Take advantage of the creaminess of Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt, either because some of the liquid whey has been strained out naturally or because some thickening agent has been added commercially. With more protein and probiotics, unsweetened Greek yogurt greatly decreases the saturated fat content of a recipe when replacing heavy cream. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Instructions
1. Reduce fat content in baked goods. Heavy cream is about 40 percent fat, while low-fat Greek yogurt is only about 2 percent fat. Since some roles of fat are to enhance flavor, make baked goods more tender and provide moistness, substitution with yogurt will change the texture and flavor of recipes. When replacing heavy cream with yogurt in breads, muffins and cookies, only substitute part of the fat, replacing the rest of the heavy cream with whole milk for a lighter dish. A half-yogurt/half-cream substitution is best used for recipes where the creaminess is characteristic, such as in cheesecakes, panna cotta and as a garnish where heavy cream is usually called for, as on cobblers or fruit crisps.
2. Whisk the yogurt into sauces. Some creamy sauces get their rich mouth-feel from heavy cream. Take inspiration from traditional Indian dishes such as mattar paneer, where unsweetened yogurt is used to make a dish creamily appetizing. Use the same philosophy for other sauces that use cream, such as tomato cream sauce or Alfredo sauces. Mix yogurt into sauce when it is on low heat to keep the yogurt from curdling. For extra tanginess, substitute half fat-free sour cream and half Greek yogurt -- whisk in a splash of nonfat milk during cooking if the sauce is too thick.
3. Create frozen yogurt from ice cream recipes. When heavy cream is replaced in ice cream, it becomes a sweet and creamy frozen yogurt. Three cups of Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp. of flavor extract is all that is needed for a great-flavored frozen yogurt. Just add the ingredients into an ice cream maker and wait for the dessert to be prepared. 101 Cookbooks provides a recipe for making your own Greek yogurt -- 2 cups of whole milk yogurt can be placed in a cheesecloth and drained for six hours to make 1 cup of the thick and creamy strained yogurt.
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