Fresh bread or bagels with cream cheese spell a classic morning. Borscht dolloped with cream cheese finishes a perfect cozy Fall evening. But what about all those weird stabilizers and preservatives in the store bought stuff?
Go Mediterranean and craft your own amazing cheese yogurt spread with just a good quality yogurt, some simple ingredients and a touch of patience. Yogurt cheese, also called “Labneh” is high in protein and calcium, and when topped with a drizzle of olive oil is a true delight!
Here’s what you need:
Equipment
√ High quality yogurt (I like Saugeen County, find a thicker yogurt that has the least amount of ingredients: ideally with an ingredient list of simply whole milk, bacterial cultures)
√ cheese cloth and a very clean tea towel
√ colander
√ big wide glass jar or glass bowl
√ black pepper, sea salt, fresh herbs to taste (Rosemary, basil or thyme is great!)
Directions
1. Line colander with a couple layers of cheesecloth.
2. Place colander over the glass jar or bowl.
3. Gently pour yogurt into the lined colander. Cover with a clean tea towel to keep flies out.
4. Let drain for a few hours, or overnight refrigerated.
5. Add black pepper, sea salt and any fresh herbs and you’re done! Enjoy wherever you’d indulge in cream cheese.
Bonus: The liquid that drains out is called “whey”, use this for a probiotic boost in your smoothie that day, in other fermentation adventures, or in place of water in cooking. It's relatively flavorless with a hint of yogurt taste.
