I don’t know the history behind chickpeas as an ingredient in food but i have seen a number of different recipes that include them as basic. When i was young, my mother ussually was cooking the classic chickpea soup, but there are some additional ways to enjoy it.
The flavor of chickpeas make them an ideal ingredient for a winter dish while the additional ingredients in this dish give it a taste of summer also.
The funny thing with that food is that you don’t need to do anything much more from what you had to do in the chickpea soup in terms of cooking, but change the way you present it.
INGREDIENTS
450gr of chickpeas
1-2 teaspoons of greek yogurt for each plate
1/2 onion chopped
1 vegetable stocking cube
1 small bunch of mint chopped
2 slices of bread
Salt, pepper
Olive oil
Nutmeg
METHOD
Have the chickpeas from the previous day in a big bowl of water and leave there over the night.
At the day start boiling them in a big pot together with olive oil and some chopped onions. Add also the stocking cube, salt and pepper. Before they are ready have the slices of bread warmed up in the grill .
In a plate place the slices of bread broken down in medium size pieces. With a skimmer remove the chickpeas and add them on top. On top add a got spoon of yogurt.
Going in a restaurant in Greece to eat sometimes suprises me to see how many different salads exist that I have never tried. Surely most know the typical Greek salad or “country salad” as it is also said but there are so many more.
Especially during summer it is ideal to try as many as possible as they are fresh and so tasty to combine them with any food. On the other hand having a salad with beet roots wasn’t something that I really had in mind but it is always nice to experiment.
When I was younger I never liked beetroots because of that red liquid they get out when you eat them or cut them. Minor details now I say…
They make excellent salads, and this is one way to eat them.
In the last few years the popularity of Greek yogurt has exploded in the world market – with sales rising over 2,000% percent in some places! But in fact this essential item is not new – it’s been an important part of Greek life and dishes for hundreds of years. The dish dates back as far as 6,000 years ago, and has been virtually indispensable throughout the Mediterranean.
The most famous greek yogurt that you can find abroad. Total by Fage
According to DairyGoodness.ca Greek style yogurt is thicker, creamier, and better for cooking than other types of yogurt. Traditionally, it can be made from either sheep or cow’s milk, though many commercial brands use cow’s milk and ewe’s milk is reserved for usage by smaller companies or those sticking to a more traditional recipe. This delicious food is either made from milk that has had some water removed by straining or boiling, or from plain yogurt with some of the whey strained out to create that thick texture and concentrated flavor. Great for using in dips or to add a creamy texture to chicken, tuna fish, or ambrosia salads, Greek yogurt can be used in many ways to bring variety and elegance to countless dishes.
Nutrition Information
Greek yogurt is a dairy product that can be incorporated into any diet to provide you with a high amount of calcium – essential for healthy teeth and bones – as well as being high in protein to help keep your muscles and other organs healthy. Yogurt is also well known for containing essential probiotics which aid in digestive regularity. The nutrition information for Greek yogurt ranges by brand and depending whether you add fruit, cinnamon, other spices, or honey to the yogurt for additional flavor, but overall it is fairly low in calories, sugar, and sodium and will help you keep on track healthy living when enjoyed in moderation. Because of its high milk-fat content, Greek yogurt does tend to be high in saturated fat and you should not overindulge if you are working toward weight loss goals. Nutrition Data’s website provides visitors with very descriptive charts and graphs showing how Greek yogurt breaks down according to which minerals, vitamins, and other essentials you are looking to have in your diet. But overall, this is a dairy food that can be made a part of virtually anyone’s lifestyle.
Make your own Greek yogurt at home
As Greek yogurt can sometimes be more expensive than other yogurt varieties, many people are interested in making it at home for themselves. It is healthy, easy to make, and can provide you with a wonderful ingredient to add to many of your favorite recipes.
There are many ways you can make Greek yogurt at home depending on how involved you want to get in the process and how comfortable you are in the kitchen.
Essentially, to make Greek yogurt at home, all you need is some milk, some commercial yogurt that contains live cultures, a pot, some bowls, a thermometer, and a device for straining such as cheesecloth, coffee filters, or towels.
The easiest way is to use commercial, thinner yogurt, and strain out excess liquid. You can do this by lining a sieve with coffee filters and placing it over a bowl. Then simply set the commercial plain whole-milk yogurt in the sieve and refrigerate for 12 hours, allowing excess water to drain.
If you want to put a bit more effort and love into making your own Greek yogurt – but don’t worry, it’s not difficult! – begin by bringing 1 gallon whole milk to almost boiling (about 170 degrees Fahrenheit). Stir frequently as it gets hotter to avoid scorching. Don’t let the milk boil, just simmer around the edges. Pour in a non-metallic bowl, cover, and allow cooling at room temperature to 110-120 degrees F. Mix in 1 cup plain or vanilla flavored yogurt to introduce live cultures, cover again with towels to keep warm or place in an oven that has been warmed to 200 degrees for 5 minutes. (If you decide to use your oven, turn it off before placing the yogurt inside!) Allow the yogurt to set for 6-12 hours – you can simply leave it overnight. Drain excess liquid with a cheesecloth or a muslin bag by allowing the yogurt to hang for several hours over a towel or bowl. Once it has reached the consistency you’re looking for you can add fruit, honey, spices, jam, vanilla, chocolate or other flavoring to put some variety into your yogurt and make it your own. Try peaches, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, and more.
Whether you make your own Greek yogurt at home or decide to buy it pre-made from the store and save yourself some time, this fantastic food is something your whole family can enjoy guilt free, so eat up!
[button link=”http://thegreekfood.com/?s=yogurt&submit.x=0&submit.y=0″]Greek Recipes with Yogurt[/button]
The following is a desert that you can’t really imagine how easy it is to make and how tasty it can be…
If you go to a Greek restaurant this one is a typical dessert served that rarely people appreciate. To be honest I never appreciated when I was at home and my mother usually was making it for her.
Reading a little bit more about Yogurt with honey you find out that it’s really good for the digestive system also…mmm that’s something I didn’t knew..
Well, how difficult it is?…
There is more simple to this dessert. Just make a mix and try it.
You can add to it if you want by adding walnuts…almonds ..or fruits… There are various variations to that and you can just keep on creating..
Lets say you want to cook something Mediterranean and you are not sure what. This can help you, a pasta with tzatziki, the most famous sauce in Greece.
