July 14th, 2013
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been crazy about yogurt, the plain kind, for its pleasant and subtle tart flavour. Back in Russia, homemade yogurt is sold in individual cups at open air markets. It is usually made of slowly baked milk and is therefore topped with the most delicious, golden crust. Although my mother made the same kind of yogurt at home, I was often forced to buy my share at the market. The yogurt was the most special treat to my father, and he was likely to devour the whole portion before I could ever get to it.
I love to make yogurt at home, whether I use coconut, oats, raw goat milk or non-homogenized cow milk. For dairy yogurt-making, you can buy yogurt grains online, but that technique will require a yogurt machine or a dehydrator. The most simple way to a homemade yogurt is to add your favorite market/store-bought yogurt to milk as a starter. Choose the best milk you can find – raw, goat’s, non-homogenized – together with a high-quality yogurt, and the results will be delicious.
For these pops, I used yogurt that I made out of raw goat milk from the Dancing Goat farm, with Seven Stars Farm yogurt as a starter. The catch here are the lemongrass infused raspberries, my long time flavour obsession. Besides being delicious, the combination seems to have an extra cooling effect.
Right as I took the pops out of their mold, Paloma ate one with an impressive speed and proceeded to ask for another, which I gave her with no hesitation, as the pops are full of organic berries, acidophilus and other beneficial yogurt cultures.
Easy Homemade Yogurt
1/2 gallon high-quality fresh milk (raw, goat’s, non-homogenized, etc.)
1 cup high-quality yogurt, preferably made of non-homogenized milk with live cultures
1. In a pot, heat the milk to 180 F and let cool to 110 F.
2. In a jar with a tight lid, mix the yogurt with about 1/2 cup of warm milk, close the lid and shake to combine thoroughly. Add the mixture to the rest of the warm milk and stir to combine.
3. Ladle the mixture into clean glass jars, cover with a towel and keep the jars warm, preferably at 110 F. If you have a dehydrator, that’s the perfect place to keep the jars with the temperature set. If not, wrap the jars with more kitchen towels to keep in the heat or place into a warmed oven that has been turned off. Check after about 4 hours. If the mixture is thickened, place it into the refrigerator. If not, leave to thicken longer.
Lemongrass Syrup
2 lemongrass stalks
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons purified water
1. Cut the lemongrass stalks in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 2-inch pieces and bruise them with the back of a knife.
2. Place the lemongrass into a small saucepan with the honey and water, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let infuse for 30 minutes. Strain and don’t wash the saucepan.
Frozen Yogurt Lemongrass Raspberry Pops
(makes 10 pops)
2 1/2 cups yogurt
1/3 cup honey
2 cups raspberries
1. Place wooden popsicle sticks in water to soak, if using. Mix your well-chilled yogurt with the honey.
2. Combine half of the raspberries with the strained lemongrass syrup in the same saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add in the rest of the berries, briefly mashing with a fork to incorporate. Let cool completely in the refrigerator.
3. Process the yogurt in your ice-cream machine according to the manufacture’s instructions, usually 20 or so minutes.
4. Briefly mix the lemongrass-raspberry mixture into the yogurt. Fill 10 popsicle molds. Cover with the lid, insert the sticks and place into the freezer until completely frozen, preferably overnight. Carefully remove from the molds and enjoy.
Tags: frozen yogurt, goat milk, lemongrass, pops, popsicles, raspberry, recipe, yogurt
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June 5th, 2012
This post is also available in: French
We’ve talked about our love for leisurely weekend breakfasts before. Make it outdoors and surrounded by friends and family, and you’ve got the best morning anyone can wish for.
Natalie is one of those people who has the great taste and passion for hosting all kinds of gatherings – breakfast or not. The cozy little garden in the backyard of her family’s urban home is where we had this breakfast. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect spot.
Pear and Avocado Smoothie
A table full of bright and nourishing foods, children running around, plenty of laughs, sunshine, and a weekend ahead – that is the ultimate breakfast experience.
Gluten Free and Vegan Bagels
Ever since our Valentine’s Day event, I haven’t been able to get the idea of using rose in food out of my mind. Its scent and intoxicating taste truly take me to a kind of magical fairy land with every bite. No wonder rose is so widely used in aromatherapy – it definitely has a side effect of happiness.
This time, I decided to make a yogurt parfait with layers of rose and lavender – another love of ours. Of course, you can incorporate any flavours you prefer into this recipe. Blueberry, strawberry, chocolate, or vanilla – it all sounds wonderful to me.
Now close your eyes and imagine layers of fragrant rose yogurt, interlaced with milder ones of lavender, plenty of fresh berries, and some crispy buckwheat and cocoa nibs to complete the experience. Dreamy.
Coconut and Sun-dried Tomato Creme Cheese
On a different note, we’re ready to say goodbye to our good camera friend Canon 50D (body only), which has captured plenty of delicious dishes and moments on Golubka. We bought it brand new in July 2010 and have been treating it with much love and respect ever since. Sold.
Rose and Lavender Parfait
6.5 oz (about1 1/2 cups) meat of young Thai coconut
1 1/4 cup coconut water
1/4 cup purified water
3/4 oz Irish moss – thoroughly rinsed and soaked in hot water for at least 10 minutes
1/4 cup cashews – soaked for 2 hours
4-5 tablespoons light agave syrup or another sweetener of choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of sea salt
3-5 tablespoons dairy-free acidophilus (optional)
1/3 cup coconut oil – melted
Blend 5 oz (about 1 1/4 cups) of coconut meat and all of the coconut water in a high speed blender until a smooth coconut milk is formed. Reserve 1 cup for later. Blend the remaining coconut milk with the purified water and Irish moss until very smooth. Add the reserved 1 cup of coconut milk and the rest of the ingredients, with the exception of coconut oil. Blend thoroughly, adding coconut oil at the end to emulsify.
dried ground culinary rose petals – to taste
100% pure steam-distilled essential rose oil (optional) – one tiny drop
dried ground culinary lavender flowers – to taste
100% pure steam-essential lavender oil (optional) – one tiny drop
fresh berries of your choice
buckwheat crisps
cocoa nibs (optional)
dried rose petals and dried lavender flowers for decoration (optional)
Divide into 2 even portions. Add the ground rose petals and lavender (I used about 4 teaspoons each) and one tiny drop of pure rose/lavender essential oil, if using. Blend to incorporate. Add any flavour and colour you like if you choose to replace the rose and lavender, or leave it plain. Spoon into glasses, alternating the flavours, fresh berries, crisps, and cocoa nibs.
Gluten Free and Vegan Bagels – same recipe as here. This time I added ground coriander and sesame tahini (to taste) to the basic recipe.
Coconut Cream Cheese – recipe here. Sun-dried tomatoes added this time.
Tags: coconut, lavender, parfait, raw, recipe, rose, vegan, yogurt
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