Is it not true that when someone starts talking about tasty and healthy sour-milk products, for some reason the image of this thick, snow-white, possessing a characteristic fresh aroma of a dietary drink pops up in my memory? Greek yogurt (photo presented in the article) is a traditional Mediterranean national product imported into different countries of the world. It is used as an independent treat, and as a component of other dishes.
Many consumers buy Greek yogurt at the store, but this is not always the best solution. Indeed, in this case, as is often the case, the product may contain various undesirable additives. That is why more and more housewives are trying to cook Greek yogurt at home. This article presents all the steps in the process of preparing a popular delicacy.
Acquaintance
Greek yogurt is a product that has gained particular popularity in Greece. Today, in this beautiful country, spread out on the Mediterranean coast, several types of yogurts are produced that differ in their taste, texture and degree of health benefits.
One of the varieties of this milk drink, called "Greek yogurt", is a filtered product obtained in the process of removing serum from a traditional analogue. The drink has a high percentage of fat and a high content of protein and protein.
Greek yogurt is a product that is traditionally made from goat or sheep’s milk. Today, in the mass production, cow's milk is used as the basis for making the drink. The popularity of the delicacy is explained by its low calorie content, as well as the richness of protein and other useful substances.
Production Features
Those who have managed to make cottage cheese or cheese on their own will not be difficult to cook ordinary Greek yogurt in the conditions of home cooking. The process is very similar: at first, milk is heated (but not boiled: all useful trace elements must be preserved in it). Then the ferment is added, whey is expressed. Yogurt or cheese (yogurt) is filtered through a cloth and slightly cooled. Natural Greek yogurt has a dense texture and resembles yogurt or yogurt. As a result of the ripening, neither lactose, nor whey (milk), nor sugar remains in the product.
Greek Yogurt: Composition, Health Benefits and Damage
This fermented milk drink contains live bacteria, and also has a high content of magnesium and calcium. In numerous reviews of Greek yogurt by nutritionists, he is regarded as one of the best food products of the century. Its composition is characterized by a number of advantages that have a beneficial effect on human health: it normalizes the digestive system, heart, kidneys, strengthens joints, helps prevent infectious diseases, strengthens the immune system, improves metabolism. Even serum exfoliated after decantation is very useful: it is reused in home cooking or cosmetology.
Experts warn that excessive consumption of a delicacy can cause kidney stones due to excess calcium, contribute to calcification of blood vessels. Another danger is the content in the store product of various fillers: jelly, starch, etc., negating the beneficial effect of drinking the drink.
More details
The composition of the product provides for the presence of exclusively natural components without any synthetic additives. Yogurt is made using a culture of living bacteria: bifidobacteria, lactic acid cocoons, lactobacillus. In addition, experts call this product a real storehouse of magnesium, riboflavin and pantothenic acid. The calorie content of a drink depends on its fat content, but on average it is about 66 kcal per 100 g of product.
100 g of yogurt contains:
- sugar 4 g;
- protein 10-12 g;
- cholesterol 6 g;
- the daily norm of calcium is 10-15% (it is absorbed much better than from milk).
You can store high-quality Greek yogurt in the refrigerator for no more than 1 month.
Variety of applications
A huge number of different dishes are known in which this popular sour-milk product is used: it is added to fish and meat, used as an ingredient for dough, cocktails and other drinks are created on its basis. Greek yogurt is used as a substitute for mayonnaise or sour cream in salads, as well as a dressing for sandwiches. In addition, this product perfectly replaces marinade: thanks to it, the fat content of meat is reduced, its quality and taste are improved. Yogurt is also used as an excellent cosmetic product - for washing the hair, cleansing the face.
How to cook Greek yogurt in the home kitchen?
When preparing a drink, you should take into account some nuances: pasteurized or boiled milk is not suitable for its preparation, it is better to use fresh.
Before starting cooking, you should definitely check the expiration date - if the milk is stale, there is a risk that it will curl. It is necessary to heat it in a pan to 45 ° C. As the starter culture use natural unsweetened yogurt that does not contain additives. Next, the mixture is poured into a thermos (to maintain a constant optimum temperature). It is not recommended to shake and shake the container. Sourdough is stored in a warm place. After 8 hours, the product will be ready. If the drink turns out to be too liquid, it will have to be filtered through a filter (paper) or cheesecloth. The filtered product will thicken if it is refrigerated before use.
Cooking in a slow cooker
Greek yogurt (the recipe is presented below) can be easily and quickly cooked in a slow cooker. It takes about 8 hours to cook. To prepare 4 servings of a meal usually reserved for breakfast, you will need the following foods:
- milk - 1 l;
- starter culture for sourdough - one package.
Calorie content of the drink: 59 kcal. Destination: for breakfast. Many housewives call the plus of the multicooker that it is possible to maintain the optimum temperature regime in it. Before pouring the leaven into the bowl, it is necessary to rinse it with boiling water. All other devices should be processed, as well as the dishes in which the mixture will be placed. It is not recommended to open the lid during the cooking process to avoid temperature differences. The entire volume of yogurt should not be used immediately - its residues can be used to create a new portion of the product.
About the cooking method
The cooking process involves the following actions:
- First you need to boil milk, after which it is cooled to 40 ° C.
- Add the leaven.
- Pour the mixture into the bowl.
- Then, in the “Preheating” mode, a temperature of 40 ° C is selected, after six hours a fresh sour-milk product will be ready. If the multicooker does not provide for the use of this temperature regime, you should experiment with other temperature levels.
- Next, filtered yogurt is set for two hours in the refrigerator - to thicken the product.
Preparing your favorite drink in a yogurt maker
The duration of the process is approximately 8 hours. To prepare four servings of the drink, you will need the following products:
- milk - 1 l;
- yogurt (natural, without additives) - 150 ml.
In this recipe for Greek yogurt, another fermented milk product (live) is used as a starter; the main thing is that it should not contain preservatives or colorings. Ingredients can be prepared in about 10 minutes. When isolating serum, it should be filtered through tissue. The product is used to make dough (sweet). Sweeteners and fillers are added to the finished drink. It is not recommended to keep it in the refrigerator for more than five days.
Cooking
First, make sure that the dishes that will be used in the preparation of the treat are clean. Then the milk is warmed to room temperature. Add leaven, stir until a homogeneous mixture. Pour into the cups available in the yogurt maker. Next, set the time or the necessary program. The dish will be ready after six hours. If the drink is not thickened, it should be left in the device for another two hours. Then the yogurt is sent to the thickener for a couple of hours.
What dishes use delicacy?
According to reviews, treats with this sour-milk product (salad dressings, gravy for meat dishes, bread spreads) quickly satisfy hunger and are well absorbed by the body. In addition, they are very beneficial and nutritious.
The most common recipes involving Greek yogurt are descriptions of how to make zaziki sauce, cake mousses, sweet dressings for fruit salads. The characteristic light, sour taste of yogurt successfully emphasizes the rich taste of fruit salads, as well as fish and meat dishes. Especially willingly, housewives recommend the use of this fermented milk product as a marinade for any meat. According to reviews, an unusually tasty dish is obtained from chicken, soaked in a sourdough with spices. A mixture of Italian herbs or other spices, pepper and salt are added to yogurt. The chicken is baked in the oven. The dish is incredibly delicate and tasty, with a golden crust and a delicious aroma.
Another, equally important option for using yogurt is to use it for baking dough. It is added during the kneading of dough as an additional ingredient, used to lubricate cakes (ready-made), as well as to decorate confectionery. Thick mousse or cream can also be used to create fruit desserts that are unusually healthy and delicious.
Yogurt Salad
It takes 20 minutes to cook. To create four servings of a dish, use:
- 400 g chicken;
- 200 ml greek yogurt;
- 100 g pitted grapes;
- one pear;
- 50 g of cheese "Dor Blue";
- 50 g of walnuts;
- one clove of garlic;
- one shallot;
- one bunch of parsley;
- 4 table. tablespoons of cooking oil for frying;
- 5 g of salt;
- pepper to taste.
Chicken salad with Greek yogurt is a hearty meal. It can be diversified by adding an apple, crackers, green peas, cherry tomatoes. The meat will become less high-calorie if it is not fried, but boiled or browned in the oven. Culinary experts recommend marinating the fillet in yogurt, adding onions there - this should make it softer.
How to cook?
Wash the chicken fillet and dry it with a paper towel. Then wash the grapes, pear and parsley. Onions and garlic are peeled. The meat is greased with spices, fried in a pan until cooked (t 80-90 ° C). Allow to cool. Large grapes are cut in half. Cheese and pear should be cut into large cubes. Finely chop the nuts and onions. Parsley with yogurt and garlic is chopped with a blender. Fillet cut into cubes, mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Next, the dish is formed and served on the table. Previously, it can be cooled in the refrigerator.
Yogurt sauce
Many users call zaziki a great addition to fish, meat and vegetable dishes. This sauce, which is prepared from Greek yogurt, perfectly complements the taste of many products. The authors of the reviews note that they like to dip vegetables, chips and crackers in it. In the season when there are no fresh vegetables, they can be replaced with canned ones. Those who prefer spicy delicate sauce can put less garlic. Strengthen the severity by increasing the content of this product. Dill is sometimes replaced with cilantro, parsley, and onion, and mint is added for freshness.
Ingredients
To prepare four servings use:
- 400 ml greek yogurt;
- two cucumbers;
- four cloves of garlic;
- two table. tablespoons of olive oil;
- 15 ml of lemon juice;
- one bunch of dill;
- 10 g of salt.
Cooking
The process involves the following actions:
- Prepare the garlic.
- Peel the cucumber (optional!), Rub it on a coarse grater, sprinkle with salt so that the vegetable starts the juice. After a couple of minutes, excess moisture should be wrung out.
- Next, garlic is passed through the garlic, dill is ground.
- Then all the ingredients are mixed with yogurt and left in the refrigerator for half an hour. All cooking takes about 40 minutes.
Yogurt Mousse
This drink is a low-calorie, delicate delicacy. Raspberries in it can be replaced with cherries, currants, strawberries. Those who prefer a porous structure in dessert can use gelatin. In the drink, you can use rum or cognac or drink alcohol as a fruit marinade, if you plan to hold a party for adults.
What products are used?
In the composition of:
- 150 ml greek yogurt;
- 150 g of chocolate (dark);
- one table. a spoonful of sugar;
- two chicken eggs;
- two grams of vanillin;
- 50 g raspberries;
- 5 g of salt.
How to cook?
Prepared as follows: rub a little chocolate on a fine grater. The rest is melted in a water bath. Eggs are divided into proteins and yolks. Yolks are ground with yogurt and sugar, add vanillin. Beat whites with salt, using a wooden spatula, mix them with the rest of the mixture until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. They are poured over the dishes, sprinkled with berries and grated chocolate and sent to the refrigerator for one hour. Enjoy your meal!