Just Add Yoghurt

I think meatballs are one of the most diverse dishes of all time - cooked in tomato sauce in Italy and Greece, wrapped in flatbread in Turkey, served in hot soup in Vietnam or covered in gravy in Sweden. When done well, they are moist, delicious and a great cheap eat. When done badly they are dry and tasteless.  Lending itself to so many different creations, I like to experiment with the humble meatball. For this dish you can use traditional coconut milk however for a tangy and creamy twist, you can use yoghurt. Go with your gut.  Ingredients: 500g pork or beef 1/2inch of ginger, grated 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 tablespoons lime juice 1 tablespoon of crushed lemongrass 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons of coriander 1 red chili (small or ½ big chili – remove seeds if you don’t like spice) ½ teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon flour 1 tablespoons of thai paste (you can use green curry paste if you like or follow the below recipe) 3/4 cup of chicken stock ½ cup yoghu

We were going to visit family for morning tea when I had a moment of panic and realised I had nothing to take. In these situations no bake bites are my go to. They are easy, simple and need very few ingredients. Whatever is in the pantry, you can put in a mixing ball with some melted butter and chocolate and you have a quick sweet treat. That day, I was wanting to feel like a kid again so looked for ingredients that would conjure up fond childhood memories. That ingredient for me is peanut butter. Peanut butter with honey on toast was my weekend indulgence. I loved the sweet and salty combination.  So with almond biscuits in the pantry and an abundance of peanut butter at my disposal I got to work. This week’s blog recipe is chocolate peanut butter balls. What you make with things from the pantry. Recipe at justaddyoghurt.com #peanutbutter #chocolate #yoghurt #dessert A post shared by Anne Zervaas (@justaddyoghurt) on Jul 18, 2018 at 1:49am PDT Ingredi

It's a weeknight and you realise you need to make something for a work fundraising morning tea. It is raining and cold and the thought of going to the shop is downright repulsive. So you open the pantry, pull out some ingredients and hope for the best. This was one occasion, which while not refined or attractive, delivered a tasty treat easy to prepare and share.  With just a few ingredients, this slice is perfect with a cup of tea and if you want to make it a little sweeter make some icing and slather it on.  Ingredients:  125g melted butter 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1 egg 1 tablespoon yoghurt 1/2 cup plain flour 1/3 cup self-raising flour 2 tablespoon crushed almonds 1/2 cup desiccated coconut Method: Pre-heat oven to 160ºC fan-forced Grease a 15cm x 10cm pan Mix melted butter and brown sugar together Add the cocoa powder and mix until well combined Stir in the egg and yoghurt Sift together plain flour and self-raising flour and add t

No more are kids birthday parties filled with chips, chocolates and lollies. Now they are a culinary adventure, taking the chocolate mud cake birthday favourite to a two-tiered, fondant covered, super-hero themed cake. Kids birthday parties have certainly gone up a notch.  However for a friend's two year old birthday party, I bought out a party favourite...mini pizzas. This recipe is quick and delicious.  Ingredients: Pizza sauce:  500ml tomato passata 1 garlic clove 1 teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon sugar ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil Pizza dough: 2 cups self-raising flour, sifted 1 cup yoghurt ½ teaspoon salt Toppings: Grated cheese Ham Sundried tomato Tomato Olives Fresh basil Dried oregano Roasted capsicum Method: To make the sauce, put a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan on medium heat Add the garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant  Add passata, salt, sugar and pepper

Here is an enigma for you - I don't like capsicum (bell peppers) but I love chilli and even like dips with roast capsicum. So when it comes to harissa, I love its bite without the bitterness of raw capsicum. Harissa is a Tunisian hot chilli paste and is incredibly versatile.  Ingredients: Chicken: 600g chicken, cubed 3 teaspoons harissa – heaped 3 teaspoons yoghurt – heaped 1 teaspoon lemon Salad: 1 teaspoon harissa 2 teaspoons yoghurt ½ teaspoon honey ½ teaspoon lemon ½ cup quinoa, cooked and cooled ¾ cup brown rice, cooked and cooled 1 cup baby spinach 1 tomato 1 cup of stale bread, chopped into cubes (1cm) and baked with salt, pepper and olive oil (croutons) 150g haloumi Honey carrots: 1 carrot ½ teaspoon honey 1 teaspoon butter Pinch salt Method: Chicken: Combine the yoghurt, harissa, lemon and pour over the chicken Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes Grill the chicken on high until cooke

Growing up a taco meant mince beef, lettuce, tomato and sour cream in a crunchy taco shell. Old El Paso would be the Mexican chef in our household. Don't get me wrong, my mum is an excellent cook. However growing up in a Greek family, Mexican never frequented the dinner table. So as a way to mix up our mealtimes we would sometimes enjoy the crunchy taco that I thought was the epitome of Mexican cuisine, despite the hard shell tortilla cutting the roof of my mouth after every bite. Little did I know at 10 that Mexican cuisine was so much more. Now I love Mexican and often dream about the tacos and burritos I ate when traveling through California. Honestly I'm still craving the baja fish taco from Garaje in San Francisco I ate a year ago.  So my husband and I like to experiment a little when it comes to tacos and our most recent, crispy salmon baked to make it healthier.  The pineapple salsa mixed with the salmon is a delicious combination that pops in the mouth. 

When my husband visited Key West in California so that he could try a key lime pie, when he returned he couldn't get the creamy, citrus tart out of his mind. So he wanted to recreate it. While in Australia you can't get your hands on key limes, you can substitute Tahitian limes. While not the same, still delicious.  This is a really simple dish that can even double up as a gluten free dessert if you substitute the cookie base with gluten free biscuits.  A dessert that is tart, creamy and indulgent - my favourite...key lime pie. Seven ingredients never tasted so good. Recipe at justaddyoghurt.com #keylimepie #pie #lime A post shared by Anne Zervaas (@justaddyoghurt) on May 9, 2018 at 1:51am PDT Ingredients: 200g gram crackers, digestives or hobnobs 1 tablespoon sugar 100g melted butter 4 egg yolks Juice of 4 limes 295g can of condensed milk 200g Greek yoghurt or whipped cream Method: Pre-heat oven to 160 ° C  fan-forced Crush bisc

Anzac biscuits are an Australian and New Zealand tradition established in World War 1 when wives and women’s groups would send these cookies abroad. They were perfect because the ingredients didn’t spoil so they would last the long trip. Every year Australian’s and New Zealander’s celebrate Anzac day on 25 April to acknowledge and remember all who fought in World War 1.  Making Anzac cookies has become a tradition and the smell of these oaty cookies comes from every household across Australia. They come crunchy and soft and with a love of soft cookies, I opted for the latter. However if you want crunchy cook them for a little longer. Anzac cookies for Anzac Day - recipe at justaddyoghurt.com #anzacday #lesweforget🌺 #cookies #oats #biscuits A post shared by Anne Zervaas (@justaddyoghurt) on Apr 24, 2018 at 7:51pm PDT Ingredients 1 cup rolled oats 3/4 cup desiccated coconut 1 cup plain flour 3/4 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons Greek yoghurt 125g butter 2

It is 4.30pm and I'm at work, I get a message from my husband telling me that some of his friends are coming over to watch the football. Instantly my mind goes into overdrive...I have no snacks in the fridge! Then I remember the pantry full of our homemade olives ready to whizz up for a delicious dip that can be made in minutes.  This is for the olive lover - perfect as a dip, spread on a sandwich (toasted is best) or even dressing for a pasta salad.  Ingredients: 50g feta cheese 1 cup pitted olives 1 clove garlic ½ cup yoghurt 1 small chili 5 capers 1 teaspoon lemon juice (add more to taste) 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs (optional) Method: Blend olives, garlic, yoghurt, chili and capers together Mix in lemon and feta If too thin, stir through the breadcrumbs to thicken it up Serve with crackers and carrot sticks on the side Did you know that November 9th is National Greek Yoghurt Day. Any excuse to eat yoghurt all day...