[2] Use yogurt in different types of sauces. Here, yogurt is blended with cheese as a dipping sauce for Pigs & Blankets, but you could eas easily use it on chicken, grains or pasta.

[3] Use herb-and-spice-flavored yogurt instead of mayonnaise to find chicken salad, potato salad, etc. Here’s the recipe from Chobani.

[4] Baked penne with spinach and sundried tomatoes. Here’s the recipe from Chobani. You can also use a spiced yogurt sauce to top spaghetti and other plain pasta dishes.

[5] Curried grilled salmon topped with raita, a spiced yogurt-cucumber sauce, dip and spread. Here’s the recipe from Chobani.

How much of it is savory, with no added sweetness?

Many of us have made spicy yogurt dips for crudités, from the simple addition of herbs and spices, to substituting yogurt for higher-calorie mayonnaise and sour cream in artichoke or spinach dips.

Why not extend your use of savory yogurt to every meal? Here are some ideas, inspired by Flavor & The Menu, a magazine and website for creative chefs.

Says the article: The acidic (tangy) bite of yogurt is a refreshing ingredient, that naturally lifts the flavors of other ingredients added to it.

At the same time, yogurt has a neutral flavor profile that pairs well with just about anything.

The magazine named spicy yogurt as one of its Top 10 Culinary Trends for 2018.
 
 
USES FOR SAVORY YOGURT

With its tangy dairy notes and creamy mouthfeel, Greek yogurt has long been used to create a variety of savory dishes:

 
Have Some Beet Yogurt Or Carrot Yogurt

One of our favorite techniques is to create containers of vegetable yogurt using purée of beets, carrots, pumpkin and other squash, spring peas and other favorites.

Simply cook and purée the vegetables; then mix them with plain yogurt in proportions to taste.
 
 
HOW TO FLAVOR PLAIN YOGURT

Greek-style yogurt is often turned into dips and spreads with the addition of cucumber, garlic, herbs and/or mint (think raita and tzatziki).

Start with Greek-style yogurt, then use high-impact flavors:

 
It’s almost impossible to make a pairing mistake.
 
 
SAVORY YOGURT AT BRUNCH

Here’s how you can use savory yogurt in just one meal category—brunch—suggests Flavor & The Menu.

Here are four ideas; you can create your own versions or find similar recipes on line:

 
How About Bagels?

An easy creation we like: Greek yogurt blended with garlic, dill and parsley, on a toasted bagel; sliced onions, tomatoes, smoked salmon, cracked black pepper and lemon zest at will (photo #1).

Tip: Mix the spread the night before so the flavors can meld.

Cooking over heat will cause yogurt to separate. To avoid this, let the yogurt come to room temperature and and use one of these techniques:

February 14th—Valentine’s Day—is also National Creme Filled Chocolates Day.

But what’s with creme vs. cream?

“Creme,” pronounced cream, is a misspelled, mispronounced Americanization of the French word for cream, crème (pronounced KREHM). It is used in the U.S. to make chocolates and desserts seem more special; i.e., French, without the correct French pronunciation and accent mark.

So if it isn’t a French dessert or confection—crème brûlée pr crème caramel, for example—why not just use the English-language word cream?

Some users are pretentious, some merely unaware.

More than a few people—both professionals and home cooks—use “creme” in recipes that don’t even contain real cream

Instead, the recipes have creamy fillings made with coconut cream, cream cheese, tofu, various starches and other ingredients (we’ve seen more than a few “creme pie” recipes made with Cool Whip).

For these creamy recipes, why simply use the English-language word creamy?

Just use cream, people (and see more below).
 
 
WHAT ABOUT CHOCOLATES?

Some chocolates with creamy centers contain no cream; other chocolates are truly cream-filled with whipped cream, although few American chocolatiers make them because of their shorter shelf life. (You can get them from Leonidas Belgian Chocolates).

And some do actually have cream in their centers. ganache is a prime example, as is caramel).

Fruit fruit creams—lemon, orange and raspberry, for example—are appear more in Belgium than France, as are cream liqueur centers. You won’t find a lot of them at French chocolatiers.

Dictionary.com allows for crème or creme, but only as they refer to crème-or-cream liqueur and desserts, e.g. crème brûlée.

In our opinion, spelling chocolates or whatever “creme” but pronouncing them “cream” is just wrong, when cream is a perfectly accurate word.

Our advice: If it’s made with cream, use the word cream. No one will be confused. If it isn’t made with cream but it’s creamy, use the word creamy.

And save crème or creme, both pronounced KREHM, for French foods: coeur à la crème, crème anglaise, crème brûlée, etc. Not everyone is good with French accent marks, but creme/KREHM is an honest attempt.
 
 
We hereby proclaim February 14th National Cream Filled Chocolates Day.
  

[2] Beet juice is an under-used cocktail mixer. It’s also delicious as a straight juice drink (photo courtesy R.W. Knudsen).

For Valentine’s Day, treat yourself to a beet-red cocktail.

A Bloody Mary or Cosmo may be the obvious red drink choice, but we were looking for something new. We like this drink because, on a day loaded with chocolate and other sweets, it’s savory—although not as much as a Bloody Mary, because beet juice has naturally sweetness.

We developed the recipe using gin, but you can use whatever spirit you like. Mezcal gives it a nice smokiness.
 
 
RECIPE: RED BEET COCKTAIL

If you aren’t a juicer, simply buy the beet juice. If your supermarket doesn’t have it, head to the nearest natural foods store. Our favorite brands are Biotta, Love Beets and R.W. Knudsen (photo #2).

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. PREPARE the rim. Combine equal parts of salt and lemon zest. Use a lemon wedge to moisten the rim of the glass, and twist the rim in the salt-zest mixture to coat.

2. COMBINE the ingredients with ice and shake. Strain into a glass.

3. GARNISH as desired.
________________

*Beet juice is so sweet, that the drink doesn’t need any sweetener. However, the brown sugar adds a note of molasses. Taste the drink first before adding the sugar. To enable the sugar to dissolve, pulse it in the food processor until very fine. Alternatively, mix it with a bit of the juice, heat for 15 seconds in the microwave and stir to dissolve.

Spring begins on March 20th and Easter Sunday is April 1st…but IKEA is having a celebration on Friday, March 9th.

You can join participating IKEA stores nationwide* for a Påskbord, a Swedish smörgåsbord buffet in honor of the Easter holiday.
 
IKEA PASKBORD MENU**

The all-you-can eat buffet of classic Swedish food offerings includes:

First Course

 
Second Course

 
IThird Course

 
Desserts & Beverages

 
Boy, are we hungry!

All this and more is yours at the IKEA Påskbord buffet—but only if you get your tickets before they sell out (photo courtesy IKEA).

Tickets are available for only $16.99 per person, $4.99 for kids 12 and under, or at a discounted rate for IKEA FAMILY*** members of $12.99 per person, $2.99 for kids 12 and under.

Seating is limited, so head to your local IKEA store ASAP (find your closest store at IKEA-USA.com).
 
________________________

* IKEA Carson will not host an Easter Påskbord in 2018.

**Menu is subject to change due to product availability.

***IKEA FAMILY is a benefits program that offers membership perks including special product discounts, sneak previews, free coffee and tea in the IKEA Restaurant, and more. Consumers can sign up for the free program online or in-store.

[2] Dessert pots in Lemon Ganache (above) or Chocolate Ganache (next photo) pack a lot of flavor into a small but satisfying size (photo courtesy The Coconut Collaborative | Facebook).

[3] The Chocolate Ganache pot (photo courtesy Flicking The Vs).

[4] The company calls their products “free from dairy but not from temptation” (photo courtesy The Coconut Collaborative).

The #1 brand of coconut milk-based yogurt brand in Europe, The Coconut Collaborate has come to the U.S., bringing their very impressive dairy-free products. While we love dairy, we also want to eat more sustainably—and more plant-based foods let us do that.

Whether you have a current brand of coconut-based yogurt, don’t like coconut yogurt, are lactose intolerant, or are happy with your dairy-based yogurt, The Coconut Collaborative yogurts must be tried!
 
 
COCONUT-BASED YOGURT THAT DOESN’T TASTE LIKE COCONUT!

They yogurts have an amazing taste, and unlike U.S. coconut yogurt brands we’ve tried, the taste isn’t coconut.

For example, with the So Delicious brand, the taste of coconut shines through the fruit or other flavor. With The Coconut Collaborate yogurts, which are made with cultured coconut milk, the fruit flavors are as prominent as with cow’s milk yogurt.

You taste the delicious fruit-on-the-bottom fruit compote (not preserves), currently Blueberry, Mango and Passionfruit.

Even the Original, made from 95% coconut, can compete in deliciousness with cow’s milk yogurts.

We emphasize this because, even coconut lovers like us don’t necessarily want every flavor of yogurt to have a coconut taste.

The yogurt texture is very think and creamy; the experience is delightful. (With every spoonful, we said to ourselves: “So good! So good!)

The products are also targeted to a healthy lifestyle: plant-based, low in sugar, gluten-free and vegan. The brand is in the process of obtaining OU Pareve kosher certification.

 
 
AND THERE’S MORE: LUSCIOUS DESSERT “PARADISE POTS”

As delicious as the yogurts are, there’s even a more an indulgent treat: Paradise Pots in chocolate ganache or lemon ganache.

The name does not exaggerate. At only 100 calories, these single serving dessert pots are bites of paradise.

Made with coconut cream instead of coconut milk, they’re even richer and thicker than the yogurts, with the benefits.

Paradise Pots are guilt-free (100 calories) richness that will satisfy cravings, exactly as if you’d had a pot de crème or mousse.

Treat yourself, family and friends to a Coconut Collaborative tasting session. You’ll enjoy it more than ice cream!

Here’s the store locator.
 
 
SUSTAINABILITY

All of the company’s coconuts are sourced from plantations in Southeast Asia.

The company’s Pur Projet (Pure Project) supports the local farmers, providing a sustainable income for the communities. The project plants thousands of coconut trees each year to ensure that the farmers have new crops to sell.

Discover more at TheCoconutCollaborative.com.