I had won tickets to this event and wasn’t exactly sure what to expect . When we got to Potter’s Fields we saw a large white marquee and milling about inside a gated area was a very tall Zebra and Cow. They were greeting everyone as they came in and dancing with the children and hugging the parents. A very warm welcome indeed.I introduced myself to Nick Coffer who was presenting the event and demonstrating recipes using the Total Greek Yogurt to make lunchboxes more healthy in the run up to ‘Back to School’ this week. Nick put everyone at ease as we waited for the demos to start.
To get us into the festive mood we were entertained by ‘The Yummettes’, three lovely young ladies who treated us to some well known post war hits. They were true professionals even when the children took to the stage and wanted to help them perform. They welcomed them all to their performance.
Nick and his young son Archie demonstrated how to make yummy blueberry muffins, savoury spinach-feta-bacon muffins, savoury filo pastry triangles and several more recipes using the yogurt as a main and important ingredient. 
The yogurt helps to keep the recipes lighter and healthier and cuts down on the need to add sugar. Archie kept the audience amused with his own take on grating cheese and adding ingredients into his dad’s recipes. Nick stayed calm and pointed out these recipes were quick and easy and not amount critical so if a bit got spilled or missed the bowl it didn’t matter.
The yogurt helps to keep the recipes lighter and healthier and cuts down on the need to add sugar. Archie kept the audience amused with his own take on grating cheese and adding ingredients into his dad’s recipes. Nick stayed calm and pointed out these recipes were quick and easy and not amount critical so if a bit got spilled or missed the bowl it didn’t matter.
After Nick was finished the behind the scenes team brought out lots of food for us to try that Nick had quickly demonstrated. There were also six work stations set up, each with everything you needed to make a different one of the recipes so guests could try them out themselves and see how easy they were – encouraging everyone to plan to make them at home for the family.
When we were ready to leave we were given a ‘goodie bag’ – a Total Greek Yogurt branded cool bag with samples of the plain, 0.2%, plain with honey and plain with blueberry compote yogurts that had featured during the event, a gel pack to freeze to keep your lunch cool and all the recipes from the event.It was a lovely day with views of the Thames, Tower Bridge, The Tower of London, HMS Belfast and loads more London landmarks and as I travelled home on public transport I was glad I had entered the competition and won the tickets.
Some Lunch Box Tips from Totally Greek Yogurt:-
1. Include starchy food for energy & concentration – keep it varied by trying sandwiches, wraps, pasta, bagels etc.2. Add protein to help keeps kids fuller for longer – try egg, cheese, tuna, ham and beans
3. Finger food is always good so slice up raw veggies and pack a portion of dip – try yogurt dip or hummus.
4. Do small varieties for small hands like mini muffins.
5. Don’t forget a sheet of kitchen roll for messy fingers.
6. To keep food cool, freeze the drinks bottle or carton which will act as an ice block throughout the morning.
7. Pack a note for your child or partner to read. It could contain a picture like a smiley face or simply write ‘I love you’.
Here is one of the recipes Nick Coffer made with the help of his son Archie, at the event,
Blueberry muffins:-
If you have a few fresh blueberries to hand, feel free to throw them into the mix as well.
Prep time:- 5-10 mins
Coking time:- 25-30 mins
You will need:
2 pots TOTAL 0% Greek Yogurt with Blueberry
250g self-raising flour
120g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp mild
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4
Mix together the dry ingredients – the flour, sugar and baking powder
In a separate bowl mix the egg, Greek yogurt, the blueberry ‘compote’ from the pots of yogurt, the milk and vegetable oil.
Gently mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. You don’t want to over mix or your muffins may be a bit heavy.
Grease your muffin tins and fill each mould to just below the top.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the muffins have risen and are golden. Leave to cool a little before removing from the tins. They should keep for 2 days in an airtight container.
Makes 10-12 muffins depending on the size of your muffin tin or approximately 24 mini muffins.
Peanut Butter & Yogurt Dip
This dip takes no time to prepare and you could use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth for a different texture.
Prep time – 5 mins
You will need:-
3 Tbsp TOTAL Greek Yogurt
2 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
A sprinkle of ground cinnamon
A drizzle of honey
Slices of fresh fruit to serve
Method:-
Mix the yogurt, peanut butter and honey together in a bowl.
Top with ground cinnamon and serve it with the fruit slices to dip.
Other recipes were Chocolate Mousse, Spinach and Cheddar Muffins, Feta, Bacon & Greek yogurt Filo Triangles, Lamb Gyro with Tzatziki, Red Berry Smoothie, Roasted Vegetables, Bacon and Pasta Salad and Marinated Chicken Wings. If you would like to try any of these let me know and I will include them in another post.
