Try Yogurt Cream Cheese with Chives and Cracked Black Pepper

Don’t turn the page… Yogurt can be tasty too! Today we feature yogurt cream cheese with fresh herbs and roasted garlic. This post is a continuation of the last one which spoke about prebiotics. In this post, we discuss Probiotics, which are found in yogurt, kefir and miso. These organisms enable the enteric system, which is our immune system in the gut to create resistance (like a militia!) to pathogenic or bad bacteria. Lactose intolerant may tolerate yogurt for the lactose is broken down.  The probiotic also fights inflammation in irritable bowel syndrome.

Another way to eat your yogurt is to enjoy labne or yogurt cheese, which is part of Middle Eastern cuisine. Any pain yogurt can be used.  Dannon’s  plain yogurt, low fat or whole milk  or my favorite, Mountain High yogurt. This is a great spread, additive fee and low in calories.

• 2 cups of plain yogurt
• 12 inch square of cotton towel, fine mesh cloth or paper towels
• a colander
• 2 tablespoons of chopped chives
• a sprig of fresh thyme leaves
• cracked black pepper taste
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 4 garlic cloves roasted

Line a colande with a towel and place over a bowl. Add 2 cups of plain yogurt and cover with the flaps of the towel.

Place the yogurt in the refrigerator for overnight and let drain of the whey. There will be  about 1/2 cup of fluid. When the yogurt appears like cream cheese, remove the cloth and remold into a serving bowl. Add salt, herbs, cracked pepper and serve with crackers or pita bread.

Note: To roast garlic cloves, coat a 1/2 bulb of garlic with olive oil, wrap in foil and place on a cookie sheet to bake for 20-30  minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from the  oven, cool and press on the skins.  They will peel away revealing the creamy and very smooth paste of  roasted cloves of garlic.