Monday, February 23, 2015

At least there's still fresh yogurt

In the freeze of this February, Farmers' Markets can be short of every plant we might want to eat, but there's still going to be dairy. And that includes fresh yogurt. Not such a bad idea right now when we could use all those good bacteria it wants to give us, and all the sunshine stored in that milk. Don't forget: cows have been sacred for over 2,000 years because uniquely they are able to take solar energy arisen as grass and convert it into a pure white substance that energizes us.  So think of yogurt, fermented milk--bacteria added, as enriched sunshine.

Last week, for the healthy snack session of my kids Cooking Matters class, we made lassi and smoothie and the children were really delighted.  They took the recipes home.  So here they are. The lassi, the purer of the two, comes from India where it's deemed particularly refreshing in blistering heat. Mango is the most traditional flavor and happily you can use frozen mango chunks if you can't find fresh in a market. Lassi is thinner than smoothie, which is usually thickened by banana, and ridiculously fast and easy to concoct. Smoothies tend of be served colder than lassi. Both of these recipes are ideal for vegetarians.

Mango Lassi
for 4


9 ounces plain yogurt
4 1/2 ounces milk
3 fresh mango, stoned and sliced
4 teaspoons sugar, to taste,

a pinch of cardamom or cinnamon, your choice
Optionally a pinch of salt

Put all the ingredients in a blender and whirl  2 minutes. Pour into individual glasses to serve or store in the refrigerator  up to 24 hours.

Strawberry Mango Smoothie

 2 cups mango chunks

1 cup strawberries

1 cup plain yogurt

1 cup milk

 1 banana
If not using frozen mango, then  3-4 ice cubes or ½ cup shaved ice
(smoothies are associated with "frozen" coolers.)  

 Place all ingredients in a blender.

 Run blender until contents are puréed smooth, scraping the sides if necessary as you go.
       Serve immediately or store in the freezer. Thaw slightly before serving. 


For something different, and something for kids too young to appreciate a lassi--the school class started at 3rd grade, here's a friend's recipe for Baked Yogurt that pleased her 3-year-old grandson.
 
Baked Yogurt with Pistachios and Cardamom



1/4 Cup Greek yogurt

1/4 Cup Condensed Milk

1/4 t. cardamom powder

2 T. chopped Pistachios.



Preheat the oven to 150º.

Mix all ingredients together and pour the mixture into ramekins.

Place them in a tray and fill the tray with water halfway up the ramekins.

Bake 35-45 minutes until set.
Let cool. Chill  in the refrigerator until serving time.

Moving more toward meals, here's a surprisingly tasty and very healthy Himalayan sandwich filling for a lavash/naan wrap or whole wheat pita. It's in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking.

Mustang Yogurt and Spinach Spread 

1 lb. fresh spinach, stems off and washed clean
½ bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned (about 1 very loosely packed cup)
¼ tsp ground cayenne (heaping if you like heat)
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp timur (fragrant Nepali peppercorns) or their close but not so aromatic relative Szechuan peppercorns or black peppercorns soaked in 1/4 tsp rosewater or mixed with 1/8 tsp dried lavender. Each will provide a distinct taste.
16-17 oz thick plain yogurt (thick means it doesn’t move when you put a spoon in; drain thinner yogurt through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or paper towels.


Put spinach leaves in a large bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water over them. Cover bowl and let sit 1-2 minutes. Drain and rinse spinach under cold water. Drain again. Squeeze spinach into a ball, wrap it in a towel and squeeze it dry. Let it rest in the towel.
 Make a paste of the cilantro leaves, cayenne, salt and timur, or timur substitute, by grinding together in small processor or coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.
Blend this paste into the yogurt. Taste and adjust seasonings to preference.

Chop the spinach as finely as you can and stir into the spiced yogurt.

Serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator up to 24 hours.

And finally, yogurt used as salad dressing. From the book How to Fix a Leek...and perfect for the 
ingredients you can find fresh right now.
Chicken and Lentil Salad with Yogurt Dill Dressing
for 6
 for the dressing
1 pt very thick yogurt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 Persian or pickling cucumber, halved, seeded, sliced paper-thin or grated and drained
2 tbsp chopped dill
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp fruity olive oil and 1 tsp red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Mix everything in a glass or ceramic bowl and chill overnight so flavors mingle

for the salad
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached, cooled, chopped
1½ cups red or brown lentils, cooked until tender, well drained
2 cups chopped broccoli, blanched until tender but still a bit crunchy
1 bunch scallions, cleaned and sliced in thin disks
1 cup grated carrots
1½ cup roasted cashews or pecans, chopped
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

 Combine everything and stir in dressing. Blend. Garnish with chopped cilantro.


 




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