My Big Fat Greek Yogurt: Some Off-the-Hook Recipes
Posted on 03/24/2011 at 11:41 AM to Fun Foods
I'll keep this short and sweet...I love Greek yogurt and you should too. I don't know, maybe it has to do with my Greek roots...yes I am part Greek, my YiaYia (grandma) is!
My recommendations: Some of you might not like to cook, I sometimes don’t, I’ll admit. You can easily go to a health food store like a Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Wild Oats and pick up my two favorite brands. Fage and Chobani. They even sell them at big chain supermarkets like Shop Rite or Stop n Shop. No, I am not getting paid by them for my endorsement, although it would be nice if I did. Just looking out for you chics.
So how do you enjoy Greek yogurt? Well if you don’t like the plain one, there are flavored ones with the brands I mentioned, like Strawberry, Blueberry, Vanilla, Honey, etc. I also suggest buying plain Greek Yogurt and trying to add your own mix of fresh fruits, peanut butter, honey, agave nectar, dark chocolate chips. Is your mouth watering yet? You can also add whole grain cereal or granola. Of course the key here is moderation.
What’s so awesome about this food is that it is extremely versatile when it comes to planning meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner and yes, dessert! It’s a wonderful alternative to milk, sour cream and crème fraiche when baking or cooking.
As promised, here are some OFF-THE-HOOK recipes:
BREAKFAST
The Greek Goes Sweet Smoothie
- ¾ cup vanilla or plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries (may substitute strawberries)
- 1 cup all natural pomegranate juice (may substitute apple juice or Acai juice)
- 1 small banana in chunks
- 1 tbsp tahini
- ¼ or ½ cup of instant oatmeal flakes
- 1 ½ cups of ice
- Protein powder optional
- honey or agave nectar to taste optional
- 2 tbsp of all-natural jam optional
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until preferred consistencies.
The Greek Turns French Toast
- 8 oz of plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 egg
- Cooking spray
- 2 slices of cinnamon bread
- Cinnamon
- ½ banana
- 1 packet of Stevia or natural sweetener
- 3 tbsp of sugar free, organic maple syrup
Heat your griddle to a medium high heat and spray it with cooking spray. Scramble the egg and dip the slices of bread into the egg batter coating both sides. Put the bread on the griddle and cook both sides until golden. While toasting, mix the yogurt, Stevia and cinnamon together. Once cooked, place the yogurt mix on top of the slice of bread and add the banana slices as a layer. Do the same with the second slice of bread.
APPETIZERS, LUNCH, DINNER
A Very Delicious Greek Yogurt Dip
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Mix all of the ingredients together in a big bowl until smooth texture. Serve chilled with raw veggies and/or whole pita bread.
My Favorite Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, strained
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 2 cucumbers peeled, seeded, and sliced
- 1 tsp chopped fresh dill
In a bowl, mix olive oil, vinegar, salt, garlic and pepper until thoroughly combined. Blend yogurt and sour cream and add olive oil mixture to the yogurt and mix well. Add the cucumber and fresh dill. Chill for a few hours before serving. You may garnish with fresh dill before serving. Serve with warm pita or as a condiment to a souvlaki sandwich,
Greek Hummus
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 can rinsed and drained garbanzo beans
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped cucumber
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Mix all of the ingredients together in a blender. You may sprinkle additional paprika. Serve chilled with raw veggies and/or whole pita bread.
Turkey Pita with a Greek Twist
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ small red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup plum tomato chopped
- 2 tsp vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh dill snipped
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 cup sliced cucumber (thin)
- Whole wheat pita
- Sliced turkey
Mix yogurt, sugar, vinegar and fresh dill in a bowl. Add cucumber, onion and tomato and mix slightly in bowl. Slice pita bread in halves and line the pockets with turkey. Take a spoon of yogurt and place inside each half of pita.
Chicken Salad with a Greek Twist
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups shredded Romaine lettuce
- 1 cup cooked and chopped chicken breast
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- 1/3 diced cucumber
- ¼ red onion chopped
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped kalamata olives
Mix yogurt, lemon, salt, pepper, and cheese in a bowl. Stir in the cucumber, olives, onion, and chicken. Toss with lettuce. Stuff in pita or serve on wheat bread. (Gluten free alternative – Ezekial whole grain bread)
DESSERT
Cheesecake Greek Goodness
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Stevia packet
- ½ tbsp fat free sugar free cheesecake pudding mix
Mix in blender and serve
Lemon Graham Greek Heaven
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 packet Stevia
- 1 tsp sugar free fat free white chocolate pudding mix
- 1 graham cracker square
Whisk yogurt, stevia, and pudding together. Crumble in the graham cracker and mix with yogurt
Fit Fem'rs, if you've got any recipes of your own that will benefit our Fit Fem community, please share them in the comment box below.
OPA OPA!!!!!! (Let's break some plates!)
Keeping the fun in fitness!
Your fit fem personal trainer and expert in women's only fitness,
Syl
