Using Yogurt

I have become a little obsessed with the uses that homemade yogurt can bring. I found this site that tells all about yogurt. I am gradually getting better at using yogurt. My favorite substitutions using yogurt have been using yogurt cheese to replace
mayonnaise, ricotta cheese, and yogurt itself to replace buttermilk, shortening, and sour cream



http://homecooking.about.com/od/dairycookinginformation/a/yogurttips.htm

Yogurt Cooking Tips

• Because of the acid content of yogurt, it makes a fabulous marinade to tenderize meats.

• Baking soda needs an acidic counterpart to produce a leavening effect. Yogurt fits the bill admirably.

• Yogurt can be used to thicken sauces much like heavy cream, but you will need to add some starch to keep it from curdling. This is because yogurt lacks the fat of heavy cream. Whisk in 2 teaspoons of cornstarch or 1 tablespoon of flour to 1 cup of yogurt before adding to hot liquids. Whisk as it simmers and thickens, and never let it boil.

• To avoid separation when adding to hot liquids, make sure the yogurt is at room temperature.

• If the yogurt does separate during cooking, it is sometimes possible to fix it. Make a paste of 1 teaspoon cornstarch or 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour mixed with 1/2 tablespoon cold water. Stir paste into separated mixture and heat gently until it thickens and recombines.

• Beating yogurt or vigorous stirring will break it down. Gently fold it in when blending with other ingredients.

• Use yogurt in equal measures as a substitute for mayonnaise or sour cream in dip and salad dressing recipes to reduce the calories.

• For those watching their fat intake, yogurt can be substituted for sour cream in baked recipes and will save you 48 grams of fat per cup.

• Yogurt tenderizes baked goods and helps keep them moist, particularly in breads using dried fruits.

• Do not use aluminum pans when preparing anything with yogurt. The acid in the yogurt will react with the aluminum.

Yogurt Measures, Equivalents, and Substitutions

• For marinating and cooking purposes, 1 cup of buttermilk may be substituted for 1 cup of yogurt and vice versa.

• Eight ounces of yogurt equals 1 cup.

• Soy yogurt can be substituted measure for measure for milk yogurt in most applications.

• Three cups non-fat yogurt will produce 1 cup of yogurt cheese.

• For salad dressings and dips, sour cream and plain yogurt may be used interchangeably.

Homemade BUTTER

My sister in law was telling me that she had her kids make butter from shaking baby food jars of cream until it turned into butter. This was 20 min or so of shaking. Fun but no fun if you know what I mean. So I bought a half gallon of heavy cream from Costco for about $4 and but it in my mixer. I mixed it for about 5-10 min. I turned into whipped cream--(it was so tempting to stop right there)--then it turned into butter. The butter clumped up and turned yellow. The buttermilk was there ready to be drained. So i drained the buttermilk and scooped up the butter. What fun! You can add 1/2 tsp of salt to the batch to give it some flavor if desired!
Who knew butter was so easy to make!

Wheat Berries

I use wheat berries on a regular basis. I cook them in the crockpot
2 cups of wheat berries
4 cups of water

high of for 4 hours.

Or you can use the recipe below on stove top

I use my wheat berries as a meat alternative--Meat messes up my food diary..So to cut down on the meat, I will use these in my taco meat, chili, or mexican type casserole. If i do not have enough meat you can add these. I will put these on corn tortillas and make tostadas -
corn tortilla, cooked wheat berries, salsa and cheese. So yummy.
It also tastes great in a bowl with agave nectar on top.


BASIC WHEAT BERRIES

1 c. wheat berries
2 1/2 c. water

Combine a saucepan. Cover, bring to boil, lower heat to simmer on lowest setting. Cook until grains are soft. About 1 to 1 1/2 hours. You might have to add water to prevent scorching grain.

Whole wheat berries stay chewier than rice. I substitute them often for almost all the recipes that require rice. Try to remember that wheat berries take longer to cook and need a little more liquid. For more flavor, try cooking the berries in chicken broth or vegetable juices.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1710,155179-229206,00.html

Using TVP

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textured_vegetable_protein

I didn't know what the heck this was when I was first introduced to it..but now I can't live without it. With 4 kids and a limited budget--this is a must -do and must-have. I
use the TVP with ground turkey to add to it--and extend it a bit. It is soy so it is protein..just cheaper than meat. I add it to my meat, add some water and I have a meat extender. So nice for feeding my hungry boys. You can find it at Sprouts, Frasier farms or any organic store in bulk--Or online.


Textured vegetable protein

Dry TVP flakes are an inexpensive protein source when purchased in bulk and can be added to a variety of vegetarian dishes or used as a supplement to bulk out a meat dish.
Textured soy chunks

Textured or texturized vegetable protein (TVP), also known as textured soy protein (TSP), soy meat, or soya meat is a meat analogue or meat substitute made from defatted soy flour, a by-product of making soybean oil. It is quick to cook, high in protein, and low in fat.

It is not to be confused with hydrolyzed vegetable protein, which is commonly used as a source of glutamate in various seasonings and imitation soy sauce.
Textured vegetable protein is a versatile substance, different forms allowing it to take on the texture of whatever ground meat it is substituting. Using textured vegetable protein, one can make vegetarian or vegan versions of traditionally meat dishes such as chili, spaghetti bolognese, sloppy joes, tacos, burgers, or burritos.

Textured vegetable protein can be found in natural food stores and larger supermarkets, usually in the bulk section. It is a major protein source for vegetarian and vegan diets.

TVP is also very lightweight, and is often used in backpacking recipes. TVP is often used in prisons for several reasons: its low relative cost, high protein, and low fat qualities make it ideal, as does its relatively long shelf life, which allows institutions to buy in bulk.

TSP is very useful when it comes to Kosher kitchens. As it is of vegetable origin, it is by itself Parve (non-meat and non-dairy). The use of TSP as a meat replacer can allow cooking of protein-rich main dish along with dairy products, ideal when there is only one set of cookware which cannot be used to cook both dairy and meat. It is very common for a daycare in Israel (which is obligatorily kosher) to use TSP as lunch base.

yogurt cheese

Ingredients

• 2 quarts plain yogurt

Directions

Place 4 layers of cheesecloth in colander set over a bowl. Add the yogurt and let drain overnight in the refrigerator. The desired consistency is that of soft cream cheese.

Homemade Yogurt

http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/yogurt-good-milk-gone-bad/43904.html

above is a how to Video by Alton Brown in his show GOOD EATS..

Yogurt Recipe
1 cup dry milk
4 cups warm water
2 tbsp honey
4 tbsp active yogurt (pre-made)

mix warm water and milk
heat to 180 degrees
remove from heat and cool until 120 degrees
add active yogurt and honey
pour into glass container
heat in yogurt maker for 8 hours. Check for desired thickness

the honey eliminates the tart taste.