a little of this...: Search results for yogurt

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13 July 2011

Thick, Creamy, Tasty Yogurt

Technically this is "round 2" but round one was such a failure I didn't want to share it....
I originally took a stab at this recipe from Passionate Homemaking for crockpot yogurt. I wanted to sweeten it up a little so I found a few suggestions online as to how to best do that and wound up with a rather gross, soupy mix that went straight down the drain.
It has taken me several months to be willing to try again but here we are.
I followed a crockpot free recipe from Passionate Homemaking this time which was super simple because the directions were VERY detailed.

The results?

Vanilla yogurt that tastes much like store bought with maybe a touch more tang. Nothing I can't handle and, to be honest, I'm a picky eater in the way that I only eat things that taste good.
Don't ask me to explain what that means.
Anyway... I have been using yogurt/kefir mix for our morning smoothies lately so we go through yogurt pretty quickly. Stonyfield Organic French Vanilla Whole Milk Yogurt, which is what I buy, usually goes for 4.29 around here. I buy it on sale for 3.99. Half a gallon of organic, grassfed milk, delivered to my door is 3.75 and I made close to three quarts of yogurt from the one half gallon so I've saved about eight dollars.
Yes, I will continue using this recipe and stop or at least seriously cut down on our store bought consumption depending on my schedule.

Worth a shot for your home? I'd say so.

A note on consistency...
I took these pictures right after taking them from the warm water bath. Once I put it in the fridge it thickened to the point that I could turn the jar upside down and it held it's shape.

10 May 2011

What on Earth is Kefir?!

Fairly recently I realized that I have used kefir (officially pronounced "keh-feer" though I still shamelessly call it "keef-er") in some of my recipes but haven't bothered to tell you what it is. Odds are that, unless you are any level of "earthy-crunchy", you've not heard of it.

In short, kefir is best compared to a "drinkable" plain yogurt in texture and taste. It's made by letting milk (cow, goat, sheep, soy, coconut, etc.) mixed with kefir starter or kefir grains sit out at room temperature for a time (about 24 hours). This lets the milk ferment and what you end up can range anywhere from a thick milk all the way to a cottage cheese texture. Sounds gross, right? And yet that's the same basic process for making yogurt and buttermilk.

{kefir grains}

So why do we bother with kefir when we can just have yogurt?
Well, for one, it's cheap. A kefir grain is a living, growing bacteria/yeast. My dear friend gave me some kefir grains to try out because the ones she purchased grew over time and she was able to split them and thankfully they cost me nothing. (They can be purchased inexpensively to get your started.) Once you have them, if you keep them in ideal conditions, they will continue to grow and you'll never have to buy them again.
One of my favorite reasons is that the process of making kefir is ridiculously easy. It takes a glass jar with a lid, a stainless steel siv, a container to keep your finished kefir in, and three minutes a day.

To start, I place my grains in a mason jar and add about a cup of milk. {The amount of milk added depends on the amount of grains you have and how long you want to leave it to culture.}

Then I place the lid on the jar and leave it on the counter for 24 hours. Once you get a feel for what texture and level of tang you like, it's easier to judge how long to leave the kefir grains in. The tangier, the longer, and the greater the health benefits. 24 hours works for us in the spring and summer but we leave it for about 48 hours in the fall and winter.

Once I have the kefir the way I like it, I sift it through a stainless siv into a glass jar I got from Target and put it in the fridge for when I need it.

That's it!

So now that we've established that I'm cheap and lazy I guess I should share with you a few other reasons we use kefir in our home...
Kefir is good for you. Not just yogurt good.... try 6 times as good. I've heard that whereas yogurt has 5 different beneficial probiotics, kefir has at least 30. It's great for your immune system as as most fermented foods. It's easily digestible. (I've read in several places that it helps break down stuff in milk that makes it hard for lactose-intolerant people to digest.) It's anti fungal and antibiotic. It's full of vitamins and minerals and supports overall digestive health.
There are those who claim that since kefir is such a whole food that it cures EVERYTHING. I cannot speak for many of the claims out there but I found this guy who sure loves it! Anyway..

In our house, we use kefir most often as a substitute for buttermilk, sour cream, milk, or yogurt when baking. However, our absolute favorite way to enjoy it is in smoothies. More specifically, a mix of orange juice, maple syrup and vanilla extract. SO GOOD!

So now that I've filled you in on what kefir is, I'll probably share some recipes with you... but don't worry... if you're thinking kefir's not for you, you can always use yogurt in it's place.

16 August 2012

Prep Ahead Chicken for Dinner

I recently read a blog post by Natalie over at A Turtle's Life For Me and was inspired by her freezer meal prep.
I've heard of freezer meals and Once a Month Cooking but those are often casseroles, lasagnas, and stews and those aren't on the menu often around our house.
Instead, Natalie shreds chicken, prepares sauces, and marinates the meat ahead of time. For me... this is brilliance!
So I took my first stab at it yesterday and after purchasing chicken from Costco (they have organic whole chickens, chicken breasts, and thighs now!)
I didn't follow Natalie's full approach because if you look she did a lot more than I did. To be honest, as much as I appreciate the ease of throwing a meal in the oven straight from the freezer, I'm a bit of a food snob and don't usually like the flavor of food that's been frozen first. Instead, I went halfway and prepped 9 meals worth of raw chicken so that it's cut up (if it was needed) and flavored ahead of time. With about an hour of simple preparation (pouring the ingredients into the bags along with the chicken) I have meals started with the most time consuming parts done and they're ready and waiting in the freezer for me to grab.

And here's the six recipes I used...

Our favorite marinade, tried and true...

Mediterranean Chicken from skinnytaste.com

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 T fresh squeezed Lemon Juice
1 t oregano
1 t garlic, crushed
kosher salt
pepper

I pre-sliced the chicken into strips for easy grilling in a grill pan once thawed. Threw in all of the remaining ingredients in the bag, pushed out as much air as I could and sealed the bag. Laid flat and put it in the freezer
When it's time to use I'll simply put the bag out on the counter to thaw (or you can that it in the fridge if you're good like that) and when I'm ready, dump the entire contents onto my grill pan and grill.

Another favorite of ours is...

Ellie Krieger's Teryaki Chicken Thighs

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/4 c soy sauce

2 T brown sugar

2 T dry sherry

2 T rice vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 t red pepper flakes

1 t finely grated ginger

I just dumped all of the above ingredients in a freezer bag, laid it flat, and froze.

When I'm ready to use this I'll thaw in the fridge or on the counter. Once thawed, heat the broiler to high. Arrange the chicken on a broiler pan skin side down and broil until brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and broil until almost cooked through, about 8 minutes longer. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cook until the seeds turn golden brown and the chicken is done, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Oh... and another one of my favorites...

Chicken Gyros from The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
For these I pre-sliced the chicken and added the remaining ingredients to the bag. Mixed it all around, laid flat and froze.

Once I'm ready to use I'll create my Tzatziki sauce while the chicken thaws...

Tzatziki sauce:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

Shred the cucumber or chop in food processor. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

Then...

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Heat pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

I tried this recipe for the first time not long ago and we loved it. I'm hoping it translates from the freezer well...

Beer Crockpot Chicken from My Daily Dish

6-8 bone in chicken legs

1 can of beer (we used our favorite pale ale)

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t basil

1/2 t paprika

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t salt

Don't bother thawing this bad boy... dump the entire contents of the bag into a crockpot and heat on high for 4-5 hours or 8-10 hours on low.

And here are two newbies I thought I'd try since I had the extra chicken...

Herb Wine Dump Chicken from Food.com

1 cup red wine
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 lemon, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken pieces

Place all ingredients into a freezer bag. Lay flat to freeze.

Once ready to cook... Take the bag out of the freezer the night before, making sure the freezer bag is completely sealed. Place the bag on a shelf furthest from the freezer (It works best if the bag is laying flat, although this may not be the best option with a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer).

You can either bake this dish.... Place all ingredients into a large baking dish, turn chicken to coat. Bake until chicken juices run clear (about 30 to 60 minutes depending upon the chicken pieces used).

or Slow Cook... Put chicken in the bottom of the pot. Pour remaining ingredients over the chicken. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-6 hours or until done.

and...

Buttermilk Roast Chicken by Smitten Kitchen

2 cups buttermilk
5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon table salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, plus extra for sprinkling
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken parts (I used all legs)
Drizzle of olive oil

Mix all ingredients but oil in freezer bag, lay flat and freeze.
When ready to make, thaw in fridge. Once ready, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking dish with foil Remove chicken from buttermilk brine and arrange in dish. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with additional paprika and sea salt to taste. Roast for 30 minutes (for legs; approximately 35 to 40 for breasts), until brown and a bit scorched in spots. Serve immediately.

And that's that! I'll let you know how the recipes turn out as I go but I can assure that if all goes well, I will most definitely be doing this on a regular basis. Just thinking about only having to make one mess in the kitchen for nine meals makes me giddy!

21 June 2011

Green Smoothies

Miss Mak won't eat her greens.

She loves most fruit, dairy, fish, and poultry but won't touch veggies
...until now!
I can't remember where I first heard the idea of sneaking spinach into smoothies but I thought I'd give it a try.
We put over one and a half cups into each batch and can't taste it at all!

I guess you could say this is my "new favorite" and I HIGHLY recommend you throwing a fist-full of greens into your next morning breakfast smoothie, especially if your little ones don't like their veggies either.

Our current favorites...

Strawberry Orange

1 cup Stonyfields Whole Milk French Vanilla Yogurt
1 cup of fresh strawberries {frozen will work}
1 heaping tablespoon of orange juice frozen concentrate
1/2 cup of milk
1 1/2 cups fresh, raw, organic spinach

Apple and Banana

1 banana broken up into pieces

1/2 an apple, with skins on

1 cup fresh or frozen grapes

1 cup Stonyfields Whole Milk French Vanilla Yogurt

1 1/2 cups fresh, raw, organic spinach

1/2 cup milk

I've heard about Jessica Seinfeld's cook Deceptively Delicious which is about sneaking veggies and other healthy stuff into stuff your kids will eat. Do you have it? Have you tried it? Do you have any thoughts on it?

22 February 2012

PB&J Smoothie

We have taken a break from out standard tropical fruit, spinach, kefir, and yogurt smoothie because I made this once and the kids love it!
Yes, they actually ASK for it!
I found the idea at 100 Days of Real Food. Great site!
I vary from the original a bit but the basics are the same and I want to give credit to the originator of the idea...

My Version: 1/3 c yogurt, 1/3 c kefir or milk, 1/3 c peanut butter, 1 banana, 1 c frozen blueberries

Blend together and serve.

03 August 2010

Let Them Eat Cake!...{pancakes, that is}

Pancakes of any kind are easy to freeze and easy to thaw {microwave or toaster}. Throw on some fresh blueberries or mashed strawberries and they'll sing your praises. {At least they should!}
Here are some of our Easy-Peasy Make-Ahead Pancake Recipes:

Basic Pancakes

Courtesy o' Natalie B.

1 cup flour

1 egg

2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1 c milk

1 T sugar

2 T vegetable/canola oil

Mix until smooth and cook.

Variations:

Add 1 T of fruit preserves OR 1 tsp vanilla extract OR 1 c fresh mashed strawberries/blueberries OR mashed banana OR chocolate chips

Sweet Potato Pancakes
Courtesy of WholesomeBabyFood.com

2 T unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed

1 egg (or 2 egg yolks)

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 cup milk

Mix sweet potatoes in a bowl with the egg. Stir in flour and add baking powder. Add up to 1/3 cup of milk while stirring. Stir in 1 T butter.The mixture should have the consistency of thick, lumpy sauce like an "instant" pancake mix. Place a skillet over medium heat and add 1/2 t butter. Spoon batter into skillet and cook until bubbles rise to the surface of the pancakes and break. Approx 1-2 mins. Flip and cook another 2 mins.

Banana Pancakes
Courtesy of Wholesome Baby Food

1 or 2 ripe bananas (not overly ripe or mushy bananas)

Pancake Batter (try Hodgson Mills Buckwheat Pancake Mix)

Slice bananas thinly and coat with pancake batter. Lightly fry in pan until golden brown. Serve as finger food for snack or at breakfast time

{You can do this with peeled, thinly sliced apples too.}

Applesauce Pancakes

I Can't Remember Where This Came From

1 cup flour

1/4 t salt

1 1/2 t baking powder

1 T melted butter

1/2 cup milk

1 beaten egg

1/2 t vanilla

1 1/4 cups applesauce

Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a medium mixing bowl. Combine butter, milk and egg. Stire into dry ingredients. Add vanilla and applesauce; beat well. Spoon batter into a hot, well greased griddle, enough batter to make an approximately 4" diameter pancake.

If making them from scratch isn't for you, Hodgson Mills sells several different pancake/waffle mixes that are easy to find in grocery stores.

Cover It With...

yogurt mixed with fruit puree OR pure fruit puree OR sliced fruit OR maple syrup OR CHoCoLaTE syrup

** Freeze individually or separate with wax paper to keep from sticking together.

08 March 2010

Recipes

DON'T BE FOOLED!!!

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