Food Fight! Greek Yogurt Recipes

A few years back I got into a giant avocado post-off with The Palinode and once the fur settled and the dust cleared the only clear winner who emerged was the avocado. That’s okay, though, because The Palinode and I are both pro-avocado. We’re also pro-Greek yogurt, too, so we decided to post our favorite Greek yogurt recipes in a head-to-head battle we’re calling Food Fight! Greek Yogurt Recipes. Here’s his hilarious post.

Greek Yogurt Popsicles

While March typically isn’t popsicle weather (even with the frightening lack of winter we’ve been experiencing in the Valley), my kid does love her some frozen treats, and so one day when I realized I had some leftover strawberry sauce from last summer in the freezer I whipped these up for Isobel and she devoured not only her popsicle, but mine as well. I did get to enjoy a few tasty bites, though, and that was enough to find out why she liked them so much. Creamy and sweet without being overpowering, these popsicles have no fat and as little sugar as you’d like them to. They come together in minutes, so there’s really no reason not to hoard a freezer full.

Ingredients:

1. Nonfat Greek yogurt (I like Fage)

2. Fruit

3. Optional sweetening agent: honey, agave syrup, Turbinado sugar

Method:

1. For my fruit component I used strawberry sauce, which especially is just chopped strawberries that I cooked down over medium heat with a little Turbinado sugar, and then dumped over ice cream. I had leftovers, and after freezing them in a plastic bag, I promptly forgot about them. Thank the Sweet Baby Picard Jesus I labeled them! You do not need to go to all this trouble, however. Chop your fruit really small and mash it up with a fork or a potato masher. You’re good to go.

2. Mix fruit slush with yogurt. I used a ratio of 1:1, but this process is all about estimation and your personal tastes.

3. Add the sweetening agent. Taste first to see how much it needs, but so often fruit these days tends to be sour (unless you grew it yourself) and Greek yogurt has quite a tangy note that could benefit from some sweetness since this is a popsicle, after all.

4. Fill your posicle molds and freeze. I let mine go overnight, and when it came time to pull them out of their mold I ran them under a bit of warm water so they came out with ease. I bought these molds at the craft store for a dollar. What a deal!

Greek Yogurt Mix-In Additions

Isobel has always loved Greek yogurt so we enjoy it for breakfast a few times a week. When I’m in the mood for something simple I just mix in some honey or maple syrup and call it a day. Some days I want to make my standby a little more interesting, so I add some delicious additions:

My favorite combination is orange flower honey, the zest from an orange, a lemon, and a lime, and a little rose or orange flower water. I bought mine at the grocery store, but if you can’t find it on your supermarket shelves it’s worth ordering online. It adds a slight sweetness and a delicate fragrance that makes me feel like I’m eating a treat outside in the sunshine even if I’m actually sitting in my kitchen in the cold, drought-starved Valley. A little goes a long way, but it makes it very special.

Greek Yogurt Dill Sauce

Lastly, this is the sauce I make most often to go with sides like baked potatoes, roasted beets, or even chicken. It’s something I cobble together inspired by recipes I’ve seen before, and, most importantly, what I happen to have in my fridge at the moment. Like the other recipes listed here, this sauce is sort of improvised, and so I don’t have specific quantities laid out. This is very much a matter of taste.

Ingredients:

1. Greek yogurt, I’d say about a cup full

2. Sour cream, about a half cup full

3. Fresh dill, a couple tablespoons

4. Parsley or cilantro, these herbs aren’t interchangeable and are actually very different, but I include them like this because I usually have one or the other on hand at any given moment. If I have both, I use both.

5. Green onions, whites and greens, sliced finely

Method:

Combine thoroughly and chill. Use as a sauce with roasted or raw vegetables, meat, or eat with a spoon straight from the fridge.