Recipe: Yogurt Cheese

After my home made yogurt has sat for seven to 10 hours I turn some of it into "yogurt cheese".

Yogurt cheese can be used as a spread for bagels, it can be spread on crackers or toast or can be used as substitute for sour cream in dips. Adding salt or dill or garlic makes this food a fun one to play with until you get something you really like for various kinds of foods.

The way to make yogurt cheese is by getting rid of the whey. Whey in itself is healthy but once removed from the yogurt it leaves a yogurt-cheese that is thick in consistency (much like cream cheese) and is packed all the more with the important nutrients (such as calcium).

The process to making yogurt cheese is simple:

Place nylon material over a jar.

Push the material into the jar - so it droops into it and is able to hold your yogurt.

Place a rubber band around the top of the material and the jar.

Take however much of your yogurt you want and place it in the material.

Cover the jar with something - anything.

Let this sit in the fridge for 24 hours.

You've got yogurt cheese!

(This process can also be done by placing a colander over a bowl and placing cheese cloth in the colander then putting the yogurt into it and letting it sit for 24 hours.)

The photo on this blog is from a recipe from myrecipes.com.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 4-5 cups yogurt cheese
• 2 tablespoons sliced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preparation

Combine garlic and remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

Place half of yogurt cheese in a serving bowl; spread with half of herb mixture. Repeat with remaining cheese and herb mixture. Cover and refrigerate torte at least 12 hours and up to 1 week. Serve at room temperature.