Creamy Treat: Greek-style yogurt has rich taste and can be served many ways

I remember -- maybe 15 years ago -- when yogurt had just a few feet of space in supermarkets.

My, how things have changed.

Yogurt has undergone an explosion since the early 1990s, and its popularity continues to grow. Sales of all yogurt products grew 32 percent from 2004 to 2009, according to Mintel, a market research firm. Refrigerated yogurt --which makes up 86 percent of all yogurt product sales --grew even more, by 40 percent, accounting for $3.5 billion in sales last year. All yogurt sales, which include refrigerated yogurt, yogurt drinks, frozen desserts and shelf stable yogurt/yogurt mixes, hit $4.1 billion.

There is full-fat, low-fat and nonfat yogurt in every conceivable flavor. Yogurt was once a "health food," but many now mimic dessert -- chocolate mousse yogurt, anyone? -- in flavor and sugar content. Oh, and there's squeezable yogurt in a tube, designed to appeal to kids.

One of the most recent types to become popular in the U.S. is not new: Greek yogurt. It's been used in Greek cooking for centuries.

Greek yogurt is made like regular yogurt except for one extra step at the end. The yogurt is strained to let all the whey and excess liquid drain.

This extra step does several things:

First, it increases the protein content by weight -- to about twice the amount in regular yogurt.

Second, it makes it thicker.

Third, it makes it less likely to curdle, expanding its cooking applications.

Finally, it makes it creamy.

And that's why everyone is raving about it. Dannon and Yoplait have recently introduced Greek-style yogurts.

Greek yogurt tastes rich even when it's made with skim milk.

But traditional Greek yogurt is made with whole milk, or a combination of whole milk and cream.

Using whole milk or whole milk and cream leads to higher fat content.

Fage Total Classic Yogurt, which uses milk and cream, has 300 calories and 23 grams of fat, or 35 percent of the Recommended Daily Value, in 8 ounces. Greek Gods brand also uses milk and cream and has 130 calories and 11 grams of fat in a 4-ounce container.

Compare that to Greek Gods' nonfat version, which despite coming in a 6-ounce container, has 60 calories.

Though nonfat versions have significantly less fat and calories, they aren't as creamy. So it's a trade-off.

Other brands include Chobani, Brown, Voskos and Stonyfield's Oikos. (Iceland also makes a strained yogurt called skyr, available at Whole Foods under the siggi's brand.)

You can use them the same way you use regular yogurt, in dressings, over cereal with fruit, in smoothies, in chilled soups.

But Greek yogurt is suitable for some other uses, too:

• As a substitute for mayonnaise in ham or egg salad.

• As a binder in hot casseroles.

• As a substitute for butter on baked potatoes or in mashed potatoes.

• Sweetened, as a substitute for whipped cream on desserts.

• In dips, especially as a substitute for sour cream.

Greek yogurt does cost more than regular yogurt. The straining process means that it can take two or three times the amount of milk. Though prices vary, expect to pay twice as much for Greek yogurt. But you can save money by making your own.

George Kappas, who has taught Greek language and cooking at Forsyth Technical Community College, occasionally enjoys the convenience of store-bought. But he and his wife, Angela, also make their own.

Though it's traditional to hang the yogurt in a muslin or cheesecloth bag to strain it, the Kappases sometimes just cut a well in the yogurt and cover it with a paper towel. They'll stick it in the fridge, then check it once a day to blot out the excess liquid and replace the paper towel. They'll stop blotting and remove the paper towel once it reaches the desired thickness. "You just have to do it and see how you like it," said Angela Kappas. "But if you do it too much it will get hard, and you'll have yogurt cheese."

George Kappas said that one of his favorite uses is over rice pilaf. "I like hot, hot rice and cold yogurt," he said.

Angela Kappas makes a slightly sweet Greek cornbread, somewhat similar to Southern cornbread and tops each slice with a dollop of yogurt.

Just a little before bedtime can help aid digestion, George Kappas said. It also makes a quick and easy sweet treat. "Just take the yogurt and pour some honey over it and maybe some walnuts," he said, "and you have dessert."

Homemade Greek Yogurt

For a yogurt that's less rich, all whole milk or reduced-fat milk may be used. It's important that the starting temperature be just right. "If it's too hot (over 120 degrees), it breaks up, it curdles," Angela Kappas said. If it's too cold (below 105 degrees), it won't thicken. Store-bought plain yogurt works fine as a starter; check the expiration date and get the freshest yogurt you can find, with the liveliest cultures.

You also can turn any regular plain yogurt into Greek yogurt by following the instructions for straining in Step 6.

1 quart whole milk

3 cups half-and-half

½ cup plain yogurt (or yogurt starter)

1. In a double boiler, combine milk and half-and-half and heat over medium heat to a boil, or at least 180 degrees, stirring occasionally. (To avoid burning milk solids on the bottom of the pan, Kappas first puts ice water in an empty pan for a couple of minutes, then dumps it out before adding the milk and half-and-half.)

2. Remove from heat. To cool mixture quickly, place pot in a sink or container filled with ice water. (Or just let pot cool 30 minutes or more off the heat.) Either way, mixture must to be cooled to 110 to 115 degrees. Don't let it cool any more. (A handy test is if the milk has cooled just enough so that you can stand a finger in it for 15 seconds.)

3. Place the starter yogurt in a bowl. Stir ¼ cup of the warm milk mixture into the yogurt. Then stir that mixture back into the remaining warm-milk mixture, blending thoroughly.

4. Pour into containers of a yogurt maker and follow manufacturer's instructions, or simply place in a bowl, cover with a heavy towel and place in a warm place, about 100 degrees. An oven with the light on usually works fine; or preheat the oven to 200 degrees, then turn it off before putting the bowl in. Leave the mixture undisturbed in the warm place for 8 to 12 hours, or until thickened. If the mixture is still liquidy after 8 hours, you can warm the oven to raise the temperature -- just be sure the oven is turned off quickly and that the oven temperature remains warm but not hot.

5. Once the mixture has thickened, chill it for several hours or overnight, or proceed directly to the next step. (See Note.)

6. Blot top with paper towels to absorb excess liquid and skin on the surface of the yogurt. Pour the yogurt into a muslin bag or several layers of cheesecloth. (Coffee filters work, too, but they limit the amount that can be strained.) Place the bag in a colander with a bowl underneath it to catch liquid. Squeeze the bag a bit to help jump-start the draining. Refrigerate overnight to drain. (Alternatively, cut a well in the yogurt, place paper towels directly on the surface, refrigerate for a day or two and check periodically, blotting liquid and replacing paper towels, until yogurt reaches desired thickness.) Generally, Greek yogurt should be the thickness of sour cream. Refrigerate and store covered for a week or more. Save some of the yogurt to use as a starter when making the next batch.

Note: You can immediately start straining the yogurt at room temperature, without chilling. But Kappas said that if using paper towels instead of a bag to strain the yogurt, it's best to chill first because room-temperature yogurt tends to stick to the paper towels.

Cornish Curry Sauce

Recipe adapted from Fage USA. This sauce can be used on chicken, turkey, vegetables, fish, even hard-cooked eggs. If desired, ketchup can be substituted for the tomato puree; if doing so, omit the sugar.

4 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 large, finely chopped onions

1 finely chopped clove garlic

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon flour

8 ounces Greek yogurt

2 cloves

1 tablespoon tomato puree

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon sweet pickle or chutney

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 tablespoons stock or water

Salt to taste

1. Heat oil and butter in a saucepan until sizzling. Add onions and garlic and fry gently until pale gold.

2. Stir in curry powder and flour; cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. Add yogurt, cloves, tomato puree, ginger, cinnamon, pickle, lemon juice and sugar.

4. Gradually blend in stock or water, stirring, and slowly bring to a boil.

5. Lower heat, season with salt and cover pan. Simmer slowly until thickened. If desired, strain before using.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Spinach Cheese Bake

From adapted Greek Gods Yogurt.

3 large eggs

3½ ounces Greek yogurt

¼ cup whole wheat flour

½ teaspoon nutmeg

21 ounces frozen spinach (or two 10-ounces packages), thawed or 10 ounces fresh cleaned and trimmed spinach

3.5 ounces feta cheese

2 tomatoes, sliced

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl beat eggs; add yogurt, flour and nutmeg. Beat until smooth. Drain spinach well, squeezing out any surplus moisture. (If using fresh spinach, steam or microwave spinach for two minutes to wilt, then drain well.)

3. Add spinach and feta cheese to egg mixture and mix well. Pour into a 9-inch pie plate; arrange sliced tomatoes on top, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at least 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of the pie comes out clean. Cut in wedges and serve with toast for breakfast or as a side dish to a main meal.

Makes 6 to 10 servings.

Caramelized Apple Brulee

Recipe adapted from Fage USA. Feel free to double or even quadruple this recipe.

1 pink or red eating apple

Juice of ½ small lemon

1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons raw sugar (or brown sugar), divided use

Generous pinch of cinnamon or Chinese five-spice powder

5.3 ounces Greek yogurt

1. Heat oven broiler. Cut the apple, remove the core and divide into about 8 wedges. In a small bowl, toss the apple and lemon juice.

2. Place the butter and 2 tablespoons of the sugar with the cinnamon or five-spice powder in a small pan. Heat gently until the butter melts. Add the apple pieces and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the apple is coated and beginning to soften.

3. Spoon into a heat-proof serving dish and top yogurt. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and place under broiler just long enough to melt the sugar, watching carefully so it does not burn. Serve warm, or chill for about 1 hour before serving.

Makes 1 serving.