Yogurt Cheese

This is a pretty simple thing I discovered recently.  Get a tub of low-fat or non-fat plain yogurt.  Line a collander with 3-4 layers of cheesecloth and set it in a bowl or other container so that it's supported by the edges and is well above the bottom.  Put the yogurt in the cheesecloth and let it sit in the fridge for 24-48 hours.

After that, a lot of the liquid in the yogurt will have drained away, and you'll be left with a tasty, spreadable cheese.  You keep all the healthy parts of the yogurt, including most of the protein, but about half of the sugar and a lot of the acidity drains away with the liquid.  The yogurt cheese is fairly mild in flavor, and less sour than yogurt, so you can combine it with other things like peanut butter.  You can use it as a substitute for cream cheese.  Even if you don't use non-fat yogurt, the yogurt cheese will be lower in fat than even light cream cheese, and not taste like horrible processed crap the way light cream cheese does.  It's also got lots of casein, so it can be used in place of cottage cheese.

I prefer to use low-fat yogurt over non-fat, because it's still not all that fatty and tastes a lot creamier.  You'll also want to be sure you get a brand of yogurt that doesn't have stabalizers that will prevent the liquid from draining.  I've found Dannon non-fat or low-fat yogurt works well.

nice call....i used Dannon all natural and a big coffee filter......when its done straining i mixed in some natty pb and a packet of splenda and it tased somewhere between peanutbutter pudding and vanilla frosting......i dip apple wedges in it with cinnamon or just eat it like pudding.....dessert is served