{"id":13727,"date":"2011-06-01T10:00:26","date_gmt":"2011-06-01T15:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/production.ou.org\/life\/other\/slice_of_life_shavuot\/"},"modified":"2017-04-19T07:57:07","modified_gmt":"2017-04-19T12:57:07","slug":"slice_of_life_shavuot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/food\/recipes\/slice_of_life_shavuot\/","title":{"rendered":"Slice of Life, Shavuot"},"content":{"rendered":"

Please note: Eileen Goltz is a freelance kosher food writer. The Orthodox Union makes no endorsements or representations regarding kashrut certification of various products\/vendors referred to in her articles, blog, or web site.
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What better time than Shavout than to write a dairy column. And after watching Jamie Lee Curtis touting the benefits and joy of regularity that comes with of eating of certain yogurt products, I was filled with a fair amount of trepidation (and a few really good one liners) as I approached this column. I figured I\u2019d take a pass on the gas jokes and just get down to the basics of writing about the benefits and good stuff that comes from consuming of good old fashioned yogurt.<\/p>\n

So what exactly is yogurt? While some of the less informed may immediately think of the creamy sweet stuff in little plastic tubs with fruit on the bottom or the frozen custard like stuff with flavors like caramel cr\u00e8me and chocolate mousse plain yogurt is actually milk that has had bacteria added to it. This good for you bacteria causes the milk to ferment and thicken. This fermented thick mixture is strained and the liquid is drained off. The end result is a tangy creamy mixture that has the consistency of sour cream. Besides being delicious yogurt is also full of calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. Regular yogurt is strained once or twice, the new kid on the block, Greek yogurt is, however, strained three times (or more) making for a much thicker and denser consistency.<\/p>\n

Which yogurt is better for you to utilize when climbing the food pyramid, you ask? On one hand Greek yogurt has almost double the protein and fewer carbohydrates than regular yogurt. However, regular yogurt has three times the calcium as the Greek variety so choose which ever one works best for you. Finally, it\u2019s really a tossup when it comes to calories (watch what you add to it) and if price is your only concern the Greek yogurt is typically far more expensive.<\/p>\n

On the technical side, I prefer to use Greek yogurt to replace cream cheese, sour cream, or ricotta cheese in baking or cooking. The regular yogurt tends to curdle more than the Greek variety when you cook with it. I gravitate towards regular yogurt when I\u2019m making dips, salad dressing, smoothies, desserts and sauces. When you add fresh fruit either variety works great.<\/p>\n

So if there was a smack down cooking cage match between regular yogurt and Greek yogurt which should you bet on and buy? The answer is that it\u2019s a draw you win with both and whoever gets to eat what you make takes home the prize.<\/p>\n

Yogurt Tips<\/span>:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. Use yogurt as a substitute for mayonnaise or sour cream to reduce calories and fat.<\/li>\n
  2. Add yogurt to your marinades. Its high acid content is a great tenderizer.<\/li>\n
  3. Add yogurt near the end of the cooking process to prevent curdling.<\/li>\n
  4. Use yogurt as a substitute for buttermilk, sour cream, or butter to reduce calories and fat in baking.<\/li>\n
  5. Don\u2019t use aluminum pans when cooking with yogurt, the acid could cause a negative reaction.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    Yogurt Mashed Cauliflower\u00a0(Dairy)<\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

    4 servings<\/p>\n

    Ingredients<\/span>:<\/h4>\n