Cheese-making is often thought as an activity best left in the hands of professionals – it involves live enzymes, after all – but this is not always the case. Some cheeses are so easy to make at home it’s a shame you haven’t been making (and eating) them your whole life. Namely, Greek yogurt cheese. That’s right, folks. You can easily take the tub of Greek yogurt in your fridge and turn it into a homemade cheese that’s creamy and tangy in all the right ways. The texture is a mix between cream cheese and goat cheese, but a whole lot better for you because you made it from yogurt at home. It’s basically Labneh, but made with Greek yogurt instead of plain yogurt. To embark on your cheese-making journey, here’s what you’ll need: cheesecloth. Yes, that’s it. Well, and yogurt too. To make the magic happen just let the Greek yogurt sit in the cheesecloth for a few hours and voila, cheese. We suggest making a huge batch, and then marinating half of it in olive oil like food blogger Hungry Couple did. Not only is it super delicious, but it makes for great gifts too. Prep Time: 10 Minutes; Cook Time: 48 Hours Refrigerator Time; Ingredients: 8 Servings:
– 2 Cups Greek yogurt (full fat or 2%)
– 1/2 Teaspoon salt
– 1 Teaspoon za’atar seasoning
– 1 Tablespoon chopped chives
– Olive oil plus additional teaspoon of za’atar for marinade
Instructions: Combine the yogurt, salt and za’atar. Scoop the mixture into cheesecloth and knot tightly. Place the cheesecloth bundle into a mesh strainer over a bowl. Leave on the counter, at room temperature for 1 hour, drain the liquid that forms in the bowl and then refrigerate for 24 – 48 hours. Remove the strained yogurt from the cheesecloth and form 1 oz. balls with your hands or a cookie scoop. Place the cheese balls in a jar and fill with olive oil, an additional teaspoon of za’atar and the chives. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Serve spread on crackers or crusty bread and topped with a sprinkling of sea salt. (By Julie R. Thomson from Huffingtonpost.com via Hungrycouplenyc.com)