Cabot Greek Yogurt

We eat a lot of yogurt, mainly homemade.  The yogurt maker is always in operation at home.  I haven't set up a yogurt maker at our vacation home.   The main reason has been we have had too many things to do getting the vacation home up and running to worry about making yogurt.  So, for the length of time we are there I buy plain yogurt.

I discovered Cabot Greek style yogurt made with 10% milk fat.  This yogurt is made in Vermon and 100% of the profits got to their farmers (similar to Fair Trade products) t.  Oh good gosh is it ever good!  The highest milk fat I use at home to make yogurt is 2% but occasionally buy 3% milk fat Greek style yogurt as a starter.  I always buy the smallest size container possible at home.

I often substitute plain yogurt for sour cream because yogurt encourages the growth of beneficial intestinal floral growth that keeps harmful bacteria in check.    The numbers for the 10% milk fat yogurt actually were quite good in comparison to sour cream.  Sour cream is 492 calories per cup with 10 mg cholesterol, total fat of 48.3 g, 7.3 g protein and total carbs of 9.9 g.  The 10% milk fat yogurt is 290 calories per cup. total fat of 36%, 75 mg cholesterol, 18 g protein and total carbs of 12 g.  Since dietary cholesterol really plays a very small role in coronary disease (high cholesterol is mainly genetic), yogurt even at 10% milk fat is a healthier choice than sour cream.

I honestly found the 10% yogurt too rich to eat by itself.  It was extremely rich and creamy lacking much of the natural tang of plain yogurt.  It was a wonderful substitution for sour cream on top of grill baked potatoes though!  It would be really good for cooking as well.

I will certainly be using the 10% milk fat yogurt at our vacation home rather than sour cream.    Hey we can all cut back a bit on calories yet that doesn't mean we have to cut back on flavour.  I really liked this yogurt as a topping!  It would be a lovely substitute for whipped cream too.  The flavour was quite delightful but for me only in small amounts.

Traditional Greek Salad

I spent some quality time with my doctor yesterday which translated into a reason to treat myself.  The good news is I'm off the crutches but still not very mobile.  She's keeping a close eye on the progress and while I won't be doing a jig anytime soon, I am happy to be able to hobble around on my own two feet.  I made a pit stop at Bulk Barn then decided to stop to have dinner with the guys before heading home.

I ordered a traditional Greek salad for dinner.  A Greek  salad consists of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, Kalamata olives, feta cheese and romaine lettuce with a Mediterranean feta dressing.  This tasty salad is quite easy to make at home.  In addition to the standard salad ingredients you will need pitted Kalamata olives or you can use pitted black olives if desired.  You will also need drained, crumbled feta cheese as a topping and blended into the simple dressing.  The dressing consists of 1 part vinegar, 3 parts extra virgin olive oil and about 1 tbsp feta cheese per total cup.  Blend this well then pour over the salad before topping with the crumbled feta cheese.  Serve with a crusty dinner roll on the side.

Tzatziki (Greek Cucumber Sauce)

One fringe benefit of blogging is you get to meet other bloggers. Several months ago I came across Everyday Living authored by tahtimbo. Since then his blog has become one of my favourites to visit. He often visits this blog as well. A couple of days ago tahtimbo commented on my Chicken Lettuce Tomato Pita Wraps asking if I had a tried and true recipe for a cucumber sauce like they have on gyros. I'm always happy to oblige! Tahtimbo, this one is for you!

Tzatziki

The cucumber sauce for gyros is called Tzatziki. It is a Greek recipe often used for gyros but is versatile enough to use as a very tasty vegetable dip or as a salad dressing. Traditionally gyros are made using lamb but beef can be used as well. The flavour of Tzatziki just pairs nicely when used as a sauce for gyros.

Tzatziki can be bought pre-made in some stores in the refrigerator section. However, this has to be one of the easiest sauces to make! Using your own  homemade yogurt makes this sauce extremely cost effective as well. Use a regular cucumber (eg. Straight Eight) rather than a seedless variety (eg. English cucumber).

Tzatziki
1 c plain yogurt
1 clove garlic
½ tsp salt
1 cucumber
dash white pepper (optional)
spritz extra virgin olive oil

Pour the yogurt into a cheesecloth lined strainer. Let drain a half hour. Peel and seed cucumber. Grate it. Sprinkle salt over the cucumber and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain. Finely grate the garlic. Stir garlic and cucumber into the yogurt. Add a dash of white pepper if desired and just a light spritz of olive oil. Mix in. Refrigerate ½ hour before using.

Avocado Salad

One way to use Tzatziki is as a salad dressing. It is cool and refreshing with a lovely flavour. I made small side salads consisting of leaf lettuce, tomato slices and avocado slices topped with Tzatziki and garnished with shredded carrots and parsley. The quick and easy to make salads were delicious!

Method: You will need per person:

½ avocado
lemon juice
3 slices tomato
1 large leaf of lettuce
2 tbsp Tzatziki

Wash and dry lettuce. Slice the avocado halves into thirds. Drizzle avocado with lemon juice. Place tomato slices on bed of lettuce. Add the avocado slices. Top with Tzatziki. Garnish with shredded carrot and parsley.

Grilled Greek Pork Chops

I've mentioned several times on this blog that all of our kids (including spouses) are quite accomplished when it comes to cooking so it is always a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to enjoy their cooking. As you know I spent a couple of weeks at the home of oldest grandbaby awaiting the birth of youngest grandbaby. That meant a new spin on food so I came home with a few great ideas!

Grilled Greek Pork Chops

The kids made a lovely grilled Greek pork chop dinner. It really was quite good! The pork chops were marinated then grilled and served with spinach, basmati rice and Greek pitas with tazaki sauce. The marinade added a nice flavour without being over powering.

Greek pitas is pocketless flat bread. To prepare for this dish, brush each pita with melted butter and sprinkle with a little garlic salt. Bake until warmed through. Cut each pita into 8 wedges. Serve with tazaki sauce.

Marinade

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp dried oregano flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

Wisk ingredients together. Place 4 pork chops in container with lid. Pour the marinade over the pork chops. Cover and put in refrigerator for a couple of hours turning occasionally. Remove the pork chops from the marinade and grill.