Greek yogurt, facts and secrets for making it at home. Greek yogurt - benefits and composition. How to make homemade Greek yogurt in a slow cooker and yogurt maker Greek yogurt recipe reviews

Mediterranean cuisine is considered the healthiest. A traditional dairy dish on the Greek menu is yogurt. This natural product is loved not only in Greece, but also abroad. What is the composition of Greek yogurt, what are its beneficial properties and what is its calorie content?

What is Greek yogurt?

In Mediterranean countries, this fermented milk product is made from sheep or goat milk. In mass production, cow's milk is most often used as the basis for this dairy product. - This is filtered yogurt cheese. During its manufacturing process, the Greek dairy product is filtered to remove whey.

The consistency is thick, homogeneous and light. There is nothing artificial in the product, but only natural ingredients. This type of dairy product contains:

• cultures of live bacteria;
• bifidobacteria;
• lactobacillus;
• lactic coca.

For cooking use cow, goat or sheep milk and combine it with live bacteria. After obtaining an almost finished mass, it is filtered. This results in a thick consistency. The product is now ready for use. All-natural Greek yogurt should not have a long shelf life. If the packaging indicates that the shelf life is no more than a month, then it is completely natural.

After the ripening process, there is no whey, sugar or lactose left in it. However, it contains valuable live bacteria, a lot of calcium, protein and magnesium. The Greek product has a characteristic creamy taste with a pleasant sourness.

Beneficial features

In addition to the pleasant taste and natural composition of Greek yogurt attractive with many other features. It contains no fat and minimal carbohydrates. The basis of its composition is proteins (46%) and calcium (25%). In its finished form, such milk mass resembles a cocktail of beneficial microorganisms, with the help of which you can improve the health of the body.

All these properties of Greek yogurt have made it a popular product among diet supporters. The large amount of protein and lack of fat attracts those who want to lose weight and care about their health.

High calcium content helps strengthen bones and also helps speed up metabolic processes in the body. Calcium, together with probiotics, helps strengthen the immune system, eliminate constipation and diarrhea, and eliminate inflammatory processes in the intestines. Calcium supports the condition of weakening muscles and eliminates the risk of developing osteoporosis.

Protein acts as a blood glucose stabilizer. This is very important for those who are on a strict diet, since this protein intake prevents hypoglycemia. A large number of living bacteria normalizes digestion processes. Consumption of such a product is a good prevention of certain types of cancer.

Greek yogurt is very beneficial for people suffering from kidney stones, stomach infections. It helps well with depression and age-related changes.

However, such fermented milk food, in addition to its benefits, can cause harm. The high calcium content in the product with excessive consumption of yogurt is harmful to health. It is worth paying attention to the composition of the product, as sometimes it may contain various fillers. In its pure form, natural mass brings much more benefits.

How to make Greek yogurt?

For us, this food is still rare and it is almost not on store shelves. It can be prepared at home according to the recipe. To make homemade Greek yogurt You will need quite accessible components:

• 800 ml milk (cow or goat);
• 140 g of starter, you can also take natural yoghurt.

Fresh milk must be poured into a saucepan and heated until warm. You cannot bring milk to a boil, otherwise it will not retain beneficial properties that are valuable to the body. Then starter or natural yogurt is added to the milk. Mix everything thoroughly and leave for several hours. Cover the pan tightly with a lid and wrap it in a blanket or towel so that the product does not cool down. The container must be placed in a warm place for 7-8 hours, otherwise the yogurt will not work.

To make a good product, the container must not be touched, for example, stirred or pounded. He should remain at rest and warm. When time has passed, the mass is filtered through a fine sieve and gauze. The finished product will be without whey, but you shouldn’t eat it right away. Place the yogurt in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, then it will be ready to eat.

You can use low-fat milk to make low-fat Greek yogurt. This product is especially useful if you have health problems or if you are on a strict diet.

Doctors say Greek yogurt longevity product. They recommend including it in your daily diet. Not everyone has the opportunity to buy it in the store, so the question arises of what to replace Greek yogurt with or how to prepare it. The recipe is simple, so you can cook it at home if you wish. You can replace it with low-fat sour cream, kefir or regular natural yogurt.

The calorie content per 100 g of this fermented milk product is 66 calories. Its energy value is expressed in the following indicators:

• proteins - 5 g;
• fats - 3.2 g;
• carbohydrates - 3.5 g.

It is always useful to include such a low-calorie product in your diet, especially women after 40-50 years old. If you do this regularly, you can lose weight well and provide the body with calcium and other useful substances. Low-fat Greek yogurt has even fewer calories. Considering the minimal carbohydrate content and the absence of lactose, it will be an excellent way to lose extra pounds.

The fermented milk product replaces mayonnaise and sour cream in many countries. Due to this, the calorie content of cooked dishes is reduced. It is often used in the preparation of many dishes in Greek cuisine as well as other countries around the world.

Thanks to the unique composition of Greek yogurt, this is, without exaggeration, an ideal dish. It contains a set of vitamins and nutrients necessary for health in optimized proportions.

Despite the huge range, this fermented milk product is more useful than its analogues. Among other things, the dessert contains no sugar, so it will not harm people with diabetes.

Yogurt cheese or Greek yogurt is also called “labana” or “dahi”. This type of composition is filtered, since during the manufacturing process it undergoes fabric or paper filtration. Due to this, the drink is given a dense consistency and retains its characteristic sour taste.

A high-quality product contains natural milk and a starter culture consisting of Bulgarian bacillus and thermophilic streptococcus. Products that contain foreign ingredients - milk powder, pectin, preservatives and other additives - are clearly not yogurt.

Thanks to the beneficial and nutritional properties of Greek yogurt, dishes using it are better absorbed and saturate the body faster.

Homemade Greek food retains its beneficial properties for 2-3 days when placed in the refrigerator. The maximum shelf life of the production version is up to two weeks.

How is Greek yogurt different from regular yogurt?

First of all, for its high protein content - more than 10%, at which the Greek dessert has a rich, creamy consistency, similar in appearance to thick sour cream or curd cream.

Unlike the usual dessert, Greek is a natural product, which does not contain any stabilizers or other additives. Thanks to filtration, the content of carbohydrates, calcium and sugar is reduced, but there is more protein than in the “traditional” one.

How to choose a yogurt starter

Sourdough starters are distributed through supermarkets, pharmacies or grocery stores. Before purchasing, carefully study the bacterial composition. The name in most cases is indicated in Latin. Based on the quantitative component of the product, it is clear how many varieties are contained in a particular package. The higher this indicator, the more useful the composition.

Quality is determined by the number of CFUs per gram. The more CFUs, the better. And also the CFU at the end of the shelf life should be at least 107, because the higher the degree, the more bacteria there are.

When purchasing sourdough, make sure that it was stored in proper conditions (in the refrigerator), since the shelf life cannot exceed one year at temperatures up to +10 degrees, and if frozen, this period increases to two years.

The best starter is made from bacteria grown through selective breeding. Over-fermented organisms evolve and lose their ability to “take root.” High-quality sourdough is distinguished by a pure white color, while over-fermented ones have a beige tint.

Principles of preparing fermented milk product

To produce Greek yogurt, sheep (traditional), goat or cow's milk combined with live bacteria is used. After fermentation, it must be subjected to filtration, thus obtaining the required consistency. Then the finished food is packaged and delivered to store shelves for sale.

In most European countries, mass-market yoghurt, similar to Greek yoghurt, is made using special thickeners.

Any housewife can easily cope with obtaining a healthy dessert, because it only requires milk and sourdough. Do not forget about the dishes, which must be clean, otherwise unnecessary and even harmful bacteria will get into the product.

And also a real yoghurt product prepared at home is of high quality if 3 rules are strictly followed:

1. In the process of creating Greek yogurt, only live bacteria are added to the milk.
2. Precisely maintained temperature required to obtain a tasty product.
3. Metal containers should not be used as stainless steel kills living bacteria.

Whey that appears on the surface of the product together with bubbles or separately from them indicates that the homemade product is prepared according to the rules and is natural.

Classic yogurt in a slow cooker

Thanks to such a wonderful device as a multicooker, preparing a Greek dessert with a classic taste becomes quite easy and simple. The reason for this is that the home assistant allows you to maintain the required temperature for a long time.

Compound:

• liter of natural milk;
• packaging of starter starter.

Preparation:

1. In a separate saucepan, the milk is brought to a boil, then cooled to 40 degrees and mixed with the starter.
2. The composition is poured into the multicooker bowl, and the “Heating” mode is set. Before placing the mixture, the dishes are doused with boiling water.
3. Yogurt is fermented for 8 hours. To avoid creating temperature differences, do not open the device under any circumstances.
4. The finished dessert is filtered and placed in the refrigerator compartment for two hours to cool.

Cooking without sourdough

If you don’t have time to go shopping and buy sourdough, you can use a jar of store-bought yogurt in the refrigerator.

Products:

• liter of natural milk;
• couple of st. l of store-bought Greek drink.

Preparation:

1. The milk is heated to 85 degrees and cooled to 45.
2. Mix 2 tbsp in a bowl. l. Greek yogurt and 5 tbsp. l. warm milk.
3. The resulting mixture is poured into a saucepan and stirred. Just without fanaticism!
4. The container with the components of the dish is carefully wrapped in a warm blanket, placed in a thermal bag or placed near the radiator for 8-10 hours.
5. The finished dessert is kept in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before consumption.

Milk based recipe

To prepare Greek yogurt using cow's milk, keep in mind that the required 30 degrees for proper ripening of yogurt will be maintained in a large container (at least 2 liters). To prepare less than the specified amount, you will need a thermostatic yogurt maker or thermos.

Products:

• liter of fresh natural milk;
• 150 ml of live yoghurt or a packet of starter culture.

Preparation:

1. The milk is heated to 40 degrees.
2. The starter is poured into a clean container and diluted with 1/3 of the milk. Everything is mixed and supplemented with the rest of the milk.
3. If a saucepan wrapped in a blanket is used, the mixture is placed in a warm place for 6-8 hours. Be careful! If you shake or mix the contents, the original thickness will be lost and the whey will separate (separation).
4. After the time has passed, the fermented product is put into the refrigerator to cool.

To get a rich dessert, strain the whey using a colander and thick cloth. In a few hours, almost half a liter of whey will separate, which is used to prepare dough, caring masks, or simply as a thirst quencher. The yogurt is mixed.

Compound:

• a liter of milk with a fat content of 3.2%;
• 200 g live yoghurt;
• 200-300 g of any fruit or berries.

Preparation:

1. Portioned jars are thoroughly washed and calcined in the oven or microwave.
2. The skins are removed from the fruits, after which they are crushed using a blender. The berries are additionally pureed.
3. The milk is brought to a boil and cooled to 40 degrees.
4. Live yogurt and berry/fruit puree are added to the liquid, everything is mixed until smooth.
5. The finished mixture is poured into portioned jars, which are carefully placed on the bottom of the bowl, previously covered with a cloth.
6. The cylinders are filled 1/3 full with warm water, the device is closed and switched to the “Yogurt” mode.
7. After 7 hours, the containers are removed from the appliance bowl and placed in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours to cool.

Bon appetit and good health everyone!

Greek yogurt It differs from the yogurt we are used to in its consistency; it is thicker and more homogeneous and in density is more reminiscent of soft cottage cheese or cream cheese. At the same time, it has the sourness characteristic of yogurt.

Greek yogurt's thick consistency is achieved by removing the whey through a filtering process. Just like homemade cottage cheese, Greek yogurt is filtered through cheesecloth or thick cloth.

Health benefits of Greek yogurt

Whey contains lactose, which is not digested very well by many people. Therefore, Greek yogurt is a product with a reduced content of lactose (milk sugar). Greek yogurt also contains fewer carbohydrates than regular yogurt.
Greek yogurt can be used in salads or eaten with honey or syrups. Make the popular appetizer tzatziki.
The main disadvantage of Greek yogurt is that it is much smaller in volume than regular yogurt. Therefore, it is always more expensive than regular yoghurts.

Homemade Greek yogurt

Making Greek yogurt at home is easy. For this you will need a yogurt maker or a slow cooker. Or use any method you know of for making regular yogurt at home.

Natural Greek yogurt is made from sheep's milk, but even in Greece, cow's milk is increasingly being used to make Greek yogurt. So feel free to take cow's milk. You will also need gauze or thick fabric, a sieve and a container where the whey will drain.

Greek yogurt in a slow cooker

We will need full-fat milk with a short shelf life, and a starter, which is easiest to use a jar of regular yogurt without additives. The ratio for 1 liter of milk is one jar of yogurt 100-150 g.

Since Greek yogurt will then need to be filtered, it is best to use a large container for preparation to save time, rather than pouring the product into jars. Otherwise, you will have to first fill the jars and then empty them.

How to make Greek yogurt

1) Take a large container and put it in it a jar of regular yogurt, which was used for fermentation and pour milk warmed to room temperature- about half a glass, stir until smooth and then pour in the remaining milk and stir well again. If you pour in all the milk at once, it will be more difficult to achieve uniformity when mixing the starter with milk.

2) Place a cloth or silicone mat on the bottom of the multicooker (so as not to scratch the multicooker) and place a container with future yogurt.

3) Set the yogurt mode, if there is one, if there is no yogurt mode, set it to 40 degrees on the multi-cook, and cook for 8 hours. Or we follow the instructions, if yours differs from this algorithm.
4) After 8 hours, take out the yogurt.

5) Line a colander or sieve with gauze, place a container under the colander and dump the yogurt on the gauze, put the structure in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours.

In its composition, taste, consistency and beneficial properties, Greek yogurt is similar to Georgian matsoni and Mechnikov yogurt. If we compare it with regular yogurt, it is denser (“the spoon costs”) and more concentrated. This is no coincidence - when making a Greek fermented milk product, 2 times more milk is used, in addition, it is pressed much harder, and there is practically no whey, lactose, or sugar left in it. The latter is three times less than in regular yogurt.

Composition of yogurt

Per 100g of low-fat yogurt: 4g sugar, 10g protein (equivalent to 40g chicken breast), 6g cholesterol, 33mg sodium, 10% DV calcium. Greek yogurt is high in magnesium, riboflavin and pantothenic acid. But the main thing, of course, is live lacto- and bifidobacteria.

Greek yogurt contains 53 calories.

Benefits of Greek yogurt

The uniqueness of Greek yogurt lies in the combination of its characteristics:

1. Low calorie content, low sugar content and high amount of protein make it ideal for weight loss, metabolic disorders, diabetes (maintains stable blood sugar levels), vascular and heart diseases.
2. The high content of calcium and probiotics improves immunity, eliminates inflammatory processes in the intestines, diarrhea and constipation. Yogurt protects against osteoporosis and supports weakening muscles.
3. Live bacteria in large quantities normalize the process of digestion and absorption of food, and help prevent certain cancers.
4. Greek yogurt helps with depression and age-related changes. It makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight, optimism and a sense of well-being after 50.
5. The beneficial properties of the product, such as the prevention of kidney stones and stomach infections, are awaiting confirmation. Not everything has yet been studied and discovered; other pleasant surprises may await us.

Doctors recommend consuming fermented milk products up to 3 servings a day, but it’s still better to start with one. Greek yogurt is especially good in winter, when colds are common. Greek yogurt is a product that has just begun to appear on our market, while in other countries it has been used for a long time and actively.

Is there such a thing as too much yogurt?

The fact that a thick fermented milk drink appeared in our country later than on the market in other countries has its advantages. The fact is that, in addition to the benefits, researchers have learned well about the harmful sides of yogurt, and today we can consume it more consciously.

The old adage that too much of a good thing is bad applies here too. This is primarily due to calcium. Excess calcium, of which there is a lot in yogurt, impairs the absorption of iron and zinc, increases the risk of kidney stones, calcification in blood vessels, and prostate cancer if you are prone to it.

Another caution concerns the infatuation with fillers. As manufacturers add fillers in the form of syrups, the sugar content of the product increases dramatically, and the main benefit of Greek yogurt is negated.

How to make Greek yogurt at home

Ingredients:

• Milk (cow, goat or sheep) – 800 ml
• Natural yoghurt (or starter) – 130 ml

Important: milk should not be pasteurized or boiled, otherwise it will not retain live beneficial bacteria.

1. Heat the milk to a temperature of no more than 40-45 degrees Celsius.
2. Dissolve natural yogurt without any additives or starter culture in warm milk.
3. Cover the bowl with the Greek yogurt mixture with a lid and wrap it in a towel to maintain the original temperature.
4. After about 7-8 hours, the yogurt will “ripen” and reach the required consistency. It is important not to shake or stir it, because this will cause the whey to separate and the flaked yogurt will lose its thickness.
5. From the resulting liquid mass, set aside the required amount for the starter to use next time.

On a note:

• To obtain a thicker Greek yogurt, strain it through a sieve lined with a double layer of gauze or thick cloth.
• Carefully pour in the resulting product and leave it alone for a couple of hours. The result will be approximately 400-450 ml of thick yogurt and the same amount of whey, which can be used for baking, drinking or cosmetic masks.
• If desired, Greek yogurt can be sweetened with honey, enriched with berries or fruits, and mixed with chocolate pieces.

How to cook using a yogurt maker

Why do many people prefer to cook in a yogurt maker? The device keeps the temperature most suitable for fermentation, has cups, which is convenient, and cooking in it is more comfortable and carefree. You can choose even the simplest option, and it will make it easier for you to prepare the product.

In a simple yogurt maker it looks like this: at the stage of adding the starter to the milk, you pour the entire product into glasses, and it simmers in the yogurt maker for about 8 hours, reaching the desired state. Then you cool it and just put it in the refrigerator. It’s quick and convenient, and you always get good yogurt, unlike the manual method, which often fails due to the fact that it is not possible to maintain the desired temperature.

1. After preparing yogurt, do not eat it right away - put it in the refrigerator for an hour or two, and it will become even tastier.
2. Suitable for sourdough: Greek yogurt itself or other live yogurt that does not contain preservatives or dyes, sour cream (acidified), curdled milk, matsoni. Sour cream is not the best option, as it does not contain Bulgarian bacillus, which ferments yogurt. But even if you use regular sour cream, and then make a new one from the prepared yogurt, then time after time the yogurt will be saturated with the necessary bacteria and turn out better and better.
3. Don't eat all the yogurt, don't forget about the starter, leave it for preparing the next portion.
4. It is better to prepare 2-3 servings of yogurt at once, since a large volume of milk retains heat longer and the bacteria “work” more actively (this only applies to the manual method).
5. To determine the correct moment to add the starter into the milk, you need to either dip your finger in it and count to 10, or clasp the jar with your hands and also count. If the temperature is comfortable for you (the milk and the jar don’t burn), then it’s time to add.
6. To prepare real Greek yogurt, milk will take 2-3 times more product “at the exit”, since it is filtered from whey. Calculate the portion you want to receive based on this.

Greek yogurt in cooking

The Greeks use their yogurt wherever possible: they eat and drink it just like that, add it to meat, fish, and vegetable dishes, knead dough on it, and come up with original dessert drinks.

It is often used as a substitute for sour cream, mayonnaise, cream cheese or butter, as it is thick and dense and suitable for making dressings and sandwiches.

When you're ready to marinate your shish kebab, use Greek yogurt. If you don't like fatty meat, pour yogurt over it, marinate it in it - this sauce perfectly neutralizes fat. And paradoxically, it makes tough and dry lean meat “fattier” (softer, more tender).

At least one yogurt-based dish has gained real world fame - tzatziki dip, or tzatziki. Anyone who has been to Greece knows its special refreshing taste!

And another 100 + 1 applications, for example:

• women use Greek yogurt as a cosmetic product, wash their hair and wipe their face;
• Ulcer sufferers and allergy sufferers have lunch with them in the office;
• Greek yogurt is used for medicinal purposes against constipation, poisoning and high fever, stress and constant fatigue syndrome.

How to choose yogurt in a store?

If you live in a big city and are lucky enough to find Greek yogurt, do not rush to buy it, first check for quality:

Please note the shelf life: it should not exceed 4-6 weeks;
- study the composition: milk should not be pasteurized, dyes, thickeners, preservatives should be absent, the fat content of the product should be within 2-4%, protein should be at least 10%.

It is better to eat the opened package immediately and not store it.

Important: European producers of Greek yogurt use thickeners, so in terms of composition it is safer to prepare the product at home yourself.

According to the traditions of the Mediterranean and Middle East, “greek yogurt” (also called dahi, labana, labraneh) is made from sheep or goat milk. Nowadays, in mass production, cow's milk is used as a base. The popularity of the drink is explained by its low calorie content, a huge number of beneficial properties, and high protein content.

What is Greek yogurt

If you have ever tried to make cheese or cottage cheese yourself, then you can easily make Greek yogurt at home. The process is similar: the milk is heated, but not boiled, to preserve beneficial microelements. After adding the starter, strain off the whey. The yogurt or yogurt cheese filtered through a cloth is cooled slightly. This product has a dense consistency, it is similar to matsoni or yogurt. After fermentation, there is no sugar, lactose or whey left in it.

Greek yogurt - composition

To the above features of the fermented milk product should be added the presence of live bacteria, increased calcium and magnesium content. The composition of Greek yogurt has a number of advantages that have a beneficial effect on the entire body: it helps normalize digestion, improves kidney and heart function, strengthens joints, helps prevent infections, improves immunity, and speeds up metabolism. Even the serum that peels off after pumping will be very useful and can be reused for baking or making a face mask.

What is the difference between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt?

The main difference between Greek yogurt and traditional one is half the amount of milk, and therefore a reduction in protein levels. If you strain it, it will become thicker. It is noteworthy that natural fermented milk yogurt is also suitable as a starter for Greek yogurt. You can buy various dry thickeners in the store, but we recommend paying attention to live starters. Kefir and slightly sour sour cream are perfect for these purposes.

How to make Greek yogurt at home

Making Greek yogurt can be tricky. For example, boiled and pasteurized milk are not suitable for making yogurt; it is better to use a traditional product. Before preparing, be sure to check the expiration date - stale milk may curdle. Heat it in a saucepan to 45 degrees, and use natural yogurt (unsweetened) without additives as a starter.

Pour the mixture into a thermos (to maintain a constant optimal temperature) - do not shake or shake the container. Store the starter in a warm place, after 8 hours the yogurt is ready. If it comes out liquid, the whey will then have to be filtered through cheesecloth or a paper filter. Strained yogurt will be thicker if you chill it in the refrigerator before using.

Greek yogurt in a slow cooker

• Calorie content of the dish: 59 kcal.
• Purpose: for breakfast.
• Kitchen: homemade.

Making Greek yogurt at home in a slow cooker is easy and simple. The advantage of a multicooker is that it allows you to maintain temperature conditions. Before pouring the fermentation product into the bowl, rinse it with boiling water. It is worth treating other utensils and dishes that will come into contact with the mixture. While the machine is operating, do not open the lid to avoid creating a temperature difference. Do not use all the yogurt at once - any leftovers may be useful for preparing a new portion of the product.

Ingredients:

milk – 1 l;

starter culture for sourdough – 1 package.

Cooking method:

1. Boil the milk, then cool it to 40 degrees. Add the starter.
2. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Set the “Heating” mode to a temperature of 40C, and after 6 hours the fermented milk product is ready. If your multicooker does not have a temperature setting of “40 degrees,” you will have to experiment with other modes.
3. Place the filtered yogurt in the refrigerator for 2 hours – the drink will become thicker.

Greek yogurt in a yogurt maker

• Cooking time: 8 hours.
• Number of servings: 4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 52 kcal.
• Purpose: for breakfast.
• Kitchen: homemade.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Another live fermented milk product is suitable as a starter, the main thing is that it is without dyes and preservatives. Preparing the necessary ingredients will take no more than 10 minutes. If whey is released, filter it through a cloth. This product can be used to make sweet dough. We recommend adding fillers and sweeteners to ready-made yogurt. Do not store it for more than 5 days in the refrigerator. How to make Greek yogurt in a yogurt maker is described below.

Ingredients:

• milk – 1 l;
• yogurt, natural without additives – 150 ml.

Cooking method:

1. Make sure all utensils are clean. Warm the milk to room temperature.
2. Add the starter, stir until smooth. Pour into yogurt maker cups. Set the appropriate program or time.
3. In 6 hours the dish will be ready. If the yogurt does not thicken, leave it for another two hours.
4. Then put it in the refrigerator to thicken for another couple of hours.

Greek Yogurt Recipes

Dishes with Greek yogurt are perfectly absorbed by the body and help quickly satisfy hunger. Whether it's a gravy for meat dishes, a spread on bread or a salad dressing, Greek yogurt turns it into a very healthy, nutritious meal. The most common recipes using yogurt are tzatziki sauce, cake mousses, and sweet dressings for fruit salads. The characteristic light, sour taste of yogurt will successfully highlight both fruit salads and meat and fish dishes.

It is especially good to use fermented milk product as a marinade for meat. For example, chicken soaked in a mixture of sourdough and spices turns out very tasty. Italian herbs or other spices, salt and pepper are added to the yogurt to taste. Chicken in yogurt sauce is baked in the oven, and the result is incredibly tender meat, golden brown and delicious flavor.

Another equally important use for yogurt is to use it in baking dough. It can be added as an additional ingredient when kneading dough, used to lubricate finished cake layers, and also to decorate the cake. Thick cream or mousse can be used to create delicious, healthy fruit desserts.

Greek Yogurt Salad

• Cooking time: 20 minutes.
• Number of servings: 4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 52 kcal.
• Purpose: for lunch.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad is a hearty dish that works well as an everyday meal. You can diversify it with crackers, apples, green peas, cherry tomatoes. Meat can be made lower in calories by boiling it instead of frying it or by placing it in the oven to brown. Culinary experts advise marinating the chicken in yogurt with onions - the fillet will become softer.

Ingredients:

• chicken fillet – 400 g;
• Greek yogurt – 200 ml;
• seedless grapes – 100 g;
• pear – 1 pc.;
• Dor Blue cheese – 50 g;
• walnuts – 50 g;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• shallots – 1 pc.;
• parsley – 1 bunch;
• vegetable oil for frying - 4 tbsp. l.;
• salt, pepper – 5 g.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the chicken fillet and dip it in a paper towel.
2. Wash parsley, grapes, pear.
3. Peel the onion and garlic.
4. Lubricate the meat with spices, fry in a frying pan until cooked (the temperature must be maintained at 80-90 degrees). Let cool.
5. If the grapes are large, cut them in half. Cut the pear and cheese into large cubes.
6. Finely chop the onion and nuts.
7. Grind parsley with garlic and yogurt in a blender.
8. Cut the fillet into cubes and mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
9. Form the dish and serve it on the table. You can first cool it in the refrigerator.

Greek yogurt sauce

• Cooking time: 40 minutes.
• Number of servings: 4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 53 kcal.
• Purpose: refueling.
• Cuisine: Greek.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Tzatziki is a Greek yogurt salad dressing and an excellent addition to meat, fish and vegetable dishes. It perfectly complements their taste; you can dip vegetables and chips with crackers in it. If fresh vegetables are not in season at the moment, replace them with canned ones. If you prefer a gentle sauce to a spicy one, add less garlic, and vice versa. Replace dill with parsley, cilantro, spring onion, and add mint for freshness. Read below for how to prepare the dish.

Ingredients:

• Greek yogurt – 400 ml;
• cucumber – 2 pcs.;
• garlic – 4 cloves;
• olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
• lemon juice – 15 ml;
• dill – 1 bunch;
• salt – 10 g.

Cooking method:

1. Prepare the garlic. The cucumber can be peeled, but this is not necessary.
2. Grate the cucumber on a large-mesh grater and sprinkle with salt to release the juice. Let's leave it for a couple of minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture.
3. Pass the garlic through a garlic press and finely chop the dill.
4. Mix all other ingredients with medium-consistency yogurt and leave in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.

Greek yogurt mousse

• Cooking time: 90 minutes.
• Number of servings: 4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 59 kcal.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: Italian.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Mousse based on Greek yogurt is a low-calorie, delicate delicacy. Instead of raspberries, you can add cherries, currants, and strawberries. If you prefer a porous dessert structure, use gelatin. You can add a little rum or cognac to the treat, or use alcohol as a marinade for fruit if you were planning a party for adults.

Ingredients:

• Greek yogurt – 150 ml;
• dark chocolate – 150 g;
• sugar – 1 tbsp. l.;
• chicken egg – 2 pcs.;
• vanillin – 2 g;
• raspberries – 50 g;
• salt – 5 g.

Cooking method:

1. Grate some chocolate using a fine mesh grater. Melt the rest in a water bath.
2. Divide the eggs into yolks and whites. Grind the yolks with sugar and yogurt, add vanilla.
3. Beat the whites with salt, carefully, with a wooden spatula, mix with the rest of the mixture until smooth.
4. Pour into bowls, sprinkle with grated chocolate and berries, and place in the refrigerator for an hour.
5. After an hour, the dessert is ready to eat.

Greek yogurt with strawberries

2. Number of servings: 4 persons.
3. Calorie content of the dish: 63 kcal.
4. Purpose: dessert.
5. Cuisine: Italian.
6. Difficulty of preparation: easy.

A light summer dessert - Greek yogurt with strawberries. For piquancy, the berries can be pre-marinated in a small amount of balsamic vinegar or liqueur, and for a refreshing effect, you can prepare mint sauce. Just fill it with lemon juice and water, boil and grind with a blender. The use of honey is at your discretion; it can be replaced with syrup: chocolate, caramel, vanilla. Decorate the dessert with chocolate chips, whipped cream, and colorful sprinkles. Serve immediately so that the strawberries do not have time to release their juice.

Ingredients:

• Greek yogurt – 1 jar;
• strawberries – 350 g;
• linden honey – 60 g;
• lemon balm – 30 g.

Cooking method:

1. Pour yogurt into bowls.
2. Chop the washed strawberries and mint.
3. Place strawberries on top of yogurt and drizzle with honey.

Greek yogurt cream

• Cooking time: 10 minutes.
• Number of servings: 3 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 150 kcal.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: European.
• Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Sponge cake with Greek yogurt is a wonderful alternative to high-calorie butter and custard creams, shortbread and puff pastry products. The airy taste of the cream will highlight the juiciness of the sponge cake soaked in your favorite coffee, nut or apricot liqueur. Sprinkle the cake with toasted finely chopped nuts, chocolate chips and decorate with your favorite fruits or make a layer of jam or preserves. How to prepare a delicacy? Find out in the following recipe.

Ingredients:

• cottage cheese – 500 g;
• Greek yogurt – 100 ml;
• sugar – 150 g.

Cooking method:

1. Grind the cottage cheese through a fine sieve.
2. Beat the yogurt with a mixer and add sugar, which will help neutralize the sour taste of the product.
3. Add cottage cheese to the mixture - gradually, in small portions.
4. The resulting delicious yogurt cream cheese is ready to eat. It can be used as a cream - grease the cakes, and then decorate the top of the cake or serve as a dish on its own in combination with chopped berries and fruits.

Video: The benefits of Greek yogurt