Greek Yogurt

I'm helping provide food for a family event in about a month. So far my duties appear to be hummus and tzatziki sauce, a large vegetable tray and pita wedges for dipping, although I've been thinking about thinly slicing small bagels and toasting the slices.  

Doesn't sound too bad. I make, and love hummus. I love tzatziki sauce (a Greek yogurt sauce), but have never made it.  The Pita Pit makes the yummiest humus veggie pita sandwich with tzatziki sauce.  I could eat it every day.  I may have mentioned that Husband is a carnivore, so I don't eat it every day. 

So my next job is to practice tzatziki sauce until I'm happy with the outcome, but I need Greek yogurt to make tzatziki. Greek yogurt, when purchased at the store, is like twice the price of regular top quality yogurt.  Greek yogurt is also significantly thicker and more concentrated.  It has a stronger, more yogurty flavor.

You can make Greek Yogurt by lining a colander with several layers of cheese cloth.  Add plain, unflavored yogurt and allow the liquid to drain from it until the desired thickness. 

Some instructions on the Internet recommend doing this overnight.  I've done that and I don't recommend draining it that long.  I've found that my homemade yogurt turns nice and thick in 3 to 4 hours.  It should stand a spoon securely.

Next:  Attempt one at Tzatziki sauce.  Remember to play with your food.

Yogurt: Jalapeno Rice Casserole

One of my goals right now is to train or challenge myself to do more with the ingredients that I have at hand.  I don't live in a mild climate, so the ingredients at my produce market changes seasonally.  I'm done chasing the next ingredient in a recipe that I don't happen to have and will need to go to the store for.  I've recently been through some of my favorites:  tomatillos,  rhubarb, ginger.   

I'm starting Yogurt, which I eat a lot of and always have on hand.  I make yogurt myself.  I challenge you to do the same  http://dinnerattheosbornes.blogspot.com/2011/04/homemade-yogurt.html

This dish requires other ingredients which I like and want to learn how to use better - rice, fresh herbs, and jalapenos.  All are on my list for the future. 

Jalapeno Rice Casserole.

2 c. chicken broth

1 c. rice

Pour broth into a sauce pan and bring to boil.  Add rice, stir, cover and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Mix together

1/2 c. plain non fat yogurt

2 T. Italian Dressing

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

The picture shows the favorite Italian Dressing at the Osbornes, but use whatever you like best. 

Remove the seeds and white vein from the center of the pepper, then finely chop it.  Remove the stems of the parsley and chop it.

  

At the risk of sounding weird, I stop and smell and taste every little thing as I cook.  Life is so short and such a roller coaster ride.  Why not draw any pleasure in the moment that you can? 

Combine the yogurt sauce with the rice.  I decided it was just a little dry and drizzled with olive oil. 

There is a roasting chicken in my oven right now.  I reduced the heat to 350, covered the casserole dish, and set it in the oven next to the chicken.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350.  Top with 1/2 cup shredded Tillamook Montery Jack cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes. 

For a printable copy go here. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y2dBV2XQN0VuBmuYxDBnQwtnOtZlyaHKUPiO7LbeThI/edit?hl=en_US&authkey=CJG4-OIE
Anyone know how to rename this link in my text so you don't see the gobbly goop?

Fragrant and creamy.  Not quite as moist as I would like.  Think I'll make more of the sauce next time. 

Goes pretty good with a roast chicken, though.

Homemade Yogurt My Way

I'm a daily consumer of Yogurt.  Have been for years.  I used to carry the little Yoplait containers with me everywhere.  Then, I switched to plain organic yogurt.  I've made my own for just over a year. Here is how I do it.  

4 c. milk in a heavy bottom pan.  I use 2 percent.  Your choice.  Start at medium heat stirring regularly, until the temperature reaches 200 degrees. 

You can see I use a candy thermometer.  Stir regularly.

You have to be patient, which is not one of my strongest areas.  I recommend thinking of cooking as a Zen thing, a form of meditation.  Do the same thing repeatedly, breath.  Be precise.  There is a little bit of perfection in that if you do it right.

Finally,  reduce the temperature enough to maintain the temperature at 200 degrees for 10 minutes.  I set a timer.    Continue stirring.  Are you breathing?  Breath and think peaceful thoughts with me.  And stir.  Are you stirring? 

In the meantime, prepare a large bowl filled with ice water.  I used to fill the sink with water and add ice. 

Breath and stir.

When you get to the end of your 10 minutes, put the pan in the bowl or sink of ice water.  Watch the thermometer as the temperature reduces to 125 degrees.  Somewhere just before that add 1/3 powdered milk. 

(This is optional.  Don't do it if you don't want to.  The great thing about cooking is that it's your time to do exactly what you want.  But I think it adds a little extra richness to the flavor.)

When you get down to somewhere just around 110 or just above, here's what you do.  Scoop out about a cup or so of the warm milk into a small bowl or large measuring cup.  Add your starter which is 1/4 cup of your last batch of yogurt.  It contains the helpful bacteria which makes the milk turn into yogurt. 

If you are just starting and don't have a previous batch, use an organic, all natural brand.  Mountain High is readily available.  If you are in the Pacific Northwest, Nancy's is a really good option which I recommend.  I'm sure other parts of the country and world have other equally good options.  Just use the best stuff you can find.

Mix the starter well and return to the pot.  Now you need an incubator.  You need to maintain 110 degrees for 4 hours.  My oven will do that.  Before I had this oven, I did it by placing the mixture in a casserole dish with a lid and putting my heating pad on top of the casserole dish, then wrapping the whole thing with bath towels.  It can be done in a crock pot, but you'll have to google that, because I've never done it that way.  At the end of 4 hours, refrigerate and use as yogurt throughout the week.  Start again when you run out. 

I have done this for more than a year.  The great thing about this is that if you need to start over with a new starter, just buy another carton of yogurt.  No worries.  

Zucchini Yogurt Nut Bread

I'm Yogurt obsessed right now.  No other way to say it.  Something about finding that I can make something that I consider of value so easily and cheaply and such good quality is making me giddy.  My family is staying out of the way and good for them.

I planted no zucchini this year.  I concentrated my raised beds on tomatoes and beans which are both late.  But zucchini is everywhere, cheap and reminds me of happy things.  I have no problems buying it at Bizi farms.  I've been making this bread weekly for a few weeks also.  I hope to get a few loaves in the freezer, but I keep scoffing it down. 

Zucchini Yogurt Nut Bread
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted in a dry sauce pan for a few minutes
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 c. plain good quality yogurt (check here to make your own)http://dinnerattheosbornes.blogspot.com/2010/08/yogurt.html
1 cup grated zucchini (peeled first)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a loaf pan with non stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.  Make a well in the middle and add the eggs and oil to the well.  Stir briefly.  Add the yogurt and zucchini  and stir to just combined.  Add the nuts and stir once more.  Quick breads can be over stirred.  Mix them only until all the dry is incorporated into the wet. 

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Set the timer.  Let cool and serve of seal it air tight.  This type of bread freezes well and makes good gifts.

Yogurt

I'm a daily consumer of yogurt.  I have been for some time.  It cracked me up the other day standing in the grocery aisle.  A man and woman were shopping.  She wanted to by one of those yogurt products in individual serving cups that are advertised to regulate your digestive system.  He was saying that it was too expensive.  First, how much is your digestive system worth? and Second, why buy that kind?  I couldn't help myself.  I piped up and told them that Mountain High yogurt was much less expensive per serving, very tasty, completly natural and had, in my personal experience the same effect.  They both looked at me as if I was talking Spanish, smiled and nodded.

I've made previous attempts at making my own yogurt.  
http://dinnerattheosbornes.blogspot.com/search/label/yogurt

It wasn't until our recent flood / forced remodel that my attempts became more practical.  Making yogurt requires an incubator.  I'm not an expert at this yet, but it seems that you need to be able to hold the yogurt at about 110 degrees for 5 hours or so to grow that bacteria culture.  While there are countertop yogurt makers that you just plug in, I don't own one.  My attempts to incubate in my previous stove were failures.  Using the heating pad took time and effort that I wanted to spend on other things.

But my lovely new stove can do anything.  Under dehydrator setting, you can select 110 degrees.  I set the timer and walk away.  Now I can make a batch easily each week.  I'm experimenting a bit with adding a little local honey, but here is my basic procedure.

• 4 cup milk in a good pan on the stove top brought to 200 degrees, stirring gently.  I put my candy thermometer in the pan so that I can see the termperature.  
• Hold temp for 10 minutes.  Continue stirring.  I set a timer here and do this fairly precisely.
• During the 10 minutes, prepare a large boil of ice water. 
• At the end of 10 minutes, put the pan in ice water.
• Remove from ice water when the mixutre is 125 degrees.  Add 1/3 cup powdered milk and stir to incorporate.
• Remove 1 cup of milk and temper with 1/4 cup of starter (see below.) 
• Pour into a hot clean container, cover and place in incubator @ 110 degrees for 4 - 5 hours.  Refrigerate immediately.

For the starter, use 1/4 cup of good organic yogurt.  Make sure the ingredient list contains only milk and/or cream.  My favorite brand also contains pectin to make it smoother, which I guess is okay.

But here is the good thing.  You can use the last 1/4 c. of your last batch of Yogurt for the starter for this batch.   That is exactly what I've been doing for the last few weeks.  Isn't that just perfect?

Yogurt / Breakfast at the Osbornes

I made yogurt this weekend.  As I have mentioned, I like yogurt and eat it regularly.  My prefered brand is Mountain High Yogurt, which comes from Colorado.  I leave the house early and pack a good amount of food and other things with me.  This berry box goes with me every morning.  Often, my yoga clothes are packed in the bottom, then my calendar (that's the red book below the bowl), and mail or other paper.  In this particular case, I'm having yogurt, apple butter and a pear.  The orange will get split with husband at lunch time. 

For the corresponding packing for lunch, see this entry: 

 http://dinnerattheosbornes.blogspot.com/2010/03/lunch-at-osbornes.html

Yogurt

Heat 4 cups of milk to 200 degrees and hold that temperature for 10 minutes, stirring.  I used my candy thermometer to keep the right temperature and stirred fairly regularly to avoid sticking.  You shouldn't boil it. 

Make a sink full of icewater when you near the 10 minutes.  At 10 minutes, place the pan in the icewater to cool.  When the temperature decreases to 125 degrees remove it and stir in 1/3 c. powdered milk.  Continue watching the candy thermometer until it cools to 110 degrees.  Dip out 1 cup of the milk mixture and add 1/4 c. of commercial yogurt, stirring to combine.  For the non-cooks out there, that's called Tempering.  When you add volatile ingredients of different temperatures, there can sometimes be unexpected results.  Add the mixture back into the milk.  This is your starter and contains the bacteria which makes the yogurt thick and tart. 

Now you need an incubator.  You need to keep the milk at 110 degrees for about 5 hours while the bacteria develop and make the yogurt.  I researched several methods.   Here is the one I chose.  I laid a towel on the counter and my heating pad on the towel.  Then the pan.  I left the candy thermometer in it so I could monitor the temperature.  I turned the heating pad to medium and wrapped the whole thing in a couple additional towels.   

I pulled up the towels a few times to determine that the thermometer was right where it needed to be.  The first couple hours nothing seemed to be happening.  Towards about the 5th hour, it had thickened and was looking like yogurt or pudding.  I put it in the frig and went to bed. 

I was a little hesitant to eat it in the morning.  It tasted great, but had I just created some bug cocktail of unknown nasties.  But I researched this carefully.  I followed the directions carefully.  I had a very nice breakfast of it and felt great.  I'm researching a somewhat easier incubation method.  I doubt that I will be willing to do the towel and heating pad thing every week.  If I can't simplify things, I may have to buy a plug in yogurt maker.

Remember to try things and experiment.