Loving Greek yogurt

My kids have always enjoyed yogurt, but I was never terribly keen on the junk in so much of what's out there.  I did my best to buy stuff without extra stabilizers and curious new breakthrough gimmicks ingredients designed to get people to spend more so they could look good while wearing green.  I longed for Greek yogurt to become more readily available.

So you can imagine how happy I am with all of the choices available in stores now.  My kids aren't eating as much yogurt as they used to, ironically.  Greek yogurt is spendy, but I'm fine paying for quality.  And I love using it in recipes where I'd otherwise use sour cream, or have to strain conventional yogurt overnight to achieve the right texture (Tzatziki comes to mind).

Speaking of recipes, I saw on Twitter this morning that Oikos is giving away free yogurt to people who blog about their product (yeah, I'm about as subtle as purple panties under white pants).  It's a good product and we like it.  So why not?  I can repost one of their recipes, tweak one or post one of my own, which is what I'll do.

My husband and I enjoy the quiet after the kids are in bed.  Some nights we skip supper so that we can relax later with a drink and this dip.  It's best served with tortilla chips, and the inspiration comes from the overpriced nacho dips in the cold section of the produce area at a local grocery chain.  I often have a homemade "taco spice" blend on hand, but when I don't I just use the spices listed below, tweaking the final flavour before spreading it all in a dish.  And sometimes I like a dash of smoked paprika in it, too.  I love that this can be played with to suit any taste.

Nacho Dip

1 8oz block light cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 C Oikos plain Greek yogurt
1t ground cumin
1-2 T chili powder
1 t garlic powder
Pinch of salt
2 T minced red onion

2 T chopped pickled jalapeno, or to taste
1/4 C salsa
1/2 C shredded cheese

In a large bowl or stand mixer, whip together the cream cheese, yogurt, spices and salt.  Fold in the onion and jalapeno.  Spread into a shallow, small baking dish and smooth the top.  Spread the salsa over it and cover with the shredded cheese.  Let sit in the fridge for a few hours for the flavours to mix.  Serve with tortillas.