Latest news with #yoghurt
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
A Mexican-inspired alfresco meal: Thomasina Miers' creamy tomato toast and smoky spatchcock chicken
Jocoque is somewhere between yoghurt, soured cream and labneh, and traditionally made on Mexican ranches from milk that's left to ferment in clay pots. Here, I've used strained greek yoghurt instead, to add depth to these simple tomato toasts and for a creamy balance to the smoky salsa backdrop. It makes a simple and delicious starter for an alfresco dinner. To follow, a simple, spatchcocked chicken slathered in a smoky, brick-red chipotle paste that is mouthwateringly good. Prep 5 min Marinate 2 hr+ Cook 1 hr 10 min Serves 4-61 large head of garlic 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves150ml olive oilSea salt 80g achiote paste 1 tsp brown sugar 3-4 tbsp chipotles en adobo, to taste1 large chicken To serveLimes, cut into wedgesSoured creamBash the garlic with a rolling pin, slip off the skins and finely chop the cloves with a sharp knife. Empty them into a small pan with the thyme and oil, season with half a teaspoon of sea salt, and heat gently, until the oil starts shimmering and the garlic begins to sizzle. Turn the heat to its lowest setting so that bubbles barely break the surface, and cook for 25 minutes, or until the garlic is soft. (Be careful to keep the heat low or the garlic will burn and become bitter). Add the achiote, the brown sugar and three tablespoons of the chipotle. Taste, season with salt and add more chipotle if you want more smoke and heat (remember it will be tempered by the chicken and in the cooking). Meanwhile, to spatchcock the chicken, use a pair of strong scissors to cut along each side of the back bone, then pull it out and discard or save for stock (or ask a butcher to do this for you, though it takes only a few minutes.) Flip over the chicken so it is breast-side up, and press down with your hands to press it down and flatten it. The chicken is now spatchcocked. Slather half the marinade all over the chicken, then cover and put in the fridge to marinate for a few hours, or overnight (keep the rest of the marinade in the fridge for another time, and for up to a month). An hour or two before you want to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge and leave it to come up to room temperature. If you're cooking outside, light a chargrill or barbecue. Cook the chicken for 25-30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you insert a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh. If you're cooking indoors, brown the chicken skin side down on a griddle or under a hot grill for 10 minutes, then finish it off in a moderate oven – 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 – for 20 minutes, until cooked through. Serve with lime wedges and soured cream, plus jacket potatoes, slaw, a nutty, herby quinoa salad or indeed anything else you like to eat in summer. Prep 10 minDrain 1 hr+ Cook 40 min Serves 2-4 200g greek yoghurt, or labneh2-3 large ripe tomatoes Sea salt4 slices sourdough1 small garlic clove, peeled and cut in half1 small handful fresh oregano leaves, chopped For the smoked chilli oil 45g sesame seeds 150ml olive oil, or rapeseed oil, plus extra for drizzling 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced50g smoky harissa½ tsp cumin seeds15ml cider vinegar Put the yoghurt in a fine sieve and leave to drain; if you do this overnight, you will get a more cheese-like product, but you will still have a lovely thick spread after leaving it for an hour. Cut the tomatoes into thin wedges, sprinkle with salt and put in a colander. Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds for the chilli oil in a dry frying pan until fragrant – five to six minutes. Set aside a tablespoon of the seeds and blitz the rest in a small blender. Put the olive oil in a small saucepan over a very low heat, add the sliced garlic and cook for three to four minutes, until pale golden. Take off the heat, stir in the harissa and cumin, then season with the cider vinegar and some salt. Pour this into the blender with the blitzed sesame seed mix, and blitz. Pour into a bowl, stir in the tablespoon of reserved toasted sesame seeds, then taste and adjust the seasoning as required. Toast the bread on a chargrill, under the grill or in a toaster. Rub each slice with the halved garlic, drizzle with a little oil, then spread the base with a little of the strained yoghurt. Top with wedges of tomato, spoon over the sesame salsa, scatter with the chopped oregano and serve at once.
The Guardian
12 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
A Mexican-inspired alfresco meal: Thomasina Miers' creamy tomato toast and smoky spatchcock chicken
Jocoque is somewhere between yoghurt, soured cream and labneh, and traditionally made on Mexican ranches from milk that's left to ferment in clay pots. Here, I've used strained greek yoghurt instead, to add depth to these simple tomato toasts and for a creamy balance to the smoky salsa backdrop. It makes a simple and delicious starter for an alfresco dinner. To follow, a simple, spatchcocked chicken slathered in a smoky, brick-red chipotle paste that is mouthwateringly good. Prep 5 min Marinate 2 hr+ Cook 1 hr 10 min Serves 4-61 large head of garlic 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves150ml olive oilSea salt 80g achiote paste 1 tsp brown sugar 3-4 tbsp chipotles en adobo, to taste1 large chicken To serveLimes, cut into wedgesSoured creamBash the garlic with a rolling pin, slip off the skins and finely chop the cloves with a sharp knife. Empty them into a small pan with the thyme and oil, season with half a teaspoon of sea salt, and heat gently, until the oil starts shimmering and the garlic begins to sizzle. Turn the heat to its lowest setting so that bubbles barely break the surface, and cook for 25 minutes, or until the garlic is soft. (Be careful to keep the heat low or the garlic will burn and become bitter). Add the achiote, the brown sugar and three tablespoons of the chipotle. Taste, season with salt and add more chipotle if you want more smoke and heat (remember it will be tempered by the chicken and in the cooking). Meanwhile, to spatchcock the chicken, use a pair of strong scissors to cut along each side of the back bone, then pull it out and discard or save for stock (or ask a butcher to do this for you, though it takes only a few minutes.) Flip over the chicken so it is breast-side up, and press down with your hands to press it down and flatten it. The chicken is now spatchcocked. Slather half the marinade all over the chicken, then cover and put in the fridge to marinate for a few hours, or overnight (keep the rest of the marinade in the fridge for another time, and for up to a month). An hour or two before you want to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge and leave it to come up to room temperature. If you're cooking outside, light a chargrill or barbecue. Cook the chicken for 25-30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you insert a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh. If you're cooking indoors, brown the chicken skin side down on a griddle or under a hot grill for 10 minutes, then finish it off in a moderate oven – 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 – for 20 minutes, until cooked through. Serve with lime wedges and soured cream, plus jacket potatoes, slaw, a nutty, herby quinoa salad or indeed anything else you like to eat in summer. Prep 10 minDrain 1 hr+ Cook 40 min Serves 2-4 200g greek yoghurt, or labneh2-3 large ripe tomatoes Sea salt4 slices sourdough1 small garlic clove, peeled and cut in half1 small handful fresh oregano leaves, chopped For the smoked chilli oil 45g sesame seeds 150ml olive oil, or rapeseed oil, plus extra for drizzling 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced50g smoky harissa½ tsp cumin seeds15ml cider vinegar Put the yoghurt in a fine sieve and leave to drain; if you do this overnight, you will get a more cheese-like product, but you will still have a lovely thick spread after leaving it for an hour. Cut the tomatoes into thin wedges, sprinkle with salt and put in a colander. Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds for the chilli oil in a dry frying pan until fragrant – five to six minutes. Set aside a tablespoon of the seeds and blitz the rest in a small blender. Put the olive oil in a small saucepan over a very low heat, add the sliced garlic and cook for three to four minutes, until pale golden. Take off the heat, stir in the harissa and cumin, then season with the cider vinegar and some salt. Pour this into the blender with the blitzed sesame seed mix, and blitz. Pour into a bowl, stir in the tablespoon of reserved toasted sesame seeds, then taste and adjust the seasoning as required. Toast the bread on a chargrill, under the grill or in a toaster. Rub each slice with the halved garlic, drizzle with a little oil, then spread the base with a little of the strained yoghurt. Top with wedges of tomato, spoon over the sesame salsa, scatter with the chopped oregano and serve at once.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experiment finds yoghurt can lower house temperature
People across the UK would have had their windows open and fans on to try and keep cool in the midst of the third heatwave of the summer. But there would likely have been few trying out one university lecturer's alternative method to lower the temperature in a building. Dr Ben Roberts, a senior lecturer in healthy buildings at Loughborough University, said applying yoghurt to the outside of windows can lower the temperature by up to 3.5C (38F). He has pointed to the results of a month-long experiment to show the method has brought results. He said: "We can't get houses to cool down during the day. "That's a real problem for a lot of people, so we've started to look at shading solutions, stopping sun getting into your house during the day." In May, Dr Roberts and PhD student Niloo Todeh-Kharman conducted an experiment on two identical test houses at Loughborough University by putting yoghurt on the windows of one, but not the other. The experiment found the indoor temperature of the house with yoghurt on the windows was on average 0.6C (33F) cooler, but up to a maximum of 3.5C cooler when it was "hot and sunny". According to Dr Roberts, the yoghurt forms a thin film on the window itself and reflects some of the incoming solar radiation as it is a light colour. This means not as much heat passes through the window. He told the BBC the yoghurt smells for "30 seconds when drying" but that as soon as it has dried "the smell disappears". Dr Roberts said the idea came from a conversation with Tom Greenhill, the author of the Heatwave Toolkit website, who was thinking of "low-cost ways" which could stop overheating. He added Mr Greenhill tried putting yoghurt on his own house but that it had never been tested. For their experiment, the scientists at Loughborough University used a supermarket-brand of Greek yoghurt that has a fat percentage of about 10%. When he saw the results of the investigation, Dr Roberts said he was "quite surprised" as he did not think it would be "that effective". He added that when they carried out experiments with tinfoil - which blocks "pretty much" all of the incoming sun's heat - they saw a maximum temperature drop of 5 to 6C (41-42.8F), so he was "pleasantly surprised" with the results from the yoghurt experiment. Dr Roberts said: "It shows the importance of treating windows and heat shielding solutions for windows to reduce overheating." "We see a lot of excess summer deaths, so very simply if you can keep your home cooler we'll reduce the number of excess summer deaths happening and we can improve people's health and wellbeing," he added. Dr Zoe De Grussa, research manager at the Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers, added: "It's not your everyday hack, I would say, but anything you can do to put on the outside of windows is going to be of benefit to stopping sunshine coming in and heating up the internal environment." Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. As UK faces third heatwave, is this 'just summer'? Loughborough University
BBC News
12-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Experiment finds yoghurt can lower house temperature
People across the UK would have had their windows open and fans on to try and keep cool in the midst of the third heatwave of the there would likely have been few trying out one university lecturer's alternative method to lower the temperature in a Ben Roberts, a senior lecturer in healthy buildings at Loughborough University, said applying yoghurt to the outside of windows can lower the temperature by up to 3.5C (38F).He has pointed to the results of a month-long experiment to show the method has brought results. He said: "We can't get houses to cool down during the day. "That's a real problem for a lot of people, so we've started to look at shading solutions, stopping sun getting into your house during the day."In May, Dr Roberts and PhD student Niloo Todeh-Kharman conducted an experiment on two identical test houses at Loughborough University by putting yoghurt on the windows of one, but not the experiment found the indoor temperature of the house with yoghurt on the windows was on average 0.6C (33F) cooler, but up to a maximum of 3.5C cooler when it was "hot and sunny". According to Dr Roberts, the yoghurt forms a thin film on the window itself and reflects some of the incoming solar radiation as it is a light means not as much heat passes through the told the BBC the yoghurt smells for "30 seconds when drying" but that as soon as it has dried "the smell disappears".Dr Roberts said the idea came from a conversation with Tom Greenhill, the author of the Heatwave Toolkit website, who was thinking of "low-cost ways" which could stop added Mr Greenhill tried putting yoghurt on his own house but that it had never been their experiment, the scientists at Loughborough University used a supermarket-brand of Greek yoghurt that has a fat percentage of about 10%. When he saw the results of the investigation, Dr Roberts said he was "quite surprised" as he did not think it would be "that effective".He added that when they carried out experiments with tinfoil - which blocks "pretty much" all of the incoming sun's heat - they saw a maximum temperature drop of 5 to 6C (41-42.8F), so he was "pleasantly surprised" with the results from the yoghurt Roberts said: "It shows the importance of treating windows and heat shielding solutions for windows to reduce overheating.""We see a lot of excess summer deaths, so very simply if you can keep your home cooler we'll reduce the number of excess summer deaths happening and we can improve people's health and wellbeing," he added. Dr Zoe De Grussa, research manager at the Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers, added: "It's not your everyday hack, I would say, but anything you can do to put on the outside of windows is going to be of benefit to stopping sunshine coming in and heating up the internal environment."
Irish Times
12-07-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Barbecue lamb kofta with pickled red onion
Serves : 2 Course : Lunch, Dinner Cooking Time : 15 mins Prep Time : 15 mins Ingredients For the pickled onions: 2 red onions, peeled 150ml red wine vinegar 50g caster sugar Pinch sea salt For the kofta: 200g lamb mince 200g pork mince 8g sea salt 2tsp harissa paste 1tsp ground cumin 2tsp ground coriander Handful picked flat parsley leaves Handful picked mint leaves Handful picked dill fronds 30g feta cheese, crumbled Greek yoghurt, to serve Start by making the pickled red onions. Slice the red onion thinly using a sharp knife or mandolin and place in a bowl. Add the red wine vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt to a small pot and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool, then pour the mix over the red onion slices. Cover and place in the fridge. Preheat the barbecue to a medium-high heat. In a large bowl, add the lamb mince, pork mince, salt, harissa, cumin and coriander and mix until evenly combined. Place a large sheet of parchment paper on a chopping board or work surface. Divide the mince mixture into four, then roll and mould each into a long sausage shape one by one on the parchment. Carefully place the skewer through the middle of each kofta and roll lightly to smooth. Place the koftas on the barbecue and cook for two minutes until charring, then roll them 90 degrees and cook for two minutes, keeping the lid down in between turns. Do this twice more until evenly charred and cooked through – about eight to 10 minutes total, then remove and allow to rest for three minutes while you assemble the salad. Add the picked leaves, some pickled red onion and the feta cheese to a mixing bowl and mix lightly by hand. Lightly drizzle with some olive oil, then serve in a small bowl alongside the barbecue koftas, with some yoghurt on the side.
