Tag: scratch-made yogurt

Fresh Yogurt Smoothie

On By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, frozenLeave a comment

If store-bought smoothies always seem more delicious than your homemade ones, start by adjusting the balance of thickener, fruit and vegetables, and add-ins. Learn more at TwiceasTasty.com.
When the smoothie shop craze took off in my college years, I was surprised by how popular such an easily made beverage became, particularly when shops included ingredients that made smoothies more like milkshakes. One reason for the popularity seemed to be the long menu of flavors and add-ins. As I explain this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, you can create similar smoothies far more affordably and with local ingredients if you have a well-stocked freezer.

If store-bought smoothies always seem more delicious than your homemade ones, you might need to check the label for sugar and sodium content and alter your expectations. You also might need a higher-powered blender to liquify vegetables and break down chunks. As further adjustments, consider the balance of fruit and vegetables, add-ins, and thickener and using my favorite base, Homemade Small-Batch Yogurt.

Learn to make Fresh Yogurt Smoothie

Homemade Small-Batch Yogurt

On By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn cheese, ColumnLeave a comment

Once I realized how easy it is to turn milk into fresh yogurt at home, the idea of making cheese and other dairy products became less daunting. Learn more at TwiceasTasty.com.
Dairy fermentation is a bit different from fermenting vegetables for pickles or sourdough for bread, but all of these techniques have a gateway recipe that opens a whole new food world. As I explain this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, yogurt was my fermented dairy gateway. Once I realized how easy it is to turn milk into fresh yogurt at home, the idea of making cheese and other dairy products became far less daunting.

These days, about half of the fermented dairy products in my fridge are homemade. I make sour cream every time I reach the bottom of the jar and fresh yogurt nearly as often. Cheeses come and go as the whim hits me: sometimes I crave Dry-Salted Feta for shakshuka, and sometimes I’m pressing Homemade Farmer’s Cheese for Paneer Tikka Masala or cutting and salting squeaky cheese curds to serve over oven fries with Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy as poutine. I gained the confidence to make these and even pressed and aged cheeses after mastering homemade yogurt.
Learn to make Homemade Small-Batch Yogurt

Indian-Inspired Shrimp in Yogurt

On By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, fresh eating1 Comment

Use a shrimp dish to feature a single homemade ingredient, fresh yogurt, and save the shrimp shells for stock. Learn more at TwiceasTasty.com.
I snuck lots of fun kitchen ideas in last week’s blog post, including my streamlined recipe for Homemade Yogurt, all of the homemade ingredients I use when making the bean dip featured in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, and my favorite homemade dippers. If you found the lineup intimidating rather than inspiring, you’ll like the shrimp dish that’s in my column this week. If you’re a gardener, you’ll likely reach for homegrown onion and garlic; if you’re near coastal waters, you may be hauling up shrimp pots or buying directly from local fisherfolk. Otherwise, I use it to feature a single homemade ingredient: fresh yogurt.

As I mention in the column, plain yogurt is the most versatile, whether you’re making your own or buying it at the store. From one batch of plain yogurt, I can blend a serving into a smoothie, mix another with jam and top it with granola, and stir some into a savory bean dip or the sauce I use on shrimp, fish, or potatoes.
Learn to make Indian-Inspired Shrimp in Yogurt