OLD FASHIONED SOFT MOLASSES COOKIES

1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening or lard (non hydrogenated)
2 cups molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream or Greek style (thick) yogurt
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in a small amount of hot water
6 cups flour (or more)

Cream together sugar and shortening (butter may be used but cookies will spread out more when baked), add molasses, vanilla, sour cream or yogurt, slightly beaten egg and spices. Dissolve baking soda in just enough hot to mix; add to dough.Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough, stirring just until combined.
Cover bowl and set dough aside for one hour in a cool place.
After 1 hour, roll dough out 1/4-inch thick, or slightly thicker, and cut with a large round cutter dipped into flour or cocoa before each cut. (Note: For fancy cutouts, add a little more flour to make a stiffer dough, making dough easier to handle).
Lift cut-out cookies gently with a spatula to a greased cookie sheet.
Bake in a preheated 350°F for about 15 minutes or until done.
Cookies should be soft inside.
Spicy Variation: Add 1 tablespoon rum or bourbon, increase cloves and nutmeg to 1 teaspoon and ginger to 1 1/2 teaspoons (very spicy and an acquired taste)

Greek Panna Cotta Dessert

http://www.yumsugar.com/Come-Party-Me-Greek-Dinner-Dessert-7433245

Ingredients

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons cold water
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
One 17.6-ounce tub of Greek yogurt, such as Fage Total brand (2 cups)
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup semi-dry white wine, such as Vouvray
1/4 cup honey

Directions

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water; let stand until softened, 5 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the cream, sugar and vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer. Off the heat, stir in the gelatin until melted. In a bowl, whisk the yogurt until smooth. Gradually whisk in the vanilla cream; remove the vanilla bean. Pour the mixture into six 1/2-cup ramekins and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, simmer the apricots in the white wine over moderately low heat until the apricots are plump and the wine has reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Stir in the honey and simmer the syrup until thickened, about 5 minutes; let cool.
4. Run a knife around the inside of each ramekin. Set a plate on each ramekin and invert each panna cotta onto a plate; you may have to tap and shake the ramekins to loosen the panna cottas. Slice the apricots and spoon them on top of the panna cottas. Drizzle with some of the honey syrup and serve.

Greek Potato Salad With Yogurt and Mustard Dressing

http://www.food.com/recipe/potato-salad-with-yogurt-and-mustard-dressing-130835

Ingredients:

Servings:

  4   4

4-6

Units: US | Metric

• 1 lb waxy potato , peeled, cooked and cubed
• 1 chopped red onion
• 1/2 cucumber , washed, not peeled, cut into small cubes (remove the seeds if there are many)
• 1 finely chopped celery rib
• 1/2 bell pepper , any color, chopped
• 10 olives , halved (green or black)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs , chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• 1 cup thick Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon capers , roughly chopped
• 2 minced anchovy fillets (or salt if you do not like ansjovies)
• pepper
• 1 large garlic clove , crushed
• 2 tomatoes , cut in wedges

Directions:

1. 1
   Mix together in a large bowl: potatoes, onion, cucumber, celery, bell pepper, olives, eggs, parsley and mint.
2. 2
   Mix the yogurt with the mustard, cayenne, capers, anchovies (or salt), pepper and garlic, taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
3. 3
   Gently mix the dressing with the salad, transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the tomatoes (and more olives if you like).

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

http://www.sproutandpea.com/2010/12/creamy-mashed-cauliflower/

Hands down, my absolute favorite side dish is my mom’s mashed potatoes. She makes them with sour cream which gives them a nice creamy tang and when it comes to food, I tend to devour anything with a little tang. Over the years, I’ve adapted this recipe into a slightly healthier version by substituting Greek yogurt and it tastes just as decadent. Continuing on the healthy route, tonight I decided to make my adapted recipe with cauliflower instead of potatoes.

Truth be told, if someone placed this in front of me and told me it was mashed potatoes, I would probably believe them. While the consistency is a bit thinner, it tastes very similar. This dish also gets bonus points by saving you time (no need to peel away at tons of potatoes), and this cruciferous vegetable is packed full of health benefits that you can read all about here. Here’s how to make this easy side dish…

1 head of cauliflower (florets only – no stems)
1 small, 6 oz container of greek yogurt
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 small shallot chopped
1 chopped scallion for garnish
Salt, pepper and seasonings to taste (I like to use garlic pepper andAdobo)
In a medium pot, bring water to boil (I like to add some garlic pepper and Adobo to the water). Add cauliflower florets to the boiling water and let cook for about 8 minutes or until soft. Remove and drain. In a food processor, combine the cauliflower with the greek yogurt, butter, garlic and shallots and blend until a creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper or Adobo or seasonings of your choice and blend once more. Transfer to a bowl and while hot, mix in the parmigiano reggiano and top with scallions for garnish.

Yogurt Key Lime Pie

http://chobanikitchen.com/recipes/detail/key-lime-pie

• 1 C (about 15 cookies) finely crushed gingersnaps
• 3 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 C Plain 0% Chobani Greek Yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 C key lime juice
• 2 Tbsp confectioner's sugar
• zest of 1 lime

Making yogurt

http://www.makeyourownyogurt.com/