The simple act of concentrating yogurt by draining it and removing some of the liquid transforms it into a new food that is more nutritious and much more versatile.

Dubbed “YoChee” by Nikki and David Goldbeck, the authors of Eat Well the YoChee Way, it is also known as yogurt cheese. By preparing dishes with YoChee, you can achieve the sensual delights of many once-fatty foods and at the same time improve your diet.

Why YoChee?
Rich creamy foods are tempting because of their smooth “mouthfeel,” or melt-in-your-mouth sensation. The price of this pleasure usually comes in the form of fat, and often the troublesome saturated kind. YoChee can provide a similar sensual experience, but remarkably it can be low in fat or fat-free, depending on the yogurt it is made from.

Some YoChee Attributes
* YoChee is an excellent source of protein and calcium, two very important nutrients.

* YoChee can take the place of some or all of the mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, whipped cream, solid shortening, oil or eggs in many familiar dishes. Once this potential is recognized, even unskilled cooks can easily find new applications.

* ½ cup of nonfat YoChee provides 0 grams of fat.

* ½ cup of low-fat YoChee provides 3 grams of fat.

* ½ cup of YoChee provides 290 mg. potassium.

* ½ cup of YoChee provides 10 grams of protein.

Making YoChee

All you have to do is spoon yogurt into a specially designed draining device or similar homemade apparatus. No complicated equipment is needed. Gravity does all the work. You can buy draining devices at food specialty stores or from Yochee.com.

You can also make YoChee by draining yogurt in a colander or strainer lined with cheesecloth and set over a bowl to catch the drippings.