How to make labne balls

Learn how to make this middle-eastern cheese from natural yoghurt.

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Yogurt Chicken Recipe - How to Make Yogurt Chicken

Photo: Yogurt Chicken Recipe

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to try Yogurt Chicken recipe. Enjoy the Middle Eastern Cuisine and learn how to make Yogurt Chicken. 

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (6 ounce) container plain low-fat yogurt
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup dried bread crumbs, seasoned
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt to taste
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
 
Place yogurt in a small bowl and stir until creamy smooth. Add lemon and stir together. (Note: If you do not stir the yogurt first, the lemon juice will make the yogurt curdle.) In a separate shallow dish or bowl combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder and salt to taste; mix together.
 
In a 9x13 inch baking dish place 1 scant pat of butter or margarine for each chicken breast. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Dip each breast in the lemon/yogurt mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture (coating completely but not heavily).
 
Place coated chicken in the baking dish and top each breast with a full pat of butter or margarine. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
 
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Shishbarak Recipe - How to make Shishbarak

Photo: Shishbarak Recipe

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to try Shishbarak Recipe. Enjoy Lebanese food and learn how to make Shishbarak .
 
Ingredients:

2 kg (64 oz) cooked yoghurt
½ quantity of basic dough recipe
3 cloves garlic, crushed with a dash of salt
1 cup finely chopped fresh coriander
½ kg (16 oz) ground meat
3 medium sized onions, finely chopped
¼ cup fried pine nuts
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablspoon shortening or butter

Preparation:

Roll out dough with a rolling pin to about 1 cm thickness.
Turn a coffee cup over, press over dough to get equal rounds.
Fry onion in shortening till color changes a little. Add meat, salt, allspice and cinnamon. Stir occasionally and fry for 10 minutes.
Add pine nuts. Mix. Drain the mixture, butter would affect closing pastries. Spread the round a little with your fingers. Place 1 tspn of the filling on it.
Fold over one end to make a semi-circle. Press edges down to seal.
Take the two ends from the straight side, bring them together to make a small ring. Press well. Repeat till rounds are done.
Place in a tray in a hot oven (200- 250°C) for 10 minutes or until golden. Add to boiling cooked yoghurt one by one. Let it boil over low heat for 10 minutes or till pastries are cooked.
Fry with shortening coriander and garlic. Add to cooked yoghurt mixture. Cook another 2 minutes.
Serve hot or cold with cooked rice.

From beirutrestaurants.com

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Lebanese Food

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Natural Probiotic Yogurt for Kids

Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Creatas/Getty Images

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to read this article about Natural Probiotic Yogurt for Kids.

Yogurt, with its high levels of protein, calcium and vitamins, has long been recognized by the medical community as a healthy food for both adults and children. Probiotic yogurt is yogurt that contains live microorganisms thought to be beneficial to the human body. While there is no definitive report or guideline from the medical community that states that parents should be feeding their children probiotic yogurt, some individual studies have shown that certain strains of probiotics found in yogurt may help reduce infections. Natural probiotic yogurt is especially beneficial for children as it contains the important nutrients and health benefits without any artificial ingredients.

Probiotics

Your stomach naturally contains a mixture of beneficial and harmful bacteria. The beneficial bacteria helps protect against diseases, aids in digestion and helps absorb nutrients. The beneficial bacteria offset the presence of any harmful bacteria. Sometimes, however, the balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria is thrown off by disease-causing bacteria, fungi, yeasts and parasites. Children are especially prone to bacterial imbalance because of stomach and respiratory infections that they pick up in school, as well as tooth decay. Another cause for the imbalance is antibiotics, which children commonly take for bacterial infections but which kill off beneficial bacteria in the process.

Probiotic Yogurt

Some yogurts marketed for children have labels stating that they have probiotics, also called live and active cultures. All yogurts initially contain live and active cultures. However, some yogurts are heat-treated after fermentation in order to extend shelf life and reduce tartness. The heat treatment kills the live and active cultures. Probiotic yogurts have not been heat-treated so they still contain live and active cultures. Consuming yogurt fortified with probiotics, which are similar to the beneficial bacteria naturally found in the stomach, increases the presence of good bacteria and is therefore thought to increase health.

Evidence

While there are thousands of probiotics, only certain strains have been shown through clinical trials to be beneficial. Lactobacillus is one probiotic that comes in several strains, including Lactobacillus GG, Lactobacillus casei DN114 001 and Lactobacillus casei Shirota. A 2008 report by The Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology concluded that all of these strains have been shown to reduce diarrhea. Lactobacillus GG was also shown to be helpful in treating eczema and milk allergy in children, as well as reducing illness in children that attended daycare. Several studies have also shown that some probiotic strains, specifically Bifidobacterium infantis 35624, may be useful in dealing with irritable bowel syndrome. In a 2010 study funded by Danon, researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center found that Lactobacillus casei DN114 001 reduced the incidence of gastrointestinal infections and upper respiratory infections in children ages 3 to 6. To obtain these health benefits for your children, purchase yogurts labeled with the scientific names of these probiotic strains.

Natural Probiotic Yogurt

Not all yogurts, even ones containing probiotics, are healthy. Some yogurts are high in sugar and artificial ingredients. While there is no guideline from the Food and Drug Administration on what is considered natural yogurt, the term "natural" usually means that it is made without artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, additives and preservatives. Choosing natural probiotic yogurts will help control your child's sugar intake while providing all of the nutritional and health benefits.

References

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Introduction to Probiotics
About Yogurt.com: Live and Active Culture (LAC) Yogurt Facts
ABC News; Probiotics May Cut Down on Children's Infections, Study Finds; Lauren Cox; May 2010
"The New York Times"; Probiotics - Looking Underneath the Yogurt Label; Tara Parker-Pope; September 2009
CBS News; The Skinny on Yogurt and Your Health; October 2009

From livestrong.com

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List of Probiotic Yogurts

Photo Credit yaourt image by danimages from Fotolia.com

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to read this article about List of Probiotic Yogurts.

According to the World Health Organization and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, probiotics are defined as "live organisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host." The majority of probiotics found in food products, like yogurt, are similar to the healthy bacteria present in your intestinal tract. The consumption of probiotics are said to help prevent and treat diarrhea, urinary tract infections, irritable bowel syndrome and pouchitis, which is a condition that can occur after the colon has been surgically removed. 

Dannon Activia

Dannon's Activia contains the probiotics L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilu and Bifidomacterium, according to their nutritional label. An 8 oz serving of vanilla Dannon Activia contains 220 calories, four grams of fat and 35 percent of your recommended daily calcium intake.

Stoneyfield

According to the nutrition label, Stoneyfield's organic, fat free yogurt contains the following probiotics, S. Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, L. Casei, and L. Rhamnosus. A 4 oz serving of organic, fat free vanilla yogurt yields 90 calories, zero fat and 20 percent of your recommended daily calcium consumption. 

Brown Cow

According to Brown Cow's website, all of their yogurt products contain the probiotics S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus and Bifidus. A 6 oz container of Brown Cow low fat, vanilla bean yogurt contains 150 calories, 2g of fat and 25 percent of your daily recommended calcium.

Silk Live! Soy Yogurt

Silk Live! Soy Yogurt contains the following probiotics according to their nutritional label, L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, L. acidophilus, B. bifidum, L. casei and L. rhamnosus. A 6 oz serving of vanilla soy yogurt yields 150 calories, 3g of fat and thirty percent of your daily recommended calcium intake.

References

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Introduction to Probiotics
Dannon: Dannon Activia
Stoneyfield: Organic Fat Free Yogurt

From livestrong.com

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5 Things You Need to Know About Health Benefits Of Probiotic Yogurt

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to read this article about the 5 Things You Need to Know About Health Benefits Of  Probiotic Yogurt. 

1. Probiotics, the Good Bacteria

Probiotic yogurt and other probiotic foods contain healthy bacteria or probiotics that help maintain a healthy balance of organisms in the intestines. There're over 200 types of bacteria that reside in the intestinal tract, so it's a big job to keep them all happy. The largest group of probiotic bacteria in the body's intestines is lactic acid bacteria, or Lactobacilus acidophilus, which is in probiotic yogurt. It passes through the stomach to the gastrointestinal tract to help those who experience gas and abdominal bloating or discomfort, allowing them to digest yogurt thanks to the starter cultures and probiotics.

2. Tame Diarrhea With Probiotic Yogurt

Many individuals who have problems digesting milk or are lactose intolerant receive benefits by eating probiotic yogurt. Yogurt actually produces an enzyme during fermentation that helps make it easier to digest. Add this to the probiotic yogurt that replaces healthy bacteria and it makes probiotic yogurt an excellent choice for those who are lactose intolerant. Many antibiotics prescribed to treat infections actually kill the good bacteria along with the illness, causing bad bacteria in the body to multiply and resulting in diarrhea. Probiotic yogurt helps replace good healthy bacteria back into the body, giving relief to the diarrhea. This gives merit to the claims that probiotics help to lower the risk of intestinal infections.

3. Helps Improve the Body's Immunity

Research studies show some promise that yogurt with probiotic cultures helps improve the immune system of the body. Depending on the study, there are indications that the probiotic yogurts are beneficial in reducing yeast infections in women. Since the probiotics in yogurt and some other foods have shown to be beneficial in helping with digestion, researchers are now testing to see if there are any benefits from the probiotic yogurts in reducing colon and other cancer risks.
4. Children Benefit From Probiotic Yogurt

Some studies show reduction in childhood allergies and asthma in children given probiotics. Many young children suffer from chronic diarrhea or develop diarrhea when being treated with antibiotics. Adding probiotic yogurt to their diet gives them some relief and the probiotic yogurt helps replace the healthy bacteria in their system just as it does for adults.

5. Stock Up On the Health Benefits of Probiotic Yogurt

When shopping for probiotic yogurt, read the labels. Look for yogurt products that state on their labeling that it contains live, active and probiotic cultures or that these were added. Your healthiest choice is to purchase a plain non-fat yogurt with live and active cultures and added probiotics. Read the list of ingredients to see if it contains L. acidophilus as an ingredient or additive.

From livestrong.com

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Frozen yoghurt pops recipe

Photo: Frozen yoghurt pops recipe

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to try Frozen yoghurt pops Recipe. Enjoy the Middle Eastern Cuisine and learn how to make Frozen yoghurt pops.

Makes
8

Equipment
You'll need an 8-hole, 1/4 cup-capacity plastic ice-block mould.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups light plain Greek-style yoghurt
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
4 passionfruit, halved

Method

Whisk yoghurt and sugar together in a bowl until sugar has dissolved. Spoon half the mixture into a separate bowl.

Place raspberries in a sieve over a bowl. Using the back of a spoon, press raspberries through sieve until there is 1/4 cup of puree. Discard pulp. Add puree to 1 bowl of yoghurt mixture. Stir to combine. Add passionfruit pulp to remaining yoghurt mixture. Stir to combine.

Spoon raspberry mixture into 4 moulds. Repeat with passionfruit mixture. Place lids in position (alternatively, press a paddle pop stick in the centre of each mould). Freeze for 4 hours or until frozen.

To remove from moulds, run under warm water for 3 seconds. Serve.

Source
Super Food Ideas - April 2009, Page 70
Recipe by Claire Brookman
   
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Turkish delight and yoghurt bavarois with raspberry syrup  
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Yoghurt crunch recipe

Photo: Yoghurt crunch recipe

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to try Yoghurt crunch Recipe. Enjoy the Middle Eastern Cuisine and learn how to make Yoghurt crunch. 

Makes
2 1/2 cups

Ingredients (serves 6)

90g (1 cup) rolled oats
1 tbs light olive oil
2 tbs maple syrup
60g (1/3 cup) blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
45g (1/3 cup) pecans, chopped
25g (1/3 cup) chopped dried apples
70g (1/3 cup) chopped dried apricots.

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place rolled oats in a medium bowl and drizzle with 1 olive oil and maple syrup and stir to combine. Spread over a baking tray and bake in oven for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle blanched almonds, coarsely chopped and pecans, chopped over oat mixture and bake, stirring once during cooking, for 5-7 minutes or until nuts are golden brown and crisp.

Transfer oat mixture to a bowl to cool. Stir in dried apples and dried apricots. Store in an airtight container. Serve sprinkled over yoghurt or as a topping on tinned or stewed fruit.

Spring has sprung which means it's time to ditch all the comfort foods and put the spring back into your meals with our selection of spring recipes, easy chicken recipes, lamb recipes, picnic recipes and lemon recipes.

Source
Australian Good Taste - October 2006, Page 59
Recipe by Tracy Rutherford
 
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How to strain yoghurt

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to read this article about How to strain yoghurt.

Why strain yoghurt? To drain the moisture, which makes it thicker and creamier for dips. Here's how.

Step 1: Wet a piece of muslin or clean kitchen cloth and wring out the excess water.

Step 2: Line a colander with the muslin and spoon in the yoghurt. Place the colander over a bowl to catch the liquid.

Step 3: Cover and place in fridge for at least 3 hours. Keep in mind that straining the yoghurt reduces its volume by half.
 

 
Source
Australian Good Taste - October 2010 , Page 146  

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Turkish delight and yoghurt bavarois with raspberry syrup recipe

Photo: Turkish delight and yoghurt bavarois with raspberry syrup recipe

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to try Turkish delight and yoghurt bavarois with raspberry syrup Recipe. Enjoy the Middle Eastern Cuisine and learn how to make Turkish delight and yoghurt bavarois with raspberry syrup..

Ingredients (serves 10)

450ml pouring cream
150g caster sugar
1 vanilla bean
4 (20g) gelatine leaves (see note)
180g rose-flavoured Turkish delight, finely chopped
2 tsp icing sugar
1 1/4 cups Greek-style yoghurt
50g flaked almonds, toasted
Raspberry syrup
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 cinnamon stick
5cm-long strip lemon rind
4 x 120g punnets raspberries

Method

Lightly grease 10 x 125ml dariole moulds. Place 150ml cream and sugar in a small saucepan. Split vanilla bean lengthways. Using the tip of a small knife, scrape seeds into pan, then add bean. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, then bring almost to the boil. Remove from heat. Stand for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak gelatine leaves in cold water for 4 minutes or until softened. Strain cream mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Squeeze excess liquid from gelatine, then add to warm cream mixture and stir until dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Toss chopped Turkish delight in icing sugar. Using an electric mixer, whisk remaining cream until soft peaks form. Whisk yoghurt into cooled cream mixture, then fold through whipped cream and Turkish delight. Pour into prepared moulds and refrigerate for 4 hours (or overnight) until set.

For syrup, place 1 1/2 cups water and sugar in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Add scraped seeds from vanilla bean and bean (see step 1 for directions), cinnamon stick and lemon rind and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Place raspberries in a heatproof bowl then strain syrup over raspberries. Cool to room temperature.

Unmould bavarois on to plates. Spoon over raspberries, syrup and almonds.

Notes

Look for gelatine leaves in delicatessens. Alternatively, sprinkle 1 1/2 tbs powdered gelatine over 1/4 cup water in a small heatproof cup. Place cup in a saucepan of boiling water. Stir until dissolved.

Gelatine-free: For strict vegetarians, combine all cream and sugar in the recipe with 8g agar agar powder (in place of gelatine) and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture boils and agar agar dissolves. Whisk yoghurt into hot mixture. Stir in Turkish delight. Pour into moulds immediately and refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set. Agar agar is a natural seaweed extract, available from health and Asian food stores.

Source
Notebook: - March 2006, Page 124
Recipe by Jane Hann
 
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Save and share Turkish delight and yoghurt bavarois with raspberry syrup recipe

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Spinach & yoghurt dip recipe

Photo: Spinach & yoghurt dip recipe

The Lebanese Recipes Kitchen (The home of delicious Lebanese Recipes and Middle Eastern food recipes) invites you to try Spinach & yoghurt dip Recipe. Enjoy the Middle Eastern Cuisine and learn how to make Spinach & yoghurt dip.

Preparation Time 10 minutes
Cooking Time 10 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8)

1 tbs olive oil
1 brown onion, halved, finely chopped
300g baby spinach leaves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
260g (1 cup) Greek-style natural yoghurt
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Turkish pide, to serve (see related recipe)

Method

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 8 minutes or until soft. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until spinach wilts.

Add the cinnamon and allspice and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

Combine the spinach mixture and yoghurt in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with pide.

Notes

You can make this dip up to 2 days ahead. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Remove from fridge 15 minutes before serving to bring to room temperature.

Source
Australian Good Taste - October 2004, Page 58
Recipe by Rodney Dunn
 
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