Yogurt Cheese, a Fat Free Cream-y Spread

It's so cold this weekend, I pulled out the snowman for this photo of yogurt cheese . Brrrr.

Non-fat cream cheese just doesn’t cut it for me. Neither does non-fat mayonnaise. I’ve replaced mayo with creamy no-fat dressings for apple and potato salads. I use hummus on sandwiches in place of mayo. No-fat cottage cheese and fat-free yogurt suit me fine, but the cream cheese is a non-starter at my table. I miss a schmeer on my bagels.

My friend Terry, who scrupulously eats fat-free every day, explained that fat-free versions of familiar foods are different than full-fat foods. He doesn’t expect the same tastes, textures or mouth feel of non-fat cheeses, dressings and mayo. ‘Embrace the otherness of fat-free cream cheese,’ I repeated to myself,  but I couldn’t get past the slick feel and bland taste.

To sustain my bagel-and-a-schmeer habit, I made fat-free yogurt cheese. Tart, thick and creamy, it’s easy to make, easy to love and easy on the waistline. It’s more than just a topping for bagels, however.

Serve it middle-Eastern style with warm pita wedges, cracked olives, a squeeze of lemon juice and a light drizzle of olive oil. Blend a bit of honey, marmalade or preserves in for a sweet toast topper. Spread two thin slices of pumpernickel bread with yogurt cheese, add a chiffonade of fresh basil, thin slices of cukes, red bell pepper, carrots and celery for a delicious veggie sandwich. Stir in fresh or dried herbs for a savory cheese. For more ideas, slide on over to this pdf on the Dannon yogurt site. Yummy ideas.

 

Yogurt Cheese

Yield: ½ cup yogurt cheese

1 cup fat-free yogurt, regular or Greek style (see note)

pinch of kosher salt, (optional) 

• Line a sieve or strainer with a large coffee filter or two layers of cheesecloth. Place inside a deep bowl.
• Stir salt into the yogurt and spoon mixture into the lined strainer. Make sure there’s an inch of so of space between the bottom of the strainer and the catch bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate.
• After an hour or two, remove strainer and collect or discard the whey in the bottom of the catch bowl. You can add the whey to smoothies or use in cooking. Cover with wrap and refrigerate overnight, 10 to twelve12 hours.
• Peel off the filter or cheesecloth and shape the cheese into a ball or log. Pour off the whey. Refrigerate both whey and cheese. The cheese keeps well for a week.

Note: Use yogurt without preservatives or gelatin. You can make larger quantities of cheese using more yogurt. Because more whey collects, you may need to hang the cheese to drip. Check out this post at ‘A Couple Cooks.’  See what other good, healthy things this couple cooks up while you're visiting. I also enjoyed Mark Bittman's simple and straightforward method in the New York Times.

 

 

 

Comments

[Joseph Carr]

People now dig non-fat food, especially dairies. It's probably because they are now getting more health-conscious. But it still feels good to eat so they chose to eat those that are healthy.