Yogurt is a must buy in our household. A lot of folks assume there is only one way to eat yogurt - in a bowl, topped with some fruit, for breakfast. That’s classic, but yogurt is such a versatile ingredient with a myriad of uses.
My all-time favorite is White Moustache, sadly unavailable outside of NYC and California. My go-to is Fage Plain Greek Yogurt with 5% milkfat, and my slightly more deluxe choice is Cabot’s Greek Yogurt with 10% milkfat. It’s a richer, more sinful greek yogurt that makes a great stand-in for sour cream.
In our home, we’re working with yogurt at every meal, and I wanted to share a few of my favorite uses.
Minty Pea & Yogurt Sauce
Couldn’t be any easier. Combine yogurt with a handful of frozen peas, a handful of mint, a small touch of grated garlic (you can always add more), and salt to taste. Puree to combine, and enjoy as an accompaniment to roasted salmon. (I love to eat the salmon room temp with this sauce and a big green salad - a great lunch.)
Tzatziki
A Greek classic that tastes good with anything. We like it next to scrambled eggs, with fish, with grilled chicken, or as a dip for crudités.
Combine yogurt with diced cucumber (I like the English variety for less water), chopped shallots, salt, and big handfuls of herbs: dill, mint, and parsley. I will often add a bit of olive oil, and water if I want it to be a looser consistency. For a deluxe version, I like to add chopped toasted walnuts.
Chicken Marinade
Yogurt is crazy versatile as a marinade for chicken, and has the added benefit of tenderizing the meat. The yogurt itself is a great canvas for adding flavor - I like to add a load of curry and marinate with the chicken in a large ziplock bag for 3 hours or so. You can get creative with your seasonings, and the yogurt will do the hard work!