La La La La La La Labneh!

Ok, so the other day, I gave you a Turkish treat, and mentioned that it tastes great with butter, jam, pekmezi, and/or labneh. What’s labneh you say? It’s a soft cheese made from strained yogurt. You can buy it at good grocery stores or specialty markets, though it's a cinch to make. It’s tangy-er than cream cheese or Neufchatel, but still mild, and tastes yummy on baked goods. It’s also killer in sauces, or as a dip for veggies. Oh yeah, and it’s healthy.

Labneh

1 quart plain yogurt (I make my own, but Stoneyfield Farm is a good alternative too)

1-2 sheets of cheese cloth

1 wire mesh strainer

1 bowl

1 chip clip

Salt (optional)

1 plastic container with a lid to store your labneh (not that it will last long anyway)

Take your sheets of cheesecloth and fold them to double the size of your strainer. Make sure the strainer is evenly covered.

 

Place this over your bowl. 

Dump in the yogurt.

 

Leave this alone for about 10 minutes. Go check the mail, play with the dogs, or fold laundry. Come back and take all the corners of the overhanging cheesecloth in your hand and twist them together and tie them, tightening around the center. Clip this, and leave it alone again. 

 

Do the dishes or something, your heathen is getting tired of being the only one cleaning the pots and pans this week.  Oh yeah, and make some tea. Isn’t it tea time? You like tea time…with a couple of crackers or cookies, or maybe fruit…mmmm fruit.

I digress. Come back (again) and figure out a way to hang the drippy ball of cheesecloth and yogurt over the strainer/bowl.  Make sure it’s firmly secured. Last time, you spilled whey all over the floor and counters, much to the dogs’ joy.

Now go watch a movie. Or cook dinner. Or play Gardens of Time on Facebook. Periodically come back and carefully twist the cheesecloth to tighten the ball. Hehehehe, you’re torturing that yogurt. Heck you can even out the whole contraption in the fridge overnight. After a couple of hours, the bowl should have a LOT of whey (it's great to bake with), and the ball should be fairly tight (you didn’t allow the yogurt to goosh {yes, that’s a technical term} through the mini holes, did you?) Slowly and carefully untwist the ball. 

 

You should have a nice lump of cheese, the texture of ricotta or cream cheese. If you don’t, the yogurt gets the rack again. Once everything is strained and lovely, add a pinch of salt to the mess. Or don’t. Your choice. But do put it in the plastic container and refrigerate it. It tastes better cold. 

 

Eat with breads, fruits, well…whatever you please. It should last in the fridge for about a week. If it lives that long, mwahahaha.