Yogurt Cheese and Pistachio Spread
Lebneh, yogurt cheese, is stable on every breakfast table in the Middle East. You can buy lebenh in every grocery store or you can make it yourself.My mom used to make home made yogurt and after couple days and with all the good active bacterias the yogurt turn slightly sour and that when my mom would drain it to make lebneh. We would eat the lebneh for breakfast, for snack or my mom would spread the lebneh on pita bread, drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle it with chopped olives, fold it into tight wrap and we eat it on our way to school in the morning.To make lebneh, line colander with couple layers of cheese cloth, spoon plain yogurt into the cheese cloth and wait 24 hours you will get lebneh. You can spoon the lebneh into bowl, cover with little olive oil and then use it to spread on your bagel or pita bread.Plain lebneh tastes good as is. Or you can drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle dry mint flakes over it. You can mix it with toasted sesame seeds or cayenne pepper and black sesame seeds.The other day, I decided to mix it with little olive oil and Mediterranean sumac to add color and enhance the sour flavor of the lebneh. Then I thought why not add some slivered pistachios. You know me I love colors, texture and flavors. You can just mix every thing together and place it in a jar or container to serve later or you can make it into a dome--great for party-- and serve with toasted pita or crackers.To make the dome lined a bowl with plastic wrap. Oil the plastic wrap with olive oil. Press slivered pistachios on the plastic wrap, and then spoon the lebneh into the lined bowl. Pressed the yogurt cheese, lebneh, into the bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for couple hours or over night. When you are ready to serve, place flat serving platter over the bowl and gently turn the bowl upside down onto the serving platter. Remove the bowl. Gently remove the plastic wrap.
- 8 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 tea sea salt
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Mediterranean sumac
- 1/2 cup slivered pistachios
- Line colander with two layers of cheese cloth.
- Mix the yogurt with the salt and spoon into the lined colander. Place the colander in the sink or in a bowl and allow the yogurt to drain 12 hours or overnight.
- Spoon the yogurt cheese into chilled bowl. Add 4 tablespoons olive oil and the sumac. Mix well.
- Add half of the slivered pistachios and mix.
- Line bowl with plastic wrap. Grease the plastic wrap with rest of the olive oil. Sprinkle the rest of the pistachios over the plastic wrap.
- Spoon the lebneh into the lined bowl. Press gently. Cover and allow the lebneh to sit in the refrigerator overnight.
- Remove from the refrigerator. Place and hold serving platter over the bowl and gently turn the bowl upside down onto the serving platter. Remove the bowl and then gently remove the plastic wrap.
- Serve this spread with crackers or toasted pita chips.