There’s no shortage of Greek things to appreciate.
Like gyros, tzatziki and, of course …
By hyku [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
John Stamos!
I swear that man only gets better with age. Or maybe my tastes are just changing as I age. Either way, it’s nice to have a little eye candy with your morning coffee and blog reading, right?
The Greek thing I’m most into at the moment? No, not Uncle Jesse all grown up.
It’s Greek yogurt.
(Don’t think it escaped me that John Stamos has been in ads for Dannon Oikos, one of the Big 3 Greek yogurt brands, along with Fage and Chobani. I saw an Oikos commercial recently with two women in a kitchen, madly eating Oikos so their dorky husbands would turn into John Stamos. It made me laugh.)
Greek yogurt, which is made by straining out the whey through cheesecloth, has double the protein of regular, unstrained yogurt. It’s also thicker and richer, yet lower in fat and carbs. You can read more about the health benefits of yogurt here.
Better yet, it’s versatile. I’ve used it as a replacement for sour cream over potatoes and in dips … and in sweet snacks. A half cup of plain yogurt topped with 2 Tablespoons of rolled oats and 1 teaspoon honey can be an awesome afternoon treat.
Inspired by Roni, mine has sugar-free chocolate syrup, almond butter and slivered almonds
Roni Noone of Roni’s Weigh and Green Lite Bites has launched a “Daily Yogurt” feature. Every day, she posts a yogurt concoction on Instagram, and it always looks delicious. Find a link to her first 14 yogurt bowls here.
My snack at right was inspired by Roni’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt.
I’ve been digging another snack that features the goodness of Greek yogurt, too: These Frozen Yogurt Trail Mix Bars from Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean.
They’re packed with strawberries, bananas, granola, chocolate chips — all kinds of deliciousness, yet each one has just 2 Weight Watchers Points. I made a batch on Super Bowl Sunday, and have been enjoying them slowly.
But the batch only makes 8 bars, and my supply was dwindling … so I whipped up another one. This time, I switched it up. The snow outside made me long for tropical climes, so I made myself some Tropical Frozen Yogurt Trail Mix Bars.
In the mix:
- 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 banana
- 1/2 oz. (abt. 2 Tablespoons) shredded unsweetened coconut
- 2 Tablespoons slivered almonds
Stir well. Line an 8×8 pan with foil or wax paper (I have Reynolds pan lining paper — parchment on one side, foil on the other). Spread mixture evenly and freeze. Remove from pan, let sit for 5 minutes and cut into 8 bars. Wrap individually and they’re ready to grab and go. And they’re still just 2 WW Points each.
Note: They’re hard as a rock right from the freezer. I find it’s best to let one sit out for 10 to 20 minutes before attempting to eat it.
Also note: Lindsay freezes hers in ice cube trays, then pops them out and puts a few on a plate.
If yogurt isn’t your thing and you’d prefer a more decadent treat, check out Carla’s evil Oreo Brownies.
Umm … you think John Stamos would materialize in my kitchen if I bite into one of those?
What’s your favorite way to enjoy Greek yogurt?
