yogurt
Yogurt isn’t just for breakfast or a quick snack; it has limitless possibilities. If you wrap it in cheesecloth and let it drain, you’ll end up with creamy, delicious yogurt cheese, to which you can add herbs, spices, or citrus zest for a savory spread, or berries and honey if you’re after something sweeter. Unsweetened plain yogurt is the perfect base for many dips, and a favorite component in a wide range of soups and grain bowls. I’ve included a list of my favorite yogurt recipes below.
When it comes down to something as straightforward as purchasing or sourcing yogurt, the only thing that matters is finding a good source or brand. That slick-packaged, synthetically sweetened stuff at the supermarket isn’t what you’re after. Look for fresh organic yogurt rich in live active cultures, or if you’re more ambitious, try making your own. The live cultures in yogurt help maintain an optimum balance or microorganisms in the digestive tract. This supports healthy digestion, strengthens the immunes system, and provides a host of other benefits.
Persian Yogurt Soup
Traditional and tasty, this soup is a test of patience and restraint. If you're easily distracted, skip it. If you can mind a pot, stirring, singularly-focused, for a half hour, perhaps longer, you'll be rewarded with a beautiful, vegetarian version of the herbed, Persian yogurt soup, Ashe Mast.
Pluot & Poppy Yogurt Bowl
A simple late-summer breakfast bowl - Greek yogurt with a bit of chopped dill incorporated, topped with sliced pluots, toasted oats, poppy seeds, and honey.
An Ideal Lunch Salad
There's all sorts of good stuff in this salad - chickpeas, celery, black olives, pepitas, avocado, blanched broccoli. Full of crunch & substance, it's a salad that can stand up to a few hours in a container without collapsing.
Na’ama’s Fattoush
A beautiful fattoush recipe and a preview of Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's new book, Jerusalem.
Sesame Yogurt Pasta Salad
An off-beat pasta salad made with stuffed pasta, seasonal vegetables, and a spice-forward, golden sesame yogurt sauce.
Corn Soup
A simple corn soup topped with an electric harissa-yogurt swirl + photos from a walk around North Beach on the Fourth of July.
Yogurt Tartlets
These charming little tartlets finish off a meal nicely. Oat-crusted with a creamy, ginger-spiked yogurt filling, they are delightful topped with any number of adornments - fresh berries, dried fruit, or crystallized ginger.
Pan-fried Chickpea Salad
A salad made by pan-frying chickpeas with leeks and a bit of garlic. The creamy dressing is made with plain yogurt and curry powder, and the salad is finished off with plenty of chopped cilantro and chopped red onion.
Almost Cheeseless Pasta Casserole
Trying to keep this pasta casserole recipe on the lighter side, I tossed a rustic farro pasta in yogurt that had been beaten with a bit of egg along with garlic, toasted almonds, chard, butternut squash, and olives. Baked until golden.
Wheat Berry Breakfast Bowl
A perfect breakfast - thin slices of sautéed pears, ruby-hued cranberries, and plump, golden wheat berries are sweetened with generous dollops of maple-sweetened yogurt and finished with plenty of toasted pecans and a sprinkling of dried persimmons, ginger, and dates.
