Yoghurt is my daughters favourite food, she likes it any which way – plain homemade version, greek yoghurt, sweetened yoghurt and yoghurt in raitas, dips and smoothies all work for her.
I have been wanting to give it to her more as a snack that is portable. The homemade version is messy and if it is not chilled it can sour quickly. So I took inspiration from the trendy plant-based cheese out there on Instagram and came up with this yoghurt cheese. My daughter loved it.
The idea of having a fancy cheese platter with a lot to choose from really appealed to her. It gave her the freedom to pick whatever she wanted from the cheese platter. As a mom, I tried to balance the platter with veggies and less healthy crackers. I also tried to put some new things on the board and encouraged her to try them.
The platter can be made any which way, I obviously put in extra effort for the photographs but my daughter loved it even if it was not such a fancy spread. The next day she asked for a sandwich with all the platter trims. Treat this platter as a guide use what you have on hand to put it together. This is also great for entertaining and picnics.
Ingredients//Makes 1 ball of yoghurt cheese
- 1.5 Cups Greek Yoghurt
- 2 Clove Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Handful of freshly chopped Herbs (I used a mix of dill, basil and chives)
- ¼ Tsp Turmeric (so it looks more like cheese)
- ½ Chilli Flakes (optional)
- Cracked Black Pepper
- Salt generously to taste
Method
- Line a strainer with a cheesecloth and put the yoghurt in the lined strainer. Ensure the strainer sits on a vessel that captures all the whey coming out of the yoghurt that way you don’t end up with a mess on your kitchen counter. Put this entire contraption in your refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
- Just before you take out the yoghurt from the refrigerator, prepare your other ingredients. Finely chop the garlic and the herbs. I prefer to pulse it in my food processor either one works.
- Take the yoghurt out of the strainer and add it to a bowl and the olive oil, chopped herbs, garlic, salt and spices. Mix everything into the yoghurt.
- Carefully shape the yoghurt into a ball and place it on a platter – it is much easier to shape if you left the yoghurt in the fridge overnight. However, the consistency of the yoghurt does alter the taste.
- Arrange the platter with chopped up vegetables and crackers or any other sides you like.
- Alternatively, spread this on toast like a cheese spread and eat for breakfast.
We love this simple dish by@maplechutney. If you have simple recipes like this that you know can help a mom struggling to get her kids to try different things then email s at [email protected].
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