I've recently been experimenting with using plain yogurt in place of milk or sour cream in some recipes. This was all prompted by Zack and Aaron. They wanted Mac 'n cheese for lunch last week but I was out of milk. I had a nearly full tub of plain yogurt in the fridge, so I thought what they heck. It should lend a milky taste and it should make a nice creamy sauce. Oh my god was it good!!
I've made mac 'n cheese for the boys two more times since and I've cut the usual 1/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup milk down to 2 tbsp of each and add 1/2 cup of plain yogurt. It's so yummy and the sause is so creamy! I'll never amke mac n cheese without it now.
Last night I made a Brisket with mashed potatoes as a side. Instead of loading the potatoes up with butter, milk and sour cream, I used the yogurt. I still added a small amount of butter, milk and sour cream, but not nearly as much.
Hopefully this will make a some of these fatty sauces and sides healthier. Plain yogurt will now be staple in my fridge. Hmmm, I wonder how it would taste in an Alfredo sauce....
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Turkish Meatballs
It's been awhile since I've posted anything because it's been awhile since I've felt like cooking. But we've eaten too much take out lately and need to get back on track.
I've had this ground lamb in my freezer for a while now. I had the intention on making Shepperd's Pie with it. But yesterday while in Barnes and Nobles, I found this recipe for Turkish Meatballs. I was in the children's area and it was a children's cook book. But hey, it sounded really good and easy. I didn't buy the cook book as it was almost $20. But I got the gist of the recipe and felt I could wing it at home. Of course this afternoon came and I couldn't remember anything. So I googled it. I also wanted to make a cucumber dress to drizzle over top of it. I compared several recipes and came up with something. I think they came out really good. There would only be a few things that I would do differently next time.
The first thing I would do (per someone else's suggestion) is to get a shoulder cut of lamb and have it ground rather than buying it pre-ground. Apparently, the pre-ground lamb has a great deal more fat in it. The meatballs did come out a bit greasy.
They also came out a tad spicy. I liked this bit of kick, but some people might not, so I would eliminate the cayenne pepper or reduce the amount.
The last thing I would do differently is to use real (fresh) breadcrumbs, as most recipes call for. If I had planned better, I could have done this, but this was a spur-of-the-moment meal. OK, so here's the recipe.
Turkish Meatballs
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup fresh mint or 2 tsp dried mint
1 large shallot - chopped
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp all spice
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp oil
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 lb ground lamb
Combine first 11 ingredients in a food processor. Process until the consistency of salsa. Add the egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and lamb. Process until everything is even incorporated. You may have to stop and scrap the sides of the bowl from time to time.
Next form into desired size meatballs. I make mine about the size of ping-pong balls.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-heat, add the meatballs. Brown on all sides. Finish in a 350 degree oven for 10 - 15 minutes, depending on the size of meatballs.
Cucumber Dressing
1 cucumber, skinned and seeded cut into chunks
8 oz plain yogurt
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in the food processor. Pulse until creamy. Refridgerate for at least an hour before serving.
I've had this ground lamb in my freezer for a while now. I had the intention on making Shepperd's Pie with it. But yesterday while in Barnes and Nobles, I found this recipe for Turkish Meatballs. I was in the children's area and it was a children's cook book. But hey, it sounded really good and easy. I didn't buy the cook book as it was almost $20. But I got the gist of the recipe and felt I could wing it at home. Of course this afternoon came and I couldn't remember anything. So I googled it. I also wanted to make a cucumber dress to drizzle over top of it. I compared several recipes and came up with something. I think they came out really good. There would only be a few things that I would do differently next time.
The first thing I would do (per someone else's suggestion) is to get a shoulder cut of lamb and have it ground rather than buying it pre-ground. Apparently, the pre-ground lamb has a great deal more fat in it. The meatballs did come out a bit greasy.
They also came out a tad spicy. I liked this bit of kick, but some people might not, so I would eliminate the cayenne pepper or reduce the amount.
The last thing I would do differently is to use real (fresh) breadcrumbs, as most recipes call for. If I had planned better, I could have done this, but this was a spur-of-the-moment meal. OK, so here's the recipe.
Turkish Meatballs
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup fresh mint or 2 tsp dried mint
1 large shallot - chopped
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp all spice
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp oil
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 lb ground lamb
Combine first 11 ingredients in a food processor. Process until the consistency of salsa. Add the egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and lamb. Process until everything is even incorporated. You may have to stop and scrap the sides of the bowl from time to time.
Next form into desired size meatballs. I make mine about the size of ping-pong balls.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-heat, add the meatballs. Brown on all sides. Finish in a 350 degree oven for 10 - 15 minutes, depending on the size of meatballs.
Cucumber Dressing
1 cucumber, skinned and seeded cut into chunks
8 oz plain yogurt
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in the food processor. Pulse until creamy. Refridgerate for at least an hour before serving.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Lemon Cake
This recipe came from my husband's awesome grandmother, Fira. This is one of my favorite desserts. I made it for the first time a few weeks ago and I'm making it again tonight.
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 milk
1 tbsp plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
grated rind of 1 lemon (save the juice of the lemon)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Cream together the butter and sugar.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture.
3. Add the lemon rind.
4. Sift the flour with baking powder and gradually add it to the above mixture.
5. Add the milk and yogurt
Bake in a greased and floured loaf pan for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. It should spring back at the touch of a fingertip.
While still hot...
Mix the juice of the lemon with 1/4 cup of sugar in a small sauce pan. Warm the mixture up, but do not boil.
Poke holes in the cake, pour the syrup on top all over and let it penetrate.
Let cool before serving. Freezes well when wrapped in aluminum foil and then in a zip-lock bag.
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 milk
1 tbsp plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
grated rind of 1 lemon (save the juice of the lemon)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Cream together the butter and sugar.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture.
3. Add the lemon rind.
4. Sift the flour with baking powder and gradually add it to the above mixture.
5. Add the milk and yogurt
Bake in a greased and floured loaf pan for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. It should spring back at the touch of a fingertip.
While still hot...
Mix the juice of the lemon with 1/4 cup of sugar in a small sauce pan. Warm the mixture up, but do not boil.
Poke holes in the cake, pour the syrup on top all over and let it penetrate.
Let cool before serving. Freezes well when wrapped in aluminum foil and then in a zip-lock bag.
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