Making yogurt at home is extremely easy (for instructions, click here), which means you may find yourself with a lot of yogurt around the house. We all know how delicious yogurt is with a dollop of jam and a sprinkling of fresh fruit or granola, but yogurt can also serve as a flavor-enhancing ingredient in your favorite savory dishes. Read on to discover some tantalizing ways to integrate yogurt into meals other than breakfast!
Homesteader’s Pastured Egg Salad
Traditionally, egg salad is made with mayonnaise. I’m not against mayonnaise (especially when it’s homemade), but substituting yogurt for mayo makes your egg salad healthier (now it has probiotics!) while adding a new depth of flavor.
For this recipe, I recommend using Greek-style or “strained” yogurt. You can make your own strained yogurt by placing your yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined colander over a bowl and waiting until the liquid drips out. That liquid is whey: a priceless ingredient that can be used for everything from making beet kvass to fermented strawberry soda (more on that in a coming blog post!).
Straining yogurt at home
Ingredients:
8 to 9 pastured eggs
1/3 cup strained yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
I tablespoon dill relish (Optional, but a nice way to enliven the flavor of the egg salad. I chopped up some of my lacto-fermented cucumbers that had turned to mush and called this “relish.”)
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
Hard boil the eggs and then transfer to an ice water bath until cool. Peel the eggs and chop in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir, adding more yogurt if you prefer your egg salad a little more moist.
For a variation, try this delicious Curried Homesteader’s Pastured Egg Salad. The ingredients aren’t as easy to source locally, but it’s chockful of flavor.
Chopped apples and onions for Curried Pastured Egg Salad
Ingredients:
8 to 9 pastured eggs
1/3 cup strained yogurt
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 medium apple, chopped
1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1 bunch chives, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Curried Pastured Egg Salad
Instructions:
Hard boil the eggs and then transfer to an ice water bath until cool. Peel the eggs and chop in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir, adding more yogurt if you prefer your egg salad a little more moist.
Easy Anytime Frittata
I’ll stay in the world of eggs with this next yogurt suggestion: Add it to a frittata! The yogurt adds a lovely fluffiness to this dish, as well as a creamy flavor that blends deliciously with the vibrant flavors of the vegetables. I love frittatas because they’re a great canvas for incorporating your favorite ingredients. I’ve made some “strange” frittatas in my day, and yet with a little cheese, they always seem to come together.
Pastured eggs from happy chickens
Ingredients:
8 pastured eggs
1/2 cup strained yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil, coconut oil, ghee or bacon fat
3/4 cup ramps, shallots, chives or yellow onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 small potato, diced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or chèvre
3 to 5 diced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (or 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped)
1/2 bell pepper, any color, thinly sliced
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 500 F.
In a small skillet, heat your oil and add the peppers, onions, and potatoes. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, cheese, salt, and pepper.
Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the skillet. Arrange the sun-dried tomatoes or the sliced fresh tomatoes on top, as well as some Parmesan shavings or a sprinkling of chèvre.
Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until eggs are set. Remove from the oven and let sit for five minutes before serving.
Once you begin to enjoy substituting yogurt for mayonnaise or milk, you’ll be hooked! Homemade yogurt also brightens up fruit smoothies, adds flavor and moisture to baked goods, and serves as a tasty garnish for spicy soups. The possibilities are limitless!
