Meltémi - Yogurt KefiFM Recipes for our Listeners
The KefiFM team had fun hosting live the founder of meltémi Greek Yogurt on Me logia Ellinika - Fridays ΠΟΥ ΣΟΥ ΚΟΥ and together we taste-tested their traditional and Lower Sugar Greek yogurts.
There are tons of Greek yogurt in the US today but how many can say they are made with real yogurt cultures from Greece?
Meltémi is a new, premium Greek Yogurt made with yogurt cultures that were discovered in Greece. These cultures give meltémi a delicious, less sour flavor that is winning taste tests all over America. Meltémi is lovingly made by a Greek-American family who wanted to make the best Greek yogurt you can find outside of Greece.
Meltémi Greek Yogurt is great for breakfast or a snack but it’s also a versatile ingredient in cooking. You can swap meltémi for sour cream, butter, and even oil in your cooking, gaining protein and losing fat and calories. Below are some recipe ideas but their website has more:
Meltémi Tzatziki
Ingredients
1 32oz container plain 0% or 5% meltémi Greek Yogurt
½ English cucumber with peel, grated 1 clove garlic, pressed 2 tbs fresh lemon juice 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp grated lemon zest 3 tbs chopped fresh dill 1 tbs salt – or to taste freshly ground black pepper to taste ingredients
1 32oz container plain 0% or 5% meltémi Greek Yogurt
½ English cucumber with peel, grated 1 clove garlic, pressed 2 tbs fresh lemon juice 2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp grated lemon zest 3 tbs chopped fresh dill 1 tbs salt – or to taste freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Squeeze grated cucumber over a colander to remove moisture. Once it drains, then lay cucumber on a paper towel. Stir together yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl. Add the cucumber, mix well, then add lemon zest, dill, salt, and pepper; whisk until smooth. Pour into a serving dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate for 8 hours before serving.
Meltémi Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake
Ingredients
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened (plus extra to grease loaf pan) 1 ½ cups granulated sugar Zest of 1 lemon 3 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 ½ cups flour (plus extra for dusting the loaf pan) ¼ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt ½ cup 0% or 5% meltémi Greek Yogurt
FOR THE CREAM LEMON YOGURT FROSTING: 3 tbs plain 0% or 5% meltémi Greek Yogurt 1/2 tsp vanilla 2 to 2-1/4 cups confectioners sugar (use less for a thinner glaze, add more for a thicker frosting) 1 tbs lemon zest 1 tsp lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Beat together butter, sugar, and lemon zest in a stand mixer (or with an electric mixer) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy – approximately 5 minutes. Turn down the speed of the mixer to low. Add in the eggs 1 at a time until fully mixed and then add the vanilla extract. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl Still, on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the egg/butter mixture, then the yogurt, finishing up with the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix until just about fully mixed. Make the last few strokes by hand using a rubber spatula – ensuring there aren’t any hidden clumps of flour. Note: the batter will be fairly thick. Grease and flour an 8.5″ x 4.5″ loaf pan. Pour in the cake batter and bake for about 90 minutes and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Combine all ingredients for the frosting. Add less powdered sugar for a more glaze-like topping or more powdered sugar for a frosting-like topping. Let cool a bit before applying to ice and completely before serving.
Meltémi Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
1 cup meltémi plain 0% or 5% yogurt
2 tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
¼ tsp each of dried parsley, dill, garlic powder, chives, and black pepper
½ tsp each of mustard powder and onion powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
½ tbs lemon juice
Whisk all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand for about 20 minutes to allow flavors to develop. You can adjust the consistency with a little water or milk.
