DIY Ranch or Tartar Sauce

I posted a comment on Facebook recently about a not so yogurty batch of yogurt i made. It has since become tangier after sitting a bit longer in the fridge, but a reader left me a great idea on how to utilize yogurt that may be less than up to snuff: make Ranch Dressing!

I for one, have never been much of a ranch eater. It's just so clearly fattening. But it is delicious, and my hubs sure likes it - so i decided to give it a shot. This 'recipe' sounds just up my alley. Unfortunately, i'm lacking any homegrown veggies so my additives this time around were pretty scant, just some garlic, salt, pepper and paprika. I remembered that i had some multiplying onions in a pot out on the porch at the last minute, so i chopped some of them up as well. The resultant sauce is tangy, rich (but not toooo creamy) and delightful for dipping or as a side. I imagine you could add more lemon juice and maybe some relish and turn it into tartar sauce!

Do you have a fun recipe that utilizes homemade yogurt?

Probiotic Coleslaw

Including probiotic foods such as fermented pickles and yogurt is essential to healthy digestion and great for all around good health. We have yogurt for breakfast every morning with chia seeds, banana, and soon bee pollen. The protein really keeps us going strong all day without the drowsy effects that eating wheat has. Try having toast before you hit the gym and then have yogurt the next day instead: i'll bet you'll be jumping higher on the yogurt day! I make our yogurt every two weeks. We get raw milk and I always save enough yogurt from the previous batch to make the next week's new batch of yogurt. It's the most delicious yogurt either my husband or i have ever tasted, and the cost is ridiculously frugal: a quart of White Mountain yogurt will set you back over $5. I turn one gallon of milk into about 5 quarts of yogurt for about $7. It's very easy, doesn't require any special skills or tools, and has increased our health by leaps and bounds. Immune systems, check! Healther skin and hair, check! Increased energy levels, double check!

Yogurt for breakfast is great. Yogurt in baking is really great, but i really don't need to be eating more baked goods. So, how can one use yogurt for dinner recipes? Yogurt is great added to a curry or cream sauce. Yogurt can be used as a sauce or dip, and can be incorporated into just about any recipe that would normally use cream, milk, or sour cream. Get creative! You get the most health benefits by not cooking out the good bacterias, so always add the yogurt at the last minute and don't let it boil.

A recent favorite in our kitchen has been a yogurt sauce/dip. We used it on our nachos on game day, and it's really, really delicious on fried fish or in fish tacos in place of ranch dressing. Use whatever herb you have growing seasonally, we've been using cilantro:

• Plain Yogurt (whole milk yogurt will make a thicker dip, skim is saucier)
• Pinch herbs (cilantro, dill, basil, mint, you name it)
• 3 garlic cloves
• Pinch cumin
• Salt to taste

Blend this up until the garlic cloves are completely chopped. The fresh garlic, and herbs along with the probiotic rich yogurt is a real immunity booster, and super delicious. This sauce is so versatile and can even be added to some shredded cabbage to make the most delicious coleslaw with no fat needed.

Do you make your own yogurt? What are your favorite yogurt based recipes?
This post can also be found at the blog hop: Simple Lives Thursday

Some Seasonal Game Day Treats

I'm not much into watching televised sports, but i do enjoy the Super Bowl. Mostly for the snacks and the commercials. Despite complaining daily about my unique ability to gain a pound a week despite working out daily, i love an excuse to sit in front of the TV during the day (breaking a hard and fast rule of mine) while gnashing on snacks. Not all Super Bowl snacks have to be cheesy and decadent, however. Here are some snacks that will be gracing my coffee table this Sunday, along with some recipes for you to try.

Oven Nachos:

Layer some tortilla chips (we love El Milagro: locally Ausitn made) in an oven safe dish: a casserole or cookie sheet. Sprinkle some shredded cheese evenly, layer more chips, layer more cheese and bake at 350 until cheese melts: not long! Meanwhile heat some refried or black beans on the stove or in the microwave. Serve the chips on a platter topped with warm beans, chopped tomatoes, jalapenos, black olives and whatever else you like. A little cheese, some crunch and whole lot of healthy protein and fresh veggies. A great alternative to the gooey 'nacho cheese' slathered version.

Fish Tacos with Yogurt Sauce:

Season fillets of tilapia or other white fish with cumin, salt, pepper, chilly powder, or taco seasoning. Bake until cooked through and serve in corn tortillas with coleslaw and goat cheese and dipped in yogurt sauce. Coleslaw can be light and healthy, and the yogurt sauce is a delicious and flavorful alternative to the traditional fattening ranch dressing.

Yogurt Sauce:

Blend 1 cup of plain yogurt (preferably homemade- if not choose a variety with live cultures. White Mountain is a great local brand) with 3 cloves garlic and a handful of fresh cilantro. Add salt to taste. Add some hot peppers for extra kick. Cilantro is most likely coming up volunteer in your garden if you let it go to seed last year. No need to stem the herb: both the leafy ends and the stalk of the stems are flavorful. This sauce is also great as a dip for oven fries or chips.

Marinated Radish 'Pickles'

Mix equal parts sugar, vinegar, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. (You may use less sugar to suit your taste). Turn down to a simmer and add pickling spices. You can purchase 'pickling spice' pre-mixed or mix your own using fresh dill from the garden. Simmer 10 minutes and pour over thinly sliced radishes. Place in the fridge for 1 - 10 days, or marinate for several hours for lightly marinated radishes.

This post can also be seen at Yard Farm Austin.