creamy Dill Dressing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp chopped chives or scallions
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well until smooth and
creamy. Chill until ready to serve.
About the authors:
Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children
and founders of (www.FreshBaby.com
). They are the creators of the award-winning So Easy Baby Food Kit and
Good Clean Fun Placemats, available at many fine specialty stores and
national chains including Target and Whole Foods Markets.
Other articles by Chery Tallman and Joan Ahlers
Budget
Organics
A
Healthy First Birthday Cake
Healthier Halloween
Blueberries
Baby Food on
the Go
School
Lunches: Ideas and Recipes for Healthier School Lunches
