As you may know, last month I did an article on the health benefits of eating yogurt. I have since received email from people stating that while they like yogurt, they sometimes get bored eating it because it is always the same, yogurt mixed with fruit.

Well, I can certainly understand not being able to eat a lot of yogurt if that is all you have for choices, however, I have enjoyed yogurt several different ways and I would like to share a few of them with you now.

First, one of my favorite ways of eating yogurt is in the Greek fashion of TZAZIKI. It is made with yogurt and garlic, another very healthy ingredient.

TZAZIKI
2 cups plain full fat yogurt (high quality without gums and thickeners)
2 teaspoons fresh garlic (Crushed)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cucumbers, generally they are peeled, but I like the skin left on. They can be sliced or grated.
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
Mix together and chill for about an hour before eating. You can enjoy it with pita bread, as a salad dressing or on the side of your favorite dish.

EGGPLANT-YOGURT DIP
1 large head of garlic, roasted
3 large eggplants, whole with skin on
1 medium red or other sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup thick yogurt (plain)
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped [optional]
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce [optional]
Salt and pepper, to taste

Roast the eggplant on the barbeque (or you can cook in the oven, however be sure to pierce the eggplant before) cook until the skin is charred or the eggplant is soft.
Set aside and let cool.

Peel off charred skin, or scoop out the soft insides of the eggplant and place in a large bowl. Add Garlic, yogurt, olive oil, onion, parsley, basil, Tabasco Sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

TARATOR -Cold yogurt soup.
4 cups of yogurt
½ cup of water
2 cucumbers peeled and chopped
1 glove of garlic
2 tablespoons of dill
salt to taste
chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix water and yogurt together to the consistency of non-fat milk. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Chill for at least one hour.

INDIAN YOGURT CHICKEN
4 Chicken breast
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 medium onions
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp cayenne (red pepper)
1 Tbsp coriander (or less to taste)
2 tsp curry powder or tandoori mix
2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp salt (or less to taste)