Jeremy Vincent’s pineapple pork recipe and yummy yoghurt substitutions

This simple combination of yoghurt with shredded coconut makes a great accompaniment to a fruity, mild curry.

NOT too many years ago, yoghurt was relatively uncommon in our weekly shopping. Today however, with the variety of flavours and styles, this healthy dairy product has become one of the must-haves in many daily diets.

If counting calories is the purpose of using yoghurt in your diet, remember that the fruit varieties on the shelf have sugar added as well as the fruit.

Today, the fruit yoghurts take up countless shelves in the supermarket fridge and the choice is sometimes overwhelming. This simple combination with shredded coconut makes a great accompaniment to a fruity, mild pork curry.

PINEAPPLE PORK

Any leftover yoghurt, coconut and apricot mixture is great on breakfast cereal.

Pineapple pork. Picture: Dannika Bonser

Serves 4

400g apricot yoghurt

50g shredded coconut

50g dried apricots, finely sliced

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp curry powder

½ tsp ground chilli powder

500g pork fillet, trimmed and cut into 2cm slices

2 tbsp butter

400g can pineapple pieces, drained, syrup reserved

1 cup chicken stock

2 bananas, peeled, cut into chunks

1 red apple, cored, cut into thin slices

Mix together the yoghurt, coconut and dried apricot. Set aside.

In a plastic bag, toss the flour, spices and pork together.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the pork, including any extra flour mixture, and lightly brown on all sides.

Add the reserved pineapple syrup and chicken stock. Stir until boiling, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the pineapple pieces and fresh fruits. Simmer for 10 minutes to warm the fruit through, but don’t over-cook so that the fruit becomes mushy. Serve with the coconut apricot yoghurt and rice.

CREAM SUBSTITUTE

FULL-fat yoghurts make a good alternative to cream in sauces, on potatoes, and in a healthy version of the traditional French dessert, crème brulee.

With the addition of herbs and seasonings, plain or non-fat yoghurt makes a perfect snack, or an instant sauce for fish, chilled salads, poultry, or hot or cold vegetables.

Yoghurt excels, too, in a marinade as a flavour-maker and sauce for any kind of grilled or barbecued lamb, pork poultry or seafood.

THE CURDLING FACTOR

NON-fat yoghurt is a dietary substitute for sour cream or cream; it stirs into soups, casseroles and curries, with care being the only prerequisite as curdling can occur during cooking if the temperature gets close to boiling point.

The secret to success is to use only fresh yoghurt (check the use-by date) and add a little of the hot mixture or sauce to the yoghurt, blend, and return the mixture to the pan, stirring carefully. No further heat is required.       If you think it is at risk of curdling, you can stabilise the yoghurt by either mixing a little cornflour into it or the sauce, or by leaving the yoghurt to drain for several hours in a colander or sieve, thus removing much of the whey, the curdling-causing product.

SPICY YOGHURT RICE

YOU can spice up rice for a simple accompaniment to curries by cooking it in a large pan of boiling salted water with ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric, a teaspoon of garam masala, a couple of bay leaves and a sliced onion. When cooked, drain and fold through a handful of sultanas, some chopped capsicum and 1-2 tablespoons of plain yoghurt.

YOGHURT – SO MANY WAYS

BOOST your breakfast. You can eat it straight from the container, sure, but be brave and slather some on toast in lieu of butter.

MORE FOOD

RICE IS A STAPLE AND ALWAYS A WINNER

PINEAPPLE TANG IN A TIN FOR A TASTY TREAT

GIVE WALNUTS A CRACK

USE it in salad dressings. Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to about a half cup yoghurt, thin with water, and then season with salt and pepper. If you’d like, bolster with cider vinegar and chopped shallots.

REPLACE your mayonnaise. Lighten up your chicken salad or dips.

TRY it in a marinade. The enzymes in yoghurt help break down proteins, which tenderises meat and fish, so it’s ideal for marinades, especially ones with Greek and Middle Eastern flavour profiles.

SWIRL it into soups. Lend body and creaminess to vegetable soups like carrot or cauliflower. Stir in some Greek yoghurt just before serving.