HOLIDAY RECIPES!

For your Thanksgiving/Solstice/Christmas/Hannukah/New Years Enjoyment!

VVF skyr makes a lush and luxurious swap for cream cheese, creme fraiche, mascarpone, ricotta or sour cream.

APPS

Spinach Dip with Garlic, Skyr and Dill

adapted from Melissa Clark

INGREDIENTS

Yield: About 2 cups

10 ounces fresh baby spinach, or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
¾ cup sliced scallions, whites and greens (from about 1 bunch)
1 cup skyr
½ cup chopped dill
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 fat garlic cloves, finely grated, passed through a press or minced
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground cumin ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

PREPARATION Step 1 If using fresh spinach, put it in a colander in the sink. Bring a kettle of water to a boil and pour it over the spinach to wilt it. Let the spinach cool completely, then use your hands to squeeze it very dry. Coarsely chop spinach and set it aside. If using frozen chopped spinach, just squeeze it out until it’s very dry, then set aside. Step 2 In a blender or food processor, combine scallions, skyr, dill, parsley, garlic, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, zest, cumin, ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil and blend, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture is very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Step 3 Scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl and fold in the chopped spinach until evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Dip will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Caramelized Onion Dip

Adapted from Food and Wine

Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons water
2 1/2 cups skyr
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Potato chips, for serving

Directions

In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 25 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cook, stirring, until the water has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Let the onions cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the onions to a cutting board and coarsely chop. In a large bowl, mix the skyr, parsley, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Stir in the onions and season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature with potato chips.

Warm Skyr Dip with Fig Jam, Pecans and Fresh Herbs

Serves 6

adapted from CookingInMyGenes

INGREDIENTS

1 1/3 cups skyr
1/2 cup fig jam
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2-3 sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp olive oil
crostini or crackers for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

To a low bowl or plate, spread skyr and drizzle with olive oil.
In a small pot warm honey, fig jam, balsamic over medium heat, whisking to combine. Heat for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
Drizzle the fig jam mixture over the skyr.
Top with flaky salt, fresh thyme and pecan pieces.
Serve with crackers or crostini.

Curry Squash Sheet Pan Dip

Adapted from Alyse Whitney

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash (about 3 lbs)

1 garlic head

1/3 cup plus 1 TB olive oil, plus more for garnish

2 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 container (16 oz) skyr

2 TB Japanese-style curry powder, such as S&B, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup aggressively rough chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set aside
Place a damp paper towel under your cutting board to hold it steady and make sure your knife is sharp before tackling the squash. Wash the squash and carefully slice off a thin piece of its roundest side so it can lay flat and secure on the cutting board. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and discard. Transfer to the prepared sheet pan, flesh side down. Cut about 1/2 inch off the top of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves.
Drizzle 1/4 cup of the oil evenly across both halves of the squash, inside and out. Rub the squash in your hands to distribute the oil, then sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt evenly across squash. Put the garlic bulb on a piece of foil large enough to enclose it, then drizzle the cut surface of the garlic with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Wrap it up into a little bundle and place it on the sheet pan next to the squash. Roast for 1 hour, or until you can insert a knife into the squash with no resistance.
Unwrap the garlic and let cool. Let the squash rest until cool enough to handle, then use a large spoon to scoop out the fresh into a large bowl, leaving an inch thick border on one of the halves. It should be so tender that you can mash it with a potato masher, but it’s even easier if you use an electric hand mixer, food processor or immersion blender. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their papery skins straight into the bowl. Mash, mix, process or blend until smooth. Add the skyr, curry powder, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and transfer to the most beautiful of your squash halves.
Use a spoon to carve out a little divot or moat in the squash dip, then fill with a hefty drizzle of olive oil and finish with a sprinkle of curry powder and the chopped cilantro.

This can be served as a dip with vegetables, crackers or toasted bread, or as a side dish.

Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon, Caviar and Dill Cream

Adapted from Wolfgang Puck

Yields 6

Ingredients

1/2 cup skyr
1 teaspoon chopped dill
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon snipped chives
2 medium baking potatoes (1 pound), peeled
1 small onion
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 pound thinly sliced smoked salmon
2 ounces caviar

Directions

In a small bowl, stir the skyr with the dill and lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper and sprinkle with the chives. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
In a food processor or on a box grater, coarsely shred the potatoes and the onion. Transfer to a large, clean kitchen towel and squeeze dry.
In a medium bowl, mix the shredded potatoes and onion with the egg, flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
In a large nonstick skillet or on a griddle, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Drop 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten with the back of a spoon to make a 3-inch round. Make about 5 more pancakes and cook over moderately high heat until golden on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture; you should have 12 pancakes.
Arrange the potato pancakes on a platter. Serve warm, with the dill skyr, smoked salmon and caviar.

SIDES

Skyr and Chive Mashed Potatoes

adapted from Alison Roman

Ingredients

5 pounds yukon gold or other creamy potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
Kosher salt
1 cup whole milk or buttermilk, plus more if making ahead
1 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup skyr, divided
1 cup finely chopped chives, divided
A few tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

Directions

1. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with about 2–3” of salted water (salted like you’re making pasta). Bring them to a boil and cook until all the potatoes are completely softened and tender (test one with a fork, it should be easily smashed), about 40 minutes. For what it’s worth, if you’re picking between over cooking and undercooking, I say overcook (undercooked bits = lumps that never soften).

2. Meanwhile, combine cream and buttermilk in a medium pot and season with salt and lots of black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat.

3. Drain potatoes and return them to the pot in which they boiled. Using the back of a wooden spoon, spatula, potato crusher, whatever (even a ricer, if that’s your speed)–, smash/crush the potatoes until they’re mashed to your liking (I prefer more than a few lumps).

4. Pour the hot cream mixture over the potatoes and mix until well blended, but not gloopy or gummy, and season well with salt and pepper. These are your make ahead potatoes. They can be made and chilled 2 days ahead. To proceed with the finished mashed potatoes, keep reading.

5. When you’re ready to serve (whether you’re reheating or just making them to serve now), add about ¾ of your skyr and chives and mix well. This is also when I’d add the butter if I was going to add it. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with remaining skyr and chives, pepper and flaky salt.

DO AHEAD: There are two ways to make these ahead. One, peel and cut the potatoes the night before and store them in the pot of salted water (don’t even have to refrigerate). Two, make the potatoes up until step 5, then proceed with step 6. As a reminder, potatoes will become much stiffer when they sit overnight, so when reheating, you’ll have to add at least ½ cup (sometimes more) of milk or buttermilk to loosen them up.

Spanakopita Creamed Spinach

serves 8

adapted from Worthy Pause

Ingredients

30-32 oz frozen chopped spinach (about 3 blocks or 2 bags)
~1/4 cup olive oil or butter
1 yellow onion, minced
1/2 cup green onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh dill (leaves and stems), finely chopped
3/4 cup fresh parsley (leaves and stems), finely chopped
1 cup skyr
1 cup feta, crumbled (reserve a bit for garnish)
1 cup milk or cream, give or take
salt, pepper and crushed red pepper, to taste

Instructions

Prep the spinach by microwaving per instructions and draining/squeezing the excess water out of it. Set aside.
In a large Dutch oven or pot, saute the onion in olive oil or butter on medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in the green onion, fresh dill and parsley and cook for a few minutes.
Mix in the skyr and feta. Add a little more salt and pepper to taste.
Fold in the spinach until fully reheated. Again, salt and pepper.
Add cream or milk until you get to your desired consistency.
Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Serve hot with the remaining feta crumbled on top.

DESSERTS

Pumpkin Skyr Cheesecake w Gingersnap Crust

serves 8-12

adapted from PlaysWellWithButter

For the gingersnap crust:

14 ounces crispy gingersnap cookies (see Recipe Notes)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, melted

For the pumpkin cheesecake

32 ounces skyr (2 jars) at room temperature
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
one 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
6 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 heaping tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
for serving, as desired: freshly whipped cream, freshly grated nutmeg, salted caramel

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan, then wrap foil tightly around the base of the pan – this is the easiest way to ensure no liquid oozes in or out of the springform pan while the crust and the cheesecake bake.
Prep the gingersnap crust: Add the gingersnap cookies to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the cookies are crushed into very fine crumbs. You will have about 2 ½ cups of gingersnap crumbs. (If you do not have a food processor, you can also place the gingersnaps in a resealable bag and crush them with a rolling pin.) Transfer the gingersnap crumbs to a large bowl with brown sugar, melted butter, and a pinch of salt. Mix to combine until the entire mixture is moist. Transfer the gingersnap mixture to the prepared springform pan. Press the crumbs into an even layer – I like to press them halfway up the sides of the springform pan and use the bottom of a measuring cup to press it in really well and create some nice edges.
Bake the gingersnap crust for 12-15 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Reduce the heat of the oven to 325 degrees F.
Prep the pumpkin cheesecake filling: Meanwhile, as the gingersnap crust bakes, prep the cheesecake filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the skyr and granulated sugar. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed just until the mixture is smooth and creamy – with room temperature ingredients, this takes about 90 seconds – 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree, mixing just until combined. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in the beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and pumpkin spice, mixing until just combined.
Assemble the pumpkin cheesecake: Carefully pour the pumpkin cheesecake filling over the prepared gingersnap crust. The filling can go straight up to the top of the springform pan – it shouldn’t overflow as it bakes. Depending on how long you whipped the filling, you may have a little excess batter – set aside for later use or discard. Carefully tap the pan against the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
Prepare the water bath: Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Set a roasting pan on the middle rack of your oven, which should be heated to 325 degrees at this point. Add the cheesecake to the middle of the roasting pan, then carefully pour the boiling water in the pan, surrounding the cheesecake. The water should come about ½ way up the sides of the springform pan, but make sure the water level stays below the foil that is wrapped around the springform pan.
Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, until the edges are set. The center of the cheesecake may still be a little loose – that’s okay, it will continue to set as it sits. Turn off the oven, leaving the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour while the oven cools. The residual heat of the oven will gently bake the cheesecake to completion. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the oven and from the water bath. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator to set for 8-12 hours.
Serve: Run a knife around the edges of the springform pan before releasing it. Slice the cheesecake into 8-12 slices. Top with whipped cream, freshly grated nutmeg, and a drizzle of salted caramel as desired. Enjoy!

Skyr Truffles

adapted from George Duran

Ingredients

6 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped

6 ounces skyr at room temperature

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup sweetened cocoa powder, sifted

In the top of a double boiler, or in a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water (make sure the water does not touch the bowl), melt the chocolate, stirring until it is smooth. Set the melted chocolate aside to cool for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
In a bowl whisk together the skyr, sugar, and vanilla until it is light and fluffy. Whisk in the melted chocolate until it is well combined. Chill, covered, until it is firm, at least 1 hour.
To form the truffles, take a heaping teaspoon of the chocolate/skyr mixture and lightly roll it into a ball with your hands. Roll the finished truffles in the sifted cocoa powder, set them onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper, and chill until they are firm, about 30 minutes. The truffles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes:

For a more chèvre-forward flavor, the proportions can be adapted to more of a 60-40 ratio of skyr to chocolate.

This mixture can also be spooned into ramekins and chilled for a chic twist on pots de creme.