Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Yogurt with Cardamom and Orange Peel

I get bored easily. Well, thats not entirely true. I get disinterested in flavors easily, especially when I have them multiple times in a row. This is why making (and consuming) left overs is difficult for me. Inevitably the third serving gets left in the fridge only to sprout a plethora of nicely packaged flora.

This is what happens when I purchase 6-packs of yogurt. It isnt the flavor that I get tired of in this case, its the monotone sweetness or the same textural consistency day in and day out. Recently, instead of falling victim to the doldrums of 6-pack (yogurt) life, I buy plain yogurt and add my own daily flavorings.

The FACE greek yogurt brand (2% and fat free) comes in individually sizes cups which is especially nice since I dont have to worry about opening a larger carton and not finishing it before it goes bad. Alternatively, the plain yogurt in various brands is available in larger sizes at any grocery store. Unfortunately, most super markets dont seem to carry the plain flavor in individual servings. In order to get the consistency I like, I typically drain this non-greek type with cheese cloth for several hours. The thicker consistency fools me into thinking its full-fat rather than lite.

So, what do I add? It depends really. Some days I stir in raspberries and pecans. On other days I add dried blueberries and sliced almonds. If I had a piece of fruit thats going a little soft, I dice that up and toss it in the mix. I think I have a pear and cinnamon day coming up soon due to the presence of an unused pear in my fridge. I suppose you could also make your yogurt more exotic by adding saffron and pistachios.

On some days, like today, I add cardamom, nutmeg, candied orange peel, and a touch of orange blossom honey.

Yogurt with Cardamom, Nutmeg, and Candied Orange Peel

1 c. fat-free greek yogurt
1/4 t. cardamom
1/8 t. nutmeg
3 strips candied orange peel, diced fine
1 t. honey

Combine all the ingredients and give it a taste. Adjust the flavors to your liking. Feel free to mix and match to make your own concoctions.


For optimum results mix the yogurt the night before so the orange peel can soften from the moisture of the yogurt and the flavors can meld.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm the same -- I tire of the same flavor every day and have taken to buying nothing but fat-free Greek Yogurt by Fage or Trader Joe's. How I fix it up depends on the mood. Sometimes simply stirring in a teaspoon of Chai powder for a Chai Yogurt Parfait with granola on top, other times with mini marshmallows (I admit it), a hot cocoa mix, and nuts, for Rocky Road, and other times nothing more than a dollop of a very tart and sweet Orange Curd, Lemon Curd, or Lime Curd. One thing I have switched to, however, is dried fruits. I pack my yogurt in lunch and hate the weeping juices diluting the thickness of the yogurt. Enter dried fruit -- I finally have a use for it!

Brilynn said...

I like making up my own mix ins too. Most recently I did kiwi, mango, honey and saffron, it was great!

Anonymous said...

I love the flavor cardamom infuses in anything you make it with. I was at an Indian restaurant where they served kheer (a rice pudding-like dessert made with cardamom) and it was delicious!

Anonymous said...

Wow, this looks so good, Sarah! I'll have to try it.

I'll admit that although I'm a big fan of food and pretty adventurous, for my everyday eating, I'm kind of boring -- I can eat the same thing day after day. I love Activia Light yogurt -- so much goodness for only 70 calories. I've been having the strawberry flavor for a month now. I'm considering switching to peach, but maybe I'll do this mixing in with the greek yogurt instead!

You know, this is very similar to what I'll be doing for Jack. They recommend giving babies (full-fat) plain yogurt so that they're not addicted to sugary manufactured flavorings from a young age. So I've been making homemade fruit purees to mix in to the yogurt. The other day I made a delicious apple, pear and cinnamon puree. Next up is apple, apricot, pear and vanilla bean puree. I'll have to taste it mixed in to the yogurt. I bet it's pretty good. And hey, it's never too early to introduce a baby to cardamom. That way he and I can eat the same breakfast! :) I'm determined to raise a little gourmet.

Thanks for your comment, too -- I know the ulcer was just caused by bacteria but I think it's pretty funny to imagine that Atari's stressed by Jack's presence. Hee hee. Someday I can say to Jack, "You gave your big brother an ulcer."

Clearly I must get a life if this amuses me so!

Patricia Scarpin said...

All the ingredients are favorites of mine, Sarah - that bowl has my name written all over it! :)

Anonymous said...

Love the cardamon addition! Speaking of this spice, we just bought a ton more to make some homemade chai tea next week for our "sharing the love"!

Anonymous said...

I really love fage yogurt... I wish I could buy it more often but it's so expensive! I like eating plain yogurt because it is guaranteed to not be sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.

Jessica Loetel said...

I just made my own Chai yogurt, home made style. While cooking the milk, I added a tea bag of chai to steep, along with some sweetener. Yum!