In the past few years Greek yogurt has won the popularity contest against regular yogurt. I have heard a lot about Greek yogurt and the fact that it is so much healthier. Here are some facts I found while doing a little research.

They are both low in calories and packed with calcium and live bacterial cultures, but Greek yogurt is strained to remove much of the liquid whey, lactose and sugar. With about the same amount of calories, it has about double the protein, while cutting sugar in half.

Greek yogurt has 15-20 grams of protein per 6 ounces, and regular yogurt has only 9 grams. However the regular yogurt has 30 percent daily calcium and Greek yogurt has only 20 percent. Greek yogurt packs about 16 grams of saturated fat or 80 percent of one’s daily allowance (which is more than three Snickers bars), and regular full-fat yogurt has 5 grams of saturated fat.

So my conclusion is that both styles of yogurt can be part of a healthy diet, but if going Greek, stick to low-fat and fat-free versions.

Mashed Potatoes

8 med. potatoes
¼ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. butter
1½ Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
1½ Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
Salt and pepper

Wash potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces; add to a large pot of boiling water. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Add warmed broth and coarsely mash potatoes. Gently stir in yogurt, butter, dill and chives. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Fabulous Stuffing

1 cup diced yellow onion
1 tsp. oregano
½ cup diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken stock
2½ cups (20 oz.) plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp. thyme
14 oz. bag cubed stuffing
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté onions, garlic and celery in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add chicken stock and simmer until reduced by one-fourth. Empty stuffing mix into a large bowl; add onion and celery mixture, spices, salt, pepper and mix thoroughly. Let cool slightly before stirring in yogurt. Spread in a 9x13-inch pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes until browned on top.

Orange Cranberry Bread

2 cups flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¾ cups (6 oz.) plain Greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
¾ cup orange juice
1 egg
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
1½ cups fresh cranberries
½ cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients; set aside. In a large bowl, mix together yogurt and sugar. Add egg and combine. Stir in orange juice. Add dry mixture to wet mixture. Mix only until just combined. Carefully, fold in orange zest, cranberries and walnuts. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully invert pan to remove, and finish cooling on rack. Wrap in plastic and foil. (This bread is even better on the second day.)

Chicken, Rice & Mushroom Casserole

2½ lbs. skinless chicken breasts
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 med. onion, chopped
½ lb. button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2¾ cups low-sodium chicken stock
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown chicken about 3 to 5 minutes on both sides. (Chicken does not have to be cooked through, just browned.) Remove chicken to bowl and set aside. Add 1 Tbsp. oil to skillet. Lower heat to medium, add onions and cook about 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds more. Spoon onions and garlic into a shallow 9x13-inch casserole dish. Raise heat to medium high; add mushrooms to skillet. Sauté, until lightly brown and add mushrooms to baking dish. Add ¼ cup chicken stock to pan, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Let reduce to about 1 Tbsp. Add remaining stock and remove from heat. Fold in yogurt and 1½ teaspoons salt. Stir rice into baking dish. Stir yogurt-stock mixture into rice and add seasonings. Place chicken on rice mixture in a single layer. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 75 minutes. Remove foil. If there's too much liquid, let bake 5 minutes uncovered. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

Vanilla Muffins with Chocolate Frosting

3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Mix together yogurt, baking powder, salt and baking soda; set aside. With electric mixer set at medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in three additions of flour mixture, alternating with two additions of yogurt mix, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out onto wire rack. Cool completely before spreading with frosting.

Frosting:
12 oz. plain Greek yogurt
1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Let yogurt stand for 2 hours at room temperature. Melt chips in top of double boiler or in microwave. Cool to room temperature; fold in yogurt ¼ cup at a time until the mixture is smooth. Let stand at room temperature until cool and spreadable.

Don’t whip the Greek

Helpful Household Hint: Do not whip Greek yogurt when cooking or baking, as it will break down the consistency of the yogurt. Folding is the best way to mix Greek yogurt. Adding yogurt will make all your dishes healthier and more delicious.

The other night I had a craving for spaghetti and meatballs, a family favorite. After getting the meatballs ready, and the noodles boiling, I realized there was no tomato sauce in the pantry. There was also no spaghetti sauce in the jar which I like to keep on hand for quick meals. However, I had a few cans of diced tomatoes and a can of “Manwich” I bought for my son Tucker who requested it. I put the diced tomatoes in the “Bullet” mixer and made tomato sauce, added the Manwich and some seasonings and hoped for the best.

After last week’s cooking column featuring soups to warm your soul, I had a request for some vegetarian soup recipes.

A person doesn’t have to be a vegetarian to like these soups. They are full of flavor with vitamins and nutrients. The soups below are also very good for the dieters’ New Year’s resolution for the weight loss pledge.

The first recipe uses quinoa which is a grain-like seed and has a light, fluffy texture when cooked. It has a mild, slightly nutty flavor and can be a great alternative for white rice or couscous. One cup of quinoa has 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, 20 percent daily folate, 30 percent daily magnesium, and also phosphorus, iron, copper, and manganese. Quinoa can be found in most grocery stores.

Enjoy these tasty full-flavored soups on a cold winter’s day.