Onken Naturals: Mini Lemon & Pistachio Loaves

In the week I attended an event hosted by Onken where Celebrity Masterchef winner Lisa Faulkner lead a masterclass on cooking with yogurt. As part of Onken's Dollop of Difference campaign, Lisa took us through 3 easy recipes whilst nutritionist Angela Dowden was on hand to to tell us about the nutritional benefits of yogurt.

And the best part, myself and the other food bloggers got to roll up our sleeves and get stuck in. We made banana muffins, french onion dip and chicken tikka kebabs. All incredibly quick and easy to make.

Here's how I got on...

After assembling in the kitchen to watch Lisa give a demonstration we set to making the recipes ourselves. 

First up, banana muffins. These are a much healthier alternative to your usual breakfast muffin, with bran, mashed banana for sweetness and yogurt to keep it moist. Such an adaptable recipe too, you could add oats, honey, nuts, cinnamon...or even chocolate chips if you wanted to be a bit naughty!

Next we made a french onion dip, ridiculously easy but very impressive. It beats shop bought any day, healthier and heaps more flavour. A mix of caramelised onions combined with cream cheese and fat-free Onken is all you need.

Last, but certainly not least, chicken tikka kebabs. Roasting the spices on a dry heat first helps to unlock all the aromas, then a quick mix with some yogurt before leaving your chicken pieces to marinate. Load onto skewers and grill until cooked through and that's pretty much it. So tender and so flavourful, I enjoyed quite a few of these with a glass of bubbly, or two.

After such a great evening, I felt inspired to give some yogurt recipes a go so invited my critics over (the family!).

Whilst waiting for dinner, I served the french onion dip with various veg and crisp breads to dunk in. Enjoyed with a nice glass of wine, naturally. For the main event, I used the tikka mix to marinate a whole chicken before slowly roasting in the oven. I served this with some homemade (and homegrown) potato wedges, a green salad, and my favourite...cumin roasted cauliflower with a yogurt and pomegranate dressing.

You may remember here,  where I raved about this spiced roasted cauliflower I had at Caravan in Kings Cross...of course I had to try it myself!

Its unusual for me to talk savoury for so long, so here's a recipe I tried out on the weekend also.

Mini lemon yogurt loaves with pistachio

The use of yogurt makes this a really moist loaf that lasts well in the fridge for up to a week, if you can refrain from eating them all in the first day...I didn't!

Mini lemon yogurt loaves

(Recipe adapted from Mary Berry's Baking Bible)

300g caster sugar

50g unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs, separated

225g Onken natural yogurt

grated rind of 1 lemon

175g self raising flour

Heat the oven to 180 degrees a grease a mini loaf tray. Alternatively, use a 1lb loaf tin.

Beat together the butter, sugar and egg yolks in a bowl. Add the yogurt and lemon and beat until smooth. Gently fold in the flour. Whisk the egg whites to a soft peak and carefully fold into the mixture. 

Divide between the mini loaf tray and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. (The loaf may need up to 45 minutes or longer due to its size, keep an eye out on the colour and for when the loaf starts to come away from the side of the tin).

Turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

Lemon topping

100g icing sugar, sifted

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

handful of chopped pistachios to scatter on top

Mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice, pour onto the cold loaves and smooth with a palette knife. Scatter with chopped pistachios or any other topping of your choice.

Find out more about Onken and their Dollop of Difference campaign here.

What recipes do you use yogurt for?