What main dish should I make for dinner with plain yogurt? Also, the monolith's creepy child has been replaced with a statue of a goose.

[Terabith]

I bought plain yogurt when I was still trying to make chicken tikka masala, but after five spectacular failures, my family has declared a moratorium on me making Indian food and has decided we should just support the local Indian take out place.  

But that leaves me with some plain yogurt, and for some reason, I can't come up with a great main dish to make with it.  It should also be said I am not a creative cook; I mostly make a rotation of the same dozen things or so, so more variety would be welcome.  

Any ideas?  

I will try to get a photo of the goose statue near the monolith.  

[Farrar]

Is it one of those geese that people dress in outfits? My in laws have one and it has like 20 outfits. 

[Terabith]

8 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Is it one of those geese that people dress in outfits? My in laws have one and it has like 20 outfits. 

I don't think so, but I'm not 100% sure.  I was in my car driving by, and it was so surrounded by flowers that it was hard to tell.  But it did not obviously have any clothing.  I think it's just a stone goose.  

[Farrar]

4 minutes ago, Terabith said:

I don't think so, but I'm not 100% sure.  I was in my car driving by, and it was so surrounded by flowers that it was hard to tell.  But it did not obviously have any clothing.  I think it's just a stone goose.  

Well, watch out. Dressed up geese is a THING in some parts of the country. Like, a huge thing. You can buy them more cute outfits on Etsy.

[cjzimmer1]

I would make mousakka with eggplant but if you family doesn't like eggplant there are also version with potatoes.

[Storygirl]

https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1187445

You could try something like the above. My mom used to mix a can of condensed mushroom soup with sour cream, spread it over chicken, and bake until done (maybe 40 minutes?). We liked it and called it goopy chicken. It was standard fare at my house growing up. I don't use many recipes that call for canned soup any more, so I don't make this, but now I think I might soon, just for a change. My kids would like it.

The above recipe uses yogurt instead of the sour cream, adds some other ingredients, and cooks in the crock pot. But you could totally just use the proportions from that recipe for the yogurt and soup mixture, skip the rest of it, and bang it into the oven. Or go ahead and add the extra things.

[regentrude]

Yogurt:
dip with herbs and garlic
cold cucumber soup
dessert with fresh fruit
use in a quiche or frittata

[ktgrok]

34 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Is it one of those geese that people dress in outfits? My in laws have one and it has like 20 outfits. 

Yup! I have one! I learned about it on the forums here and had to have one! I'm the only person in central florida with one as far as I can tell, lol. I buy outfits for every season for him. His name is Chip. But he's plastic. 

[Drama Llama]

I think you should make:

labneh with pita or veggies to dip

overnight oats

samosa potatoes with yogurt topping 

Then you should buy geese clothes and take them over as a gift with a little basket of oats and get to know Igor Putin 

[rutheart]

Gyros

Stroganoff

Muffins to serve with a salad

If none of the main dishes appeal, it's a great addition to smoothies, or you could make your own froyo with whatever flavorings you have on hand.

[HomeAgain]

Two of our favorite meals with plain Greek yogurt:

Harissa chicken

Ingredients:
chicken
yogurt
harissa powder
olive oil

Cut chicken into strips or chunks, salt and pepper them. Mix the plain yogurt with harissa powder and a little bit of oil, coat the chicken with the mixture and throw on a grill pan, cook until done.  We like to serve it with couscous and a cucumber salad.

Stuffed chicken 

Ingredients:
chicken breasts
yogurt
feta
bacon or pancetta strips
spinach
garlic

cut chicken breasts nearly through, so there is a pocket in each one.  Cook up spinach and garlic together to get some of the liquid out.  Add to the feta.  Spoon in enough yogurt to make it thick and pasty.  Fill the chicken breasts, wrap with the bacon.  Bake in the oven.  I usually serve with linguine tossed in chili/garlic oil.

[Katy]

Mix in sugar, vanilla, and fruit for breakfast.

[happi duck]

I love that this thread title makes perfect sense!

I have considered a goose with clothes since geese are duck adjacent but I haven't taken the plunge yet!

[mathnerd]

You asked for main dish, but here are 2 easy side dishes with plain yoghurt:

Cucumber Raita: there are several versions of it and you can modify it to suit the ingredients that you have on hand - here is one recipe:

https://www.food.com/recipe/cucumber-yoghurt-raita-231041

Mango Lassi: again, several versions are available (including strawberry lassi!): I make it with frozen organic mango chunks: https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/mango-lassi-recipe/

 

[sweet2ndchance]

My family would happily eat breakfast for dinner with scones as one things served. The recipe I use for scones uses plain yogurt. Omit the sugar and raisins and it makes a good biscuit recipe as well.

[Drama Llama]

26 minutes ago, HomeAgain said:

Two of our favorite meals with plain Greek yogurt:

Harissa chicken

Ingredients:
chicken
yogurt
harissa powder
olive oil

Cut chicken into strips or chunks, salt and pepper them. Mix the plain yogurt with harissa powder and a little bit of oil, coat the chicken with the mixture and throw on a grill pan, cook until done.  We like to serve it with couscous and a cucumber salad.

Stuffed chicken 

Ingredients:
chicken breasts
yogurt
feta
bacon or pancetta strips
spinach
garlic

cut chicken breasts nearly through, so there is a pocket in each one.  Cook up spinach and garlic together to get some of the liquid out.  Add to the feta.  Spoon in enough yogurt to make it thick and pasty.  Fill the chicken breasts, wrap with the bacon.  Bake in the oven.  I usually serve with linguine tossed in chili/garlic oil.

That second recipe, or actually both recipes sounds so good.  Can you tell me how much bacon and how long and what temp you bake it?  

[prairiewindmomma]

Chicken gyros.

Take some chicken (preferably thighs), and marinate it with some balsamic vinegar and spices. Cook in the instant pot. Shred.  Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers on pita.

For the yogurt, take a cupful and add some finely diced cucumber, about 1/2 t. of dill, and 1/2 t. of garlic powder or garlic salt and let it sit for about an hour. Use this as tzatiki. 🙂

[HomeAgain]

5 minutes ago, BaseballandHockey said:

That second recipe, or actually both recipes sounds so good.  Can you tell me how much bacon and how long and what temp you bake it?  

We tend to do 2 strips per chicken breast, enough to wind around with small gaps between.  I'm experimenting with brushing the chicken with olive oil first, and then baking on a roasting rack to help get the bacon more crispy all the way around but it's one of those dishes I'm not doing during the summer.  It's usually 375F for 45m-1h, depending on which chicken I buy (one company's cuts are bigger than the other).  So, a lot of kitchen heat, lol. 

[ScoutTN]

Greek burgers - half gr beef, half lamb, plus greek seasoning. 

Make the yog into tzatiki sauce for the burgers 

[El...]

I was thinking of tzadziki sauce with Greek chicken, but another way to use it is to dilute it with water and use it in place of buttermilk in pancakes. 

[BlsdMama]

I feel a little bamboozled by this post, lol.  I almost never look at recipe posts, but I couldn’t miss out on a monolith post. I’m really just here, scrolling mindlessly, until I see a picture of a dolled up goose. 

[Frances]

I like to make tzaziki with plain Greek yogurt and then use it for a variety of purposes from a dip for vegetables to a topping for blackened fish or schwarma and of course as a spread for gyros. I add about 2 TB of grated, peeled cucumber to 2/3 cup of yogurt with a drizzle of olive oil, some chopped fresh dill, and diced garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. If more liquids is desired, just use some from the grated cucumber. 

[Ausmumof3]

This recipe is awesome.  I use Greek instead of vanilla yoghurt.

Alternatively dissolving some sugar on berries and mixing through is always serious good.

[Not_a_Number]

I actually rather like yogurt as salad dressing for non-leafy salads (so, cucumber, tomato, onion -- that kind of thing.) 

[MercyA]

5 hours ago, happi duck said:

I have considered a goose with clothes since geese are duck adjacent but I haven't taken the plunge yet!

Same! I think I just really like to dress things up. Kids, dogs, dolls, geese. 🙂 

What I'd really like is something not-a-goose, weather-proof, with outfits readily available. Like @Dmmetler's porch dragon (although I'm guessing she is crafty enough to come up with her outfits herself!). 

[TravelingChris]

8 hours ago, Terabith said:

I bought plain yogurt when I was still trying to make chicken tikka masala, but after five spectacular failures, my family has declared a moratorium on me making Indian food and has decided we should just support the local Indian take out place.  

But that leaves me with some plain yogurt, and for some reason, I can't come up with a great main dish to make with it.  It should also be said I am not a creative cook; I mostly make a rotation of the same dozen things or so, so more variety would be welcome.  

Any ideas?  

I will try to get a photo of the goose statue near the monolith.  

When we lived in Ohio, there were people who had goose statues outside.  Never really understood why?

[SoCal_Bear]

on the topic of Indian curries...these all work.

try this one https://twosleevers.com/chicken-tikka-masala/

or this one https://theprimaldesire.com/pressure-cooker-butter-chicken/?fbclid=IwAR0Fj5rNJ7lc3gN8d38KwbCyP4lkFxKOvrn5BO4jIfuURYWnhTuoP5O3l5E

https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-butter-chicken/

be sure to temper your yogurt before adding it otherwise it will curdle.

Edited July 20, 2021 by calbear

[Katy]

You can mix in garlic, onion powder, a lot of Parmesan Romano cheese, and mushrooms  and make a pretty good alfredo sauce.  I once had a friend complain I made some for a dinner party; she was worried about the calories and she relaxed when I said the base was yogurt not cream. I like it better than real alfredo.

[HomeAgain]

6 minutes ago, Katy said:

You can mix in garlic, onion powder, a lot of Parmesan Romano cheese, and mushrooms  and make a pretty good alfredo sauce.  I once had a friend complain I made some for a dinner party; she was worried about the calories and she relaxed when I said the base was yogurt not cream. I like it better than real alfredo.

Okay, off topic, but I'm going to have to insist you try real alfredo and not the Americanized bechamel version.  There is no substitute.  It is literally butter, parmesan, pasta water.  Oh! And try its cousin, cacio e pepe, which is my comfort food after a long afternoon at the rink.

[Katy]

Just now, HomeAgain said:

Okay, off topic, but I'm going to have to insist you try real alfredo and not the Americanized bechamel version.  There is no substitute.  It is literally butter, parmesan, pasta water.  Oh! And try its cousin, cacio e pepe, which is my comfort food after a long afternoon at the rink.

It’s fine, I’ve made it (though I think I tossed in some bacon crumbles and grape tomatoes that both needed using up).  I don’t like the saturated fat mouth feel that comes from lots of butter or cream. I’ve never heard of cacio e pepe, but I’ll google it. 

[HomeAgain]

7 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:

I actually rather like yogurt as salad dressing for non-leafy salads (so, cucumber, tomato, onion -- that kind of thing.) 

Same.  Though I've been known to thin it with citrus juice and olive oil and then add spices to make a dressing for a hefty green salad. 

[Dmmetler]

8 hours ago, MercyA said:

Same! I think I just really like to dress things up. Kids, dogs, dolls, geese. 🙂 

What I'd really like is something not-a-goose, weather-proof, with outfits readily available. Like @Dmmetler's porch dragon (although I'm guessing she is crafty enough to come up with her outfits herself!). 

So far, Sid's outfits have been pieced together with stuff on hand and maybe a dollar store trip (the batting helmet had ice cream in it originally) He's officially a Halloween decoration, and so far has held up outdoors. We had a snake Halloween decoration who stayed out from Halloween through Christmas and New year's (with hats and bow ties added), but she started to disintegrate about Valentine's day. Sid is a harder plastic, so he will hopefully hold up Better, and on the porch has some protection. 

 

I'm hoping Sid survives for awhile. I'm enjoying dressing him, and it's something that I can share with L next school year.