Tag Archives: greek yogurt

Creme Fraiche-I made it!

Posted by chefconnie in breakfast, brunch, Dessert, Fruit, Gluten Free, Low Carb, Vegetarian and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

My family loves to have creme fraiche with berries for breakfast.  Whenever I go to buy it I find I am dismayed by the price.  This is just too expensive for everyday eating.   Creme fraiche translates into fresh cream in French.  It is actually cultured cream, much like sour cream or yogurt. 

I adore both sour cream and yogurt so I decided that cultured heavy cream made from high quality heavy whipping cream should be delish beyond compare.  Boy was I right.  De-freaking-lish!

The final product came out with a velvety and smooth texture from the heavy cream and a slightly sour taste that really made it special.  I seriously have to stop eating this stuff to get a good idea of how to describe it.  There is no added sugar in this recipe but it has a slightly sweet finish to it.  There is no need to add sweetener to it because it is great alone.

Home-made Creme Fraiche

1 quart heavy whipping cream (I used Organic valley)

1 pint Greek yogurt (I used Greek Gods)

Simmer heavy whipping cream on stove top stirring to avoid scalding for 5 minutes.

Let cool on counter until cream reaches 110 degrees.

Add yogurt and whisk to fully incorporate.  Over night the yogurt cultures will begin to work on the cream and flavor and thicken it.

Cover and leave in your refrigerator over night.

It should be thick and ready to enjoy the next day.

Some ways to use home-made creme fraiche:

Made cucumber dip for greek meatballs.  Add diced cucumber (peel it first) a little fresh garlic, lemon juice and parsley.

Add fresh garlic, herbs and sea salt and pepper to make a dip for veggies.

Dollop some next to pie or cobbler instead of whipped cream.

Serve for breakfast with berries and granola.

Greek Lamb Salad

Posted by chefconnie in Baking, Beef, Braising, Feta Cheese, free range eggs, Fresh Herbs, Gluten Free, Greek Salad, Healthy, Kalamato Olive, Lamb, Low Carb, meatball, Uncategorized and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

After the rib fest this weekend salad seemed like a great idea.  I love the combination of lamb and feta cheese.  This recipe works well as a salad but I usually make up about 40 meatballs and freeze them for other dishes.  The meatballs work well in a curry, soup or with a tomato oregano sauce over rice. 

These meatballs are both low carb and gluten free.  I do not use any bread crumbs as a binder.  Just feta cheese, herbs, organic eggs and red wine with lots of garlic.

Bake the meatballs at a high temperature of 425 until browned and fully cooked inside about 20 minutes.

Cool in oven and serve with organic salad greens, fresh grape tomatoes, feta cheese and kalamata olives.  Drizzle the salad with good extra virgin olive oil and just a splash of red wine vinegar. 

Greek Lamb Meatballs

1 lb Ground lamb

1 lb Ground lean beef

3 cloves garlic minced fine

2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried

1/2 cup good feta cheese crumbles

2 organic eggs

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup red wine

Mix everything together in a bowl and let sit in your refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until cold.  This will help all of the flavors blend and the meat to firm and keep a meatball shape better.

Shape meat into balls and bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.  Let cool and serve with feta cheese, organic salad greens, fresh grape tomatoes, kalamata olives and greek yogurt.  Also good with grilled pita bread.

Freeze remaining meatballs for later use.