Greek Yogurt

LOVE LOVE LOVE this stuff!!!  No fat and barely any calories. If that's not enough to convince you to try it then maybe this will..... you can use it in place of sour cream or mayo in tons of dishes. Here are some ways I use Greek yogurt.

1. SWAP OUT- I use Greek yogurt in my chicken salad instead of mayo. It actually gives the chicken salad an even better taste then mayo. Make sure to ease off of the salt when using the yogurt. It's already pretty tangy so adding a lot of salt intensifies that.

2. DESSERT- Mix the yogurt with some fresh or frozen fruit (I like blueberries) and a drizzle of honey. You have yourself a very yummy low fat, low cal dessert.

3. MARINADE- Yes, I said marinade!!! Yogurt is a very common marinade in the middle east. It is an easy way to marinate and it keeps the meat very moist. Try adding turmeric, cumin and curry powder seasoning to the yogurt for a middle eastern marinade. You can really add whatever herbs and spices you like.

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Ricotta cheese is used in so many dishes from sweet to savory. Guess what? It's SO easy to make at home and not to mention, inexpensive. You can take this recipe and double it for a larger group or half it if your just making it for a snack. After making this ricotta, try adding different types of nuts, candied fruit or herbs to it. It's yummy!!!! You can also make this with skim milk if you are watching your diet.

Ingredients

8 c. whole milk

1 c. heavy cream

1 teaspoon  salt

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

You will need

* Cheesecloth or wet damp paper towel

* Sieve- looks like a colander but instead of large holes, it is made of very small wire mesh. You can get away with using your colander if you use the cheese cloth and your colander drains well.

Directions

Line a sieve with cheesecloth or a damp paper towel and place over a bowl.

In a large, heavy pot over moderate heat, bring the milk, cream and salt to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Add the lemon juice, reduce the heat to low and continue stirring until curds form, about 3 minutes.

Pour the mixture into the lined sieve and let drain, about 10 minutes. Remove the ricotta from the sieve to a medium bowl, discarding the liquid. Enjoy as is or add additional ingredients.  

Late Night Splurge

So recently, one of my girlfriends asked, " Well Jourdan, so you like to cook. What is a good dessert I can have that won't make me feel like crap later." Well my best tip doesn't require cooking AT ALL!!!!! Here is my TIP:


I love to buy bags of frozen fruit at the grocery store.... favorites are blueberries and pineapples! Grab a hand full of your favorite, put it in a bowl and let it sit for a few minutes to take the initial "freeze" off. Drizzle a small amount of honey on top and ENJOY!!! This little treat is SWEET, COLD and WON'T kill your waist line!!!!

Garlic fingers

Feel like your hands permanently smell like garlic after cooking? Wash and wash and still smell like a garlic press? Try this. Take a steal blade knife and run it under water. Gently and carefully run you fingers along the blade. The steal helps take the smell away. No more garlic fingers!!

Mincing Garlic

So your preparing a meal and you see that the recipe calls for minced garlic. What the heck does that mean?!?!? Mincing garlic basically means that you are making a sort of paste out of the garlic.
Start chopping the garlic like normal. Add a sprinkle of salt.


Use the the side of the knife to "slide" across the garlic firmly.

Chop across again and slide. Repeat until you have a paste and garlic pieces are very small.


The salt provides texture that helps "grind" the garlic down.

Ripe avocado

No ripe avocados at the store? Take a few unripened avocados home, set them in a paper sack on the counter. The next you should have nice, ripe avocados!