A week or so ago, Julie contacted me and asked if I would like to try out some Fage Total Greek Yogurt, (Fage, pronounced Fa - ye) I jumped at the chance. Not only is is my favourite kind of yogurt, but it is something that I use all the time!

I have been a yogurt fan ever since my school days in the 1970's. Not only did I take one in my little brown bag for lunch every day, but I think I must surely be the person who invented frozen yogurt, as I always had several little tubs in my mom's freezer, just waiting for me to dig in. Yes . . . I was way ahead of my time!



Anyways, today an Ocado Delivery truck drove up to my door and Todd said . . . "What did you order now?"

"Nothing!" I squealed with delight! "It's my free yogurt from Julie!"



Now for some facts: TOTAL Greek yogurt was first imported into the UK in the 1980's and has grown to become the nation's leading brand of Greek Yogurt. This lovely yogurt is made with cow's milk and a live active yogurt culture. The traditional straining method removes the whey of the nilk and any excess water, which is what gives TOTAL it's distinctive thick texture and mild natural flavour. It actually takes 2 litres of milk to make just one 500g pot! Not only is it incredibly thick and ric, but it's 100% preservative and additive free and contains no artificial sweeteners, thickeners or added sugars. From where I am standing that seems like a really good thing. I don't want to put a whole lot of artificial junk into my body if I can help it!



Straining the yogurt during it's production means that this yogurt can be heated without it splitting, which makes it incredibly versatile. (They do not recommend however that you heat the 0% yogurt.) I just know that it is delicious. I have some just about every morning, spooned out on top of my homemade granola and drizzled with a bit of honey. It's truly the breakfast of champions! I also love it spooned on top of fruit and puddings. It's much lower in fat than regular cream or creme fraiche.

To make a long story short, I have a fridge full of yogurt to use up now and you will be seeing a few ways that I am going to do just that over the next week or so.



Here is what I did with it today. A delicious, tangy and crunchy salad! Chock full of good things like beans and tomatoes, chickpeas and corn, with a tangy and spicy yogurt dressing. I felt positively self righteously healthy when I was eating it! (For more information about Total Green Yogurt, feel free to visit the Total Page. There's lots of goodies and facts there!)



*Corn and Bean Salad*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Beautiful and colourful, this is one very tasty, and healthy salad! Try it out at your next barbeque!

For the dressing:
the juice of 3 limes
170g tub of Greek Yoghurt
(about 1 cup)
2 ounces olive oil (1/4 cup)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
a large handful of fresh coriander, chopped (cilantro)

For the salad:
1 (415g or 15 ounce) tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well
1 (415g or 15 ounce) tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels, uncooked (can use one tin of niblets corn, drained)
1 medium courgette, washed, trimmed and cut into small cubes
1 red bell pepper, trimmed and cut into small cubes
4 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes
6 spring onionss, thinly sliced




Make the dressing by whisking together the lime juice, yoghurt, olive oil, garlic, salt and cayenne pepper. Fold in the chopped coriander.

In a large salad bowl, combine the beans, corn, chickpeas, red pepper, courgettes and spring onions. Pour the yoghurt lime dressing over top and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature.

Know what I am having for my bedtime snack tonight? That's right a nice little pot of yoghurt with some honey on top. Yummo!

I love recipes which are quick to do and use things that I, generally speaking, have on hand most of the time. Things like tinned fruit,plain yoghurt, cream and chocolate covered biscuits.



I bet any one of you would probably have those things in your larder and fridge right now as well!



This recipe is so very versatile and the perfect recipe to have up your sleeve when un-expected company drops by. I have used apricots here, but you needen't limit yourself to apricots . . . fresh strawberries, lightly crushed . . . raspberries and blueberries . . . blackberries . . . tinned fruit cocktail, pears, peaches . . . you name it!!



I don't think there are too many fruits . . . tinned, frozen or fresh . . . that wouldn't be pretty tasty done up this way.



Likewise the biscuits. Any chocolate covered biscuit works . . . chocolate covered hobnobs, digestives . . . chocolate fingers . . . chocolate covered malt biscuits . . . any chocolate covered biscuit works very well!



Imagine punching your spoon down through a cinnamon sugar sprinkled creamy mixture of yoghurt and cream, stogged full of crisp chocolate covered biscuits . . . blanketing a layer of fruit.

Ohh mmmm . . . creamy and crunchy and rich and sweet.

Perfect . . . simply perfect.



*Cookies and Cream Dessert*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A quick dessert that is not only very easy to make, but uses things I normally have on hand. You don't have to use apricots with this. Try strawberries when they are in season or a mixture of berries. You can use chocolate coated hobnobs instead of chocolate covered digestives. Delicious! Please note that this dessert needs to be served as soon as it is made as it does not keep well.

411g tin of apricots in juice
(14 ounce)
284ml carton of extra thick double cream
(1 heaped cup ful)
200g carton of thick Greek Yoghurt
(1 heaped cupful)
10 chocolate covered biscuits
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 TBS demerara sugar
(Turbinado)

Drain the apricots, reserving half of the juice. Chop up in rough pieces and divide them between 4 dessert bowls. Spoon the reserved juice over top.

Whisk together the cream and yoghurt. Break up the biscuits into rough bits and then stir them into the cream/yoghurt mixture. Spoon over top of the fruit.

Mix together the sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over top of the cream mixture. Serve immediately.