Johnston - Cooking with Greek yogurt : healthy recipes for buffalo blue cheese chicken, Greek yogurt pancakes, mint julep frozen yogurt, and more!

Writing your first cookbook is certainly an adventure, and Ive been so fortunate to have an incredible group of people along on this food-filled ride with me.

To my team at The Countryman Press and W. W. Norton, thank you so much for taking a chance on an unknown food-obsessed girl from the middle of nowhere. I feel so fortunate to have teamed up with a group that trusts my writing, design, and photography style. Thank you for your patience and education. This journey has been a blast, and I cant wait to work with you all again.

To all the friends I met during my time as a student and staff member at Indiana University, thank you for broadening the horizons of a sheltered girl from the country. Thank you especially to all my former colleagues and friends at IU Communications; even though we arent together anymore, your creativity and perseverance continue to keep me inspired. Go Hoosiers!

To my blog readers and blog friends, I will never be able to explain how grateful I am to each and every one of you. Thank you for giving me purpose, supporting me through every twist and turn, and helping me discover a passion I never knew existed. I wish I could bring each of you a cupcake.

To my brother, sisters, nieces, nephews, and in-laws, its comforting to know that if I need something, I have a whole gaggle of people to count on. Having that kind of support gives me the courage to pursue my dreams. Thank you for being my emotional safety net.

To my parents, I know a lot of people feel like they have the best parents in the world, but I know for a fact that I do. Thank you both for never laughing in my face when I came home with pink hair or a crazy artsy-fartsy idea. Dad, thank you for always challenging me, protecting me, and teaching me how to be the best creative I can be. Mama, if everyone were a little more like you, the world would be such a better place. Thank you for making the kitchen such a warm and welcoming place in our house, and thank you for teaching me that kindness really does matter.

To my husband, thank you for doing the dishes after all my kitchen bombs and eating more Greek yogurt in the past few months than anyone should ever have to. Thank you for pushing me outside my comfort zone and seeing more in me than I could ever see in myself. Thank you for being you and for loving me.

By day, Cassie Johnston works as a graphic designer, but after hours, Cassie is obsessed with all things edible. This love of growing, cooking, and eating food led to a second career in food writing, photography, and recipe development.

Cassie is a champion for local and organic food and, along with her husband, runs a small hobby farm in Southern Indiana producing heirloom vegetables, cut flowers, and maple syrup. Cassie shares her passion for cooking and eating daily at her healthy recipe blog, Back to Her Roots (backtoherroots.com).

When Cassie isnt writing about vegetables, you can find her hiking through the beautiful Indiana countryside, enjoying craft beer, and daydreaming about next years crops.

O f all the meals in a day, the breakfast table is probably the most familiar with Greek yogurt. Youd be hard-pressed to find someone who hasnt grabbed a container of yogurt on the way out the door in the morning, but Greek yogurts breakfast uses span way beyond the spoon.

When I first started eating healthier, one of my biggest struggles was getting in a nutritious breakfast every day. Sure, anyone can cook a healthy spread on a leisurely Sunday morning, but what about when the alarm didnt go off and you have five minutes to get out the door for work?

Ive developed a portfolio of healthy breakfast recipes that are both tasty and speedy. Youll find quite a few of those in the next few pages, along with some of my slower Sunday morning favorites.

whole wheat greek yogurt

PANCAKES

This is the go-to pancake recipe in our house on Sunday mornings. These pancakes are packed with hearty whole grains, but stay light and fluffy thanks to the addition of Greek yogurt.

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 eggs

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk

Preheat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. In a large mixing bowl,
mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, applesauce, eggs, syrup, vanilla, and milk. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Let batter rest for 10 minutes.

Spoon 1/2 cup of the batter at a time onto the preheated griddle or skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the edges of the pancake look solid, and bubbles begin to rise to the surface. Flip pancake and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

Nutrition per 2 pancakes: 293 calories, 4g fat, 50g carbs, 13g protein

I love these pancakes topped with berries and maple syrup, but theyre also great with melted peanut butter and a small smear of your favorite jam.

If peaches arent in season in your area, this dish also works well with frozen peach slices. Just let them thaw on the counter or under warm water, and proceed just as you would with the fresh peaches.

peaches and cream

STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

This luxe breakfast treat is perfect for houseguests and holiday breakfasts because it can be made ahead of time (in fact, its better if you do!) and just popped into the oven that morning. Bring out the syrup and some plates, and breakfast is served.