Yogurt Cheese? No Whey

Yogurt cheese is yogurt drained of its whey, giving it the consistency of a rich sour cream. It makes a great substitute for high-fat cream cheese- or mayonnaise-based sandwich spreads.

It’s easy to make. There are special strainers on the market, but you can use a kitchen strainer and cheesecloth, available at most grocery stores.

Add a few fresh vegetables and you’ll have a wonderful nonfat sandwich spread. I like to spread the filling on crunchy whole-grain bread. Yogurt cheese is also a good base for dips and salads.

Deane’s book “Low Fat Kitchen” includes more than 100 recipes created for this column. To order, call (800) 246-4042. The price is $20.45 including shipping and sales tax.

Spring Veggie Sandwiches

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes plus 8 hours chilling * Vegetarian

2 cups plain yogurt

1/2 cup shredded radishes

1/4 cucumber, seeded and shredded (about 1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons minced green onion

1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

Salt

10 slices soy or whole grain bread, crusts removed

Watercress sprigs

Small tomatoes, such as cherry

* Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set over a deep bowl. Ladle yogurt into strainer and fold cheesecloth over top to cover yogurt; bottom of strainer should not touch liquid that will collect in bowl. Refrigerate overnight.

* Discard liquid. Transfer yogurt cheese to mixing bowl. Stir in shredded radishes, cucumber, green onion, dill and salt to taste.

* Spread about 2 tablespoons yogurt cheese over each slice of bread. Cut each slice corner-to-corner to make four pieces. Serve with sprig of watercress and a few tomatoes.

10 servings of 4 pieces each. Each serving: 111 calories; 221 mg sodium; 7 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.48 gram fiber.

*

Plate and napkin from Sur La Table stores.