Since we have decided to put our oldest on a no-sugar, no-milk diet cooking had become somewhat of a challenge. It hasn’t been as hard as I thought it would be, honey and agave nectar easily substitute for white sugar and yogurt for milk.
The hardest part is finding yummy, easy treats. Pretty much everything purchased at the store has corn syrup in it, which is a major no-no.
I found this recipe for a yummy dip/spread in my favorite cook book Nourishing Traditions. I love this book, they don’t use any sugar or artificial sweeteners in their recipes, they do use a lot of milk, but I find that kefir or yogurt easily substitute.
To make sweet cheese all you need is plain cultured yogurt (I make my own)
and honey.
Simple!
I set my wire mesh strainer on top of a glass measuring bowl.
and line the strainer with coffee filters
I then add the yogurt
The whey will start dripping into the bowl.
Cover with a light cloth and let it just sit on the counter top.
Homemade yogurt is runnier than store bought. Yogurt from the store has either been strained a bit or there have been chemicals added to make it firmer. Unless I am using my yogurt for smoothies I always strain it a bit.
The picture below shows the yogurt after about an hour and a half.
after about three hours it is nice and thick, just let it strain until you like the consistency.
This batch gave me about 3 cups of whey, I save it in a jar in the fridge to use when soaking grains.
I then put the cheese into a bowl and add honey
With beaters I mix the honey in until it is smooth, adding more honey until I get the desired flavor
We used it on french toast with strawberry sauce over the top, it can also be used as a yummy and nutritious fruit dip, or add some fruit for a yummy yogurt breakfast, also good with granola, the possibilities are limitless.
The picture below shows the yogurt after about an hour and a half.
This is a great consistency for sour cream
after about three hours it is nice and thick, just let it strain until you like the consistency.
Sometimes I will let it strain all night and it makes a nice cream cheese.
This batch gave me about 3 cups of whey, I save it in a jar in the fridge to use when soaking grains.
I then put the cheese into a bowl and add honey
With beaters I mix the honey in until it is smooth, adding more honey until I get the desired flavor
We used it on french toast with strawberry sauce over the top, it can also be used as a yummy and nutritious fruit dip, or add some fruit for a yummy yogurt breakfast, also good with granola, the possibilities are limitless.
And you can use the whey when making bread in place of milk too.
I had a recipe that called for sweet cheese the other day and I didn't know what it was. Now I'm going to go make it!!!
*hugs*
What a great idea- Just recently got into homeade things like starting to can and such- this is an idea I will have to try . Thanks for great recipes.
Yummy! Can you do a tutorial on how you make homemade yogurt? That's on my list of things to learn. Do you make it from powdered milk? How does your daughter do with the yogurt even though it's made from milk? (sorry so many questions)
I have some yogurt cheese in the frig right now from the last time I strained my homemade yogurt. I'll have to try this tonight!
Thank you for posting this! Our friend Steph who is fighting colon cancer has decided to take matters into her own hands (blog post coming soon on that!) and adhere to a strict diet that has been know to GET RID of cancer! It involves eliminating sugar, tomatoes and vinegar. I am going to share this link with her! Thanks for this post! Hope you are having a wonderful summer!