Make your own Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt is one of my current favorite foods. Lately, I've been eating it almost every day! Yogurt for breakfast, yogurt for lunch, sometimes as a healthy after-dinner dessert... Unfortunately, this habit is tough on the wallet. Fage yogurt, my indulgence of choice, costs a hefty $2 for a single serving (cheaper at Costco!) Considering the amount of yogurt I eat, I thought it'd be a better option to try my hand at making it on my own.

There are a ton of Greek yogurt tutorials out there. I found the process very easy. Here's how I did it:

Greek Yogurt

Ingredients:

• two quarts + 2 tbsp of milk (I like 1%)
• 2 tbsp of plain yogurt

1. Warm 2 quarts of milk over the stove on medium. Bring just to a simmer and turn off immediately when that point is reached.

2. Pour the milk into a large, non-metal bowl. Cool until lukewarm (~100 degrees F). If a skin forms, remove it.

3. Mix 2 tbsp milk with 2 tbsp yogurt. Pour into the lukewarm milk.

4. Cover the milk with saran wrap. Wrap the bowl with a big towel or blanket. Place in a warm spot- the oven with the pilot light on, oven at 100 degrees, a crockpot on very low, or in my case, near my radiator. You want somewhere that will stay at around 100 degrees for at least 8 hours.

5. Check at 8-12 hours to see if it is set. If you pick up some yogurt with a spoon and the yogurt seems gelatinous and the hole stays pretty clearly defined, then it is probably ready. If not, leave for another hour or two.

6. Line a strainer/colander with paper towels. Put the colander over the bowl that will allow liquids to drain. Pour yogurt into the colander on top of the paper towels. Let it drain in the fridge until it is to the consistency you like (maybe 4 hours). If it gets too dry, just add some of the whey (the watery stuff being drained) back out. Whisk to get rid of lumps.

Once the yogurt is done, there are so many options for serving and eating the yogurt. Yogurt dips are great. In the mornings I eat it with a little honey mixed in. You can also use it in place of sour cream, or as a marinade for meat. The options are endless!

Here is one of my favorites. Greek yogurt parfait!

Greek Yogurt Parfait

• Greek yogurt
• strawberries
• banana
• sliced almonds

In a glass, layer Greek yogurt, strawberries (I microwave-defrost

frozen ones so they are a little syrupy), sliced bananas, and almonds. Serve.

It's decadent but under 300 calories. Truly amazing.

EDIT: I had to add this (unintentionally) funny Fage commercial to this post ;)

"Plain will never be the same."

Confession about eggs

Turkey bacon, spinach, tomato, mozzarella scramble

As a child I loved eggs- but I feared mushy scrambled eggs. I hated those scrambled eggs in the metal server trays at breakfast buffets that seem bland, soft, and mushy. That's why I never really ate scrambled eggs for breakfast, opting instead for omelets, poached eggs, or fried eggs. At home, I would sometimes make scrambled eggs, but I would always make them a little golden-brown. This is especially good in Chinese dishes, like eggs with tomatoes, which would be just plain weird to me with soft scrambled eggs.

Then, when I watched a season of Top Chef during college, I realized this was considered quite sacrilegious. Anthony Bourdain would declare a contestant's breakfast dish inedible, because overcooking eggs is "unacceptable." Hmm... was my way of cooking scrambled eggs a foodie faux pas?

Everyone has guilty pleasures in food- food we know should not be cooked a certain way technically, but it tastes good to us. My mom likes her noodles on the softer side, and her steak well-done. Both are things that horrify my food sensibilities. But is there really a right way or a wrong way? If I enjoy it, then does the rest of the world's opinion matter? I've decided to embrace my own way of enjoying food.

Even so, I remain open to new suggestions. I got over my dislike of softer scrambled eggs after stumbling upon a recipe on my friend's fabulous blog, Winner Celebration Party. I followed her recipe to a T (coincidentally, I had all the ingredients on hand.) They turned out soft, fluffy, and delicious. It is a super addictive combination- I have also tried adding some sun-dried tomatoes to the recipe- divine! Props go to WCB to changing my mind about scrambled :)

I will never embrace those buffet eggs, but these have become a weekend staple for me!

Parmesan pesto scrambled eggs- great brunch idea

Parmesan and Pesto Scrambled Eggs

From Winner Celebration Party

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

salt and pepper, to taste

oil

generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese

(Optional: sun-dried tomatoes)

dollop of pesto

Method:

1. In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Whisk.

2. Heat some oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add eggs, allow to solidify somewhat. Move the eggs around. Add parmesan cheese while still runny, fold. (Can add sun-dried tomatoes at this point if desired.)

3. Plate the eggs and top with pesto. Serve!

(Sort of) Baked Eggs

I love eating baked eggs. The possibilities are endless! I like them with cheese, onions, veggies, mushrooms... or Mexican style with black beans, jack, salsa. It's funny because I never used to like breakfast that much, until my boyfriend (who firmly believes that breakfast is the most important meal of the day) showed me all the yummy egg breakfast combos. I used to hate runny yolks, but now I like them to a degree. I still can't stand sunny-side up yolks, but I can deal with over medium. Baby steps...

Anyway, so baked eggs. Baking is decidedly healthier than frying, but I can't justify heating up an oven in the morning for my one or two lonely baked eggs. I experimented with a quick and easy, although somewhat sacrilegious method this morning.

I sprayed a microwave-proof bowl with cooking spray. In the bottom of the bowl, I layered a big slice of turkey, some spinach leaves, a slice of pepper jack, baby spinach, and diced onions. Then I cracked two eggs, and added a little seasoning salt. I stuck it in the microwave for a few minutes, slid the eggs out on a plate, and ate with salsa and toast. How's that for an easy breakfast? The clean-up was easier than fried eggs or an omelet, too.

Baked (Microwaved) Eggs

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• Turkey
• Baby spinach
• Cheese
• Eggs
• Onions
• Seasoned salt
• Salsa (optional)

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, layer turkey, spinach, cheese, onions, and two raw eggs. Sprinkle with seasoning salt.
2. Cover with a paper towel. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, about 1 minute total depending on your microwave.
3. Slide out on a plate, cover with salsa and eat with toast.

Yum.