Greek Yogurt Blueberry Banana Bread

Feeding kids is tough!  My kids are not necessarily the pickiest eaters, but they LOVE sugary sweets, and I am constantly looking to replace their desire for a cookie with a carrot or an apple.  But I also don't want to constantly deprive them, they're still kids and I'd like for them to enjoy something tasty and sweet.

Which is why I'm always happy to find recipes like these.  Low in fat and processed sugar, but still a colorful, sweet treat.  I packed this in my kids' lunchboxes and they both loved it.  Talk about a win win!

Greek Yogurt and Blueberry Banana Bread
From No Sugar Sweet Life

Ingredients

1 1⁄2 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

3 tablespoons Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 1⁄2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt ((optional))

1⁄2 cup Brown Sugar (or 1/4 cup agave nectar)

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

3 Large ripe bananas 

2 Eggs

6 ounces Chobani Vanilla Greek Yogurt (or Blueberry)

1 cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Start by combining flour, baking powder, salt in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, mash bananas with a fork until they are gooey and liquid-like.

Add eggs, vanilla and brown sugar… mix thoroughly.

Add greek yogurt

Whisk until everything is well combined and there are no lumps.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.  At this point, fold in the blueberries.

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and distribute evenly.

Put into the oven and bake for one hour, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Transfer to a cooling rack and (try to) let the bread cool for at least ten minutes before slicing.

Greek Yogurt Souffle

quite impressive straight out of the gate...

light fluffy, delicate...perfect for a lovely Sunday brunch.

serve right away for the warm sky high souffle effect...

or  "fallen" as a light, airy healthy and guilt-free cheesecake souffle.  

sometimes, most of the time, you just can't get the darn things to the table in time.  not to worry if they fall.  these are still quite impressive.  i know your crazy head is saying "fallen=failure"... but just take a bite and you will see it is still light as air and "souffle-like".  the first two photos are just minutes out of the oven.  the photos below are about 1/2 an hour out.  if you fill the ramekin to the first rim it should not sink any further than shown.
get creative with your accessories... fresh berries, a blueberry coulis,  ginger syrup, or warm and syrupy homemade jam?

it's like eating a little vanilla cloud.  
a perfect individual fancy treat, but i could eat three so make a few extra.

GREEK YOGURT SOUFFLE

many thanks for the original found at Baking Bites...

1 cup plain greek yogurt...i use 0% Fage

3 large egg yolks

3 large egg whites

3 Tbsp AP flour

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract...(per Grandma...i always spill a little extra in the mix) or a 1/2 vanilla pod would look nice with the black specks.

1/8 tsp cream of tarter

1/4 cup sugar, or i used Z Sweet, a sugar substitute

butter and "real" sugar for ramekins

preheat oven to 375 F degrees, non convection...bottom heating element only if possible.  i read this somewhere and it seems to work well with any souffle.
butter six 6oz ramekins.  coat inside ramekin with sugar and knock out excess.  set on baking sheet.
in a large mixing bowl whisk together yogurt, egg yolks, flour, salt and vanilla.  in a medium bowl or in your stand mixture, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy...then gradually pour in the sugar and whisk until firm, but soft peaks form...just don't whip so hard you break the whites.
add 1/3 of egg white mixture to the yogurt mixture and incorporate well.  then carefully fold in another 1/3...then the remaining.  you want to keep as much volume as possible, of course.
divide evenly into ramekins...i think i filled mine to the line just below the rim because when they fall you still want to have volume in the ramekin.
bake on tray for about 15 minutes, until evenly risen and lightly browned around the edges.
DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR TO PEEK.

serve IMMEDIATELY for the full effect.

BUT...these are still fabulous after they fall  as you can see in some of the photos.
they are also delicious the next day.  they retain their fluff and they taste like a very delicate cheesecake.  i'd have this for breakfast every morning if i could...full of protein, calcium and quite a healthy start for the day. 

approx. nutrition info
6 servings

80 calories
6.6 carbs
2.5 fat
2.3 sugar
7.4 protein

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

I am a total sucker for "creature comforts." I love big snuggly blankets, oversized flannel pajama pants, a nice warm, or cold beverage, and a good book to lose myself in. I look forward to the evenings after the kids have gone to bed to enjoy all of those. But sometimes during the day I'll take a moment or two to indulge in some "me time."

There is nothing better than a quiet cup of afternoon tea. The kids are preoccupied and I can sneak away and sip a cup, while enjoying a small snack. This peanut butter banana bread was a real treat, and I was very sad when it was eaten up.

 I'm already a big fan of banana bread, but what set this apart was the glaze. Oh my goodness, I've never had peanut butter glaze until this bread, but I would eat that stuff on just about anything.  The banana bread is not too sweet, with earthy undertones of peanut butter.  This is a bread that I would happily make again and again.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread 

Cooking Light August 2010

Ingredients

• Bread:
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
• 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 6 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
• Cooking spray
• Glaze:
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.

4. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.

I Just Can’t Get Enough

There are some foods, some dishes, that I feel I could eat to infinity - dishes where I lose all self control.  Or at least, I don’t want to stop eating, and making myself put on the brakes requires a great deal of discipline. Usually salty crunchy things fall into that category; for instance, I could eat Doritos until I turn orange, but the other foods that put me in a state of compulsive gorging followed by a state of gleeful shame are less obvious. These foods may include, but are not limited to, mashed potatoes, spaghetti carbonara, uni (Well, I’ve never actually had the opportunity to eat my body weight in uni. I’m guessing I’d get my fill faster than I think), chicken fricassee, sausage biscuits, my mom’s cream of mushroom soup (I could drink it like a milkshake), pimiento cheese, tomato sandwiches, burrata, buttermilk pie, Cadbury Creme Eggs (made myself sick eating four in a row) and vichyssoise (made myself sick on that one, too), and pan gravy. I can power down some gravy. And I don’t need it to be on anything, either.

Some of these foods come from my childhood, but just as many don’t at all. Some are sweet and some are salty, some are solid and some are liquid. I don’t see a particular profile or pattern in them at all. That’s what is so interesting about all of us. And what’s so fascinating about food.

Recently, like a bolt of lightning, a dish zapped into my head from my childhood. It was from the era of my mom’s ‘experimental and/or ethnic food phase’ - I’d say this was the late 1980s. We called it Anuradha Rice. I remember exactly what it tasted and looked like, but I couldn’t recall its story or what the recipe was at all. So I called Mom.

When she used to work at an art gallery back in Richmond, she had a co-worker that had recently moved, with her husband, from India. Her name was Anuradha. My mom, Harland and Leslie - all Anderson Gallery people - were all going through this ‘experimental and/or ethnic food phase’ together and thought it would be really great to learn about some of Anuradha’s favorite dishes from home and how to prepare them here. Or rather, how to prepare them in Richmond, Virginia.

I don’t know what, if any, other dishes came out of these cooking classes, but I do know that one in particular stuck in our kitchen. It was a rice dish with some sort of yogurty-ness on top. No one ever found out the actual name for this dish, if it had one, so it has always been Anuradha Rice. My mom, Harland and I ate it all the time, especially in the warm months. It seems like it would be a side dish but it was our meal. And I tell you what, I could have eaten a mountain of it.

After finding out about the dish, and a loose version of how to prepare it, I set to finding the ingredients so I could go about bringing Anuradha Rice into my house, here in LA. When I was searching for the mustard seeds, I was chatting on the phone with Heather. I told her I “was trying to make a rice dish that mom used to m...” At which point she cut me off and stated, “Anuradha Rice!” That shows you how much of a staple it was back then.

I’ve made it twice in the past few days, both versions came out perfectly. The main reason for that is it is a breeze to make. Not only is it a cinch, but the ingredients are easy to find and inexpensive. It’s a bright, fresh, clean, velvety and incredibly satisfying dish. The simplicity of the ingredients and the way they marry perfectly together is uncanny. The smooth, cool yogurt with little crunches of cucumber on top of the warm, soft rice with the teeny-tiiny pops of the mustard seeds make for an eye opening journey in temperatures and textures. My mom came over to visit today and is literally eating a bowl of it while I type this.

So, I recently noticed that I have a lot of new readers of late, and I would love to get to know y’all. I was thinking it would be fun to get some dialogue going between us. After going through my brain and digging up all of those edibles I just can’t get enough of, it made me exceedingly curious to find out what everyone else’s may be. So, please, leave me a list of yours in the comment section. And who knows I may have to try them out to see if they get tacked on to my list. Because, really, all I need is one more thing I just can’t stop eating!

Anuradha Rice

Serves 4 as an entree
Serves 6 as a side dish

Ingredients

For rice:
2 cups Basmati rice, cooked and cooled to room temperature
1 ½ tablespoon mustard seeds
1 ½ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon oil or ghee

For yogurt:
2 1/2 cups plain yogurt
¾ cup red onion, diced
1 large (or 2 medium) ripe tomato, chopped
*1 cup cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
½ cup cilantro, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

*Toss chopped cucumber in a small bowl with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and let sit 10 minutes. This is to remove excess water from cucumber.

Place all ingredients for yogurt mixture in bowl and mix well. Set aside in refrigerator.

Heat oil (or ghee) in wok or large cast iron skillet. Add mustard seeds and cook on medium-high until they begin to pop. Be careful not to get hit in the eyeball by hot, oily, popping mustard seeds. Cook until a few of the seeds have popped, but don’t worry about popping them all.

Add the cooked and cooled rice, add turmeric and stir well. Once rice is mixed well with the oil and mustard seeds, and heated through with the littlest bit of crisp remove from heat.

Portion rice on to plates and top with a generous amount of the yogurt mixture and serve.


Printable recipe.


One year ago: Yerp: Part 7 - The End
Two years ago: Great Balls on Tires
Three years ago: Baked Tomatoes with Goat Cheese, Fresh Herbs & Hazelnut Breadcrumbs

Gorgonzola Chicken Salad

I would love to be more of an innovator in the kitchen and invent my own recipes. I have a lot of respect for those that are. Most of my creations are at least inspired by recipes that I find in books or online. It's rare that I'm able to come up with anything on my own, and when I do, it's usually out of necessity. This was one of those times. Right before we moved I was desperate to eat every morsel out of our fridge before I took a trip to the grocery store. I didn't plan to move a bunch of food, and I absolutely hate to throw food away, I honestly lose sleep over wasted food. So with some leftover chicken and Gorgonzola cheese, this lighter and tasty salad was born. Protein seekers rejoice, with all the chicken, cheese and yogurt, this salad packs a serious punch!  

Gorgonzola Chicken Salad

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
 2 green onions, or one shallot, chopped
3/4 cup fat-free greek yogurt
2 tablespoons low fat mayo
1 teaspoon worchestershire sauce
3 tablespoons blue or gorgonzola cheese (more or less to taste)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

In a medium sized bowl, combine chicken, apples, celery, almonds and dried cranberries, and onion.  In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients except salt, pepper and parsley.  Mix dressing into chicken mixture and combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste and fresh parsley.  Serve either chilled or at room temperature, as sandwiches, wraps, or on a bed of lettuce.

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Bars

apologies for not getting anything posted for a few weeks...i have writers block.  still cooking up a storm with tons of recipes and photos, but i just can't seem to get a post out.  so pardon me if the next few post are a bit short on words...sometimes i like those posts best.  who needs to here all the blah blah blah.

GET TO THE POINT ALREADY !

THESE BARS ARE FABULOUS!

the original recipe can be found at Cooking Light.  great reviews, but i knew i could make it even lighter by what i had gathered from the other bakers.  i substituted the sour cream with non fat greek yogurt and sub'd the white sugar with Splenda.
one thing i would say is don't weigh out your flour...measure it out in a cup.

2 friends already asked for the recipe and i have made them a second time using figs, cardamom, toasted pistachios and lemon zest (might be posting about it).  this second batch i weighed out the flour and they came out a little too moist for my liking, but it DID lend itself to the fig bars.  they turned out like a glorified middle eastern flavored fig newton...DELICIOUS !

try different filling and spices...check the original at Cooking Light and read the reviews.  my friend made the original recipe and said they were great...i just lightened them up a little.  oh, and i added more lemon zest.  enjoy.

CRANBERRY OATMEAL BARS

adapted from Cooking Light

for the crust...

1 cup white while wheat flour

1 cup oats...i used old fashioned

1/2 cup packed brown sugar (do not substitute)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

6 Tbsp butter, melted

3 Tbsp fresh orange juice

cooking spray

for the filling...

1 1/3 cup dried cranberries (6oz.)

3/4 cup non fat greek yogurt

1st time i used 1/4 sugar and 1/4 splenda, but you might try 1/2 cup all splenda

2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp grated orange rind

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

preheat oven to 325 F degrees

to prepare the crust, combine flour and the next five ingredients, through cinnamon, into medium bowl.  stir well with whisk until combined.  drizzle melted butter and orange juice over flour mixture, stirring until moistened...mixture should be crumbly.  RESERVE 3/4 CUP OF CRUST MIXTURE.  press remaining mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

to prepare filling...combine cranberries, yogurt, splenda and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine.  spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust and sprinkle remaining oat crust mixture evenly over filling.  i made sure it was crumbly looking by pressing some of it between my fingers and then gave it a little over all pat down to secure the crumble...

i hate it when you take a bite of a good crumble and it all ends up in your lap !

bake at 325 for 40 minutes or until the edged are golden.  cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

when cut into 16 squares the nutrients are approx...

(nutrition for 1/4 cup sug. and 1/4 cup splenda recipe)

107 calories, 18. carbs, 3.3 fat, 2.1 protein

Healthy Faux Cheesecake ...

always on the hunt for a healthy treat...?

this Creamy Lime Pie seems just right for both the health conscious crowd...

AND...

for those, such as myself, who prefer filling their calorie quota with PORK BELLY and other various savory indulgences.

this creamy cheesecake looking pie is just right for a light dessert...breakfast even.  all sweet and smooth with a little tang and that graham cracker-ish crust, but it's all good for ya.  made with Fiber One Yogurt, a little lite cream cheese and Fiber One Cereal.

it might look like cheesecake, act like a cheesecake, but you'll know it's yogurt so don't try to pass it off as "cheesecake". 

BUT, i must say...you WILL have yourself a fabulous guilt-free dessert with plenty of room for that late night snack of baby back ribs slathered in extra BBQ sauce.

Creamy Vanilla Lime Yogurt Cheesecake pie

slightly adapted from Fiber One

original with nutritional info found here.

Crust

2 cups Fiber One original bran cereal

1/4 cup melted butter

1 Tbsp corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Filling

1 Tbsp cold water

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 1/2 tsp powder unflavored gelatin

4 oz. fat free cream cheese
1/2 tsp lemon extract

4 containers Yoplait Fiber One vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup frozen (thawed) reduced fat whipped topping

1 Tbsp grated lime zest

preheat oven to 350 F.

finely crush the bran cereal in a food processor until it resembles graham cracker crumbs.

in a medium bowl, mix crust ingredients until blended.  press mixture evenly and firmly in bottom and up sides of a 9" pie plate.  bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until firm.  cool completely, about an hour

in a 1 qt. sauce pan, mix water and lime juice.  sprinkle gelatin on lime/water mixture and let stand for 1 -2 minutes.  heat over low heat until gelatin is dissolved.  cool slightly about 2 minutes
NOTE...i did this step in a small glass bowl and then the microwave

in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  add yogurt, extract and lime juice/gelatin mixture and beat until smooth and well blended.  fold in whipped topping and lime zest.  spoon onto crust.  refrigerate until set...about 2-3 hours

serve with a dollop of whipped topping

Simple Yogurt Parfaits

I worry a lot about what I feed my kids. Living in a world where exercise is limited for kids, and junk food is widely available, I like to do as much as possible to keep them healthy and active. One of my hardest times is when my daughter comes home from school absolutely starving. I'm always on the lookout for healthy snacks that won't fill her up too much before dinner.


This particular snack was a total hit, and super easy. Just any flavor of yogurt, layered with any type of fruit and granola. And since my daughter is quite fancy, the pretty cup didn't hurt either. It's such a simple idea that I'm almost embarrassed to post it, but if you're in the same boat as me, you're up for any snack ideas. So I'll ask you guys...

What kinds of healthy snacks and meals do you feed your kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews? Any tips to get them to eat healthier foods?

SKYR...Homemade Icelandic Yogurt

just look at those curds!

SKYR CURDS...

i love making yogurts and cheeses.  for some reason it's like baking bread.  i don't know why, but the smell of fresh yogurt right when you open the pot or while it's hanging in the fridge... gets me every time.  even when i'm having a bad day yogurt makes me happy.  if i've accomplished NOTHING in the day, at least i know i'm making yogurt...and it's gonna be good!
well, as promised, here is the SKYR recipe i use.  i should first state that i have not ever had "REAL" Skyr.  you have to go to Iceland to have "REAL" Skyr and i have no immanent plans to rush off to Iceland in the near future so i can only liken mine to the store bought here in America.  in any case if you haven't heard of SKYR...it is an Icelandic dairy product resembling Greek yogurt, but thicker and with a very slight cheese tang.  some say it's not a yogurt at all.  it actually IS a cheese.  the process of making it is like yogurt, but it calls for Rennet, a cheese making ingredient and the incubation doesn't seem to be as temperamental.

the important thing is you have to have skyr to make skyr.  luckily it seems to be growing in popularity.  like Greek yogurt, it is high in protein, low or NON fat and low in carbohydrates.  also a great way to get in some calcium.  the only brand i have seen around the markets is called Siggi's Skyr
if you can't get ahold of some Siggi's i read some other recipes that say buttermilk or other  live active culture yogurt will do, but there is something in real skyr that these don't have.  try high end markets or health food stores to find Siggi's

i've got this skyr thing down...you can too.  as i mentioned, it seems to be a lot easier than plain yogurt and the incubation is not as precise.  i get these beautiful curds every time.  i just can't help myself from taking a picture or calling someone into the kitchen to admire my curds... don't they just glisten in the sunlight?...okay...okay...enough already !!!

so you've seen the pictures of how the curds look after you cut them...above is a photo of the pot all wrapped up in 3 towels.  tightly wrapped and cozy.  i leave it this way for about 12 - 16 hours.  i didn't notice a difference in the end product if it sat 10 hours or once i left it for 18 hours...woops...still turned out great. i should mention i live in Southern California where the weather is not too extreme.  my house doesn't really get higher than 75 or lower than 55 degrees.

just below is a photo of the skyr before cutting the curds.  it should look like a solid mass with a little visible whey.

the photo below is a beautiful shot of the bottom of the heavy stainless steal pot after removing the Skyr for straining.  i wanted to add this photo in to show that this scalded looking bottom is OKAY !...

just a reminder...DO NOT scrape or stir down to the bottom of your pot.  it will not hurt your batch unless you scrape it into your finished product.

again...DO NOT be alarmed if you have a little scalding at the bottom.  of course you CAN prevent this by standing there and continuously stir while it comes to temp.  i prefer to set the pot on the LOWEST heat and walk away for an hour, hence the little bit of scalding.  this works for me, but i can't guarantee it will work with your equipment.

FYI...this should clean out very easily with a little soaking

just above is a beautiful photo of the professional straining method i have come up with for the fridge.

IMPORTANT...make sure you have a big enough container underneath to catch the whey dripping...could get ugly  

RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE SKYR
i found 2 good, easy recipes for skyr.   one is at Recipezaar by Charlotte J and another was in a forum called The Icelandic Weather Report by a poster named Bigbearok.
below is kind of a combo of the two.  this works every time for me.  check the links to see if you would like to follow one of their recipes and instructions by the book.

MUST HAVES...
4 quarts (1 gallon) non fat milk...NOT ultra pasteurized
 Siggi's Skyr, or another brand if you can find it
Rennet...i use liquid rennet (vegetable base)
or...1/2 Rennet tablet dissolved in a little cold water
good thermometer
good quality stock pot, stainless steel
towels for wrapping up pot
cheese cloth or a big square of muslin works better
a large strainer

make sure all of your utensils are CLEAN.  heat the milk slowly up to 195 F degrees.  be careful not to burn the bottom.  slow heating, a heavy stainless pot and stirring will prevent this.  when it reaches 190-195 degrees, turn off and cool to 110 F degrees.  mix about 3-4 Tbsps of your starter (Siggi's or other live active culture yogurt) with a couple of Tbsp of the warm milk (one at a time) in a small cup until it seems combined and pourable.  add this mixture to the warm milk and stir being careful not to scrape up any milk solids that may have formed at the bottom of the pot.  now add the Rennet...i use 7-8 drops for 1 gallon if milk..again...stir carefully.
cover your pot and wrap it in 2-3 towels all cozy and leave it on the counter.  one recipe says to let it sit for 24 hours...another says 12 hours...and another says 5 hours...i let mine sit for 12-16 hours.  i have seen no difference in a few hours here or there.
uncover and take a peek.  it should be a pretty solid mass and there should be some visible whey (yellowish liquid).  if it still looks and acts like a pot of milk...something has gone wrong.

if all has gone well it is now time to cut the curds...
as shown in numerous photos above and obviously my favorite skyr step.  i don't know if this is completely necessary, but some recipes call for it AND i like the way it looks.  i think it helps the curds separate from the whey while straining. next, line a large strainer with a couple of pieces of cheesecloth OR i like to use a piece of thin washed muslin.
slowly spoon the curds into the lined strainer until all is in.  let this sit for an hour or two while most of the whey drains from the curds.
TIP !...i use the inside of my salad spinner for the strainer.  a regular pasta colander doesn't seem to work as well.  you need a strainer that will really allow the whey to drip otherwise it will take forever.
when it looks as though the dripping has slowed...gather the four corners, tie and hang from a wooden spoon (or something) over a sauce pan to catch the whey.  i like to move this to the fridge, but i suppose it can be done on the counter if it's not too hot.  a cool, well ventilated room is fine.  this should take a few hours.  your end result should be firm and a bit dry around the edges of the cloth...kind of cheese-like..i like mine a little thicker than commercial Greek yogurt, but not as thick as cream cheese.
remove from the cloth into a large bowl and stir or whisk until smooth.  one time mine was so thick i had to use the Kitchenaid mixer and whisk it up to creamy goodness...again...it was  delicious.
flavoring is up to you.  stir in a little honey and vanilla extract...i use a few packets of splenda and one vanilla bean...or i stir in some vanilla whey protein powder to taste....a couple of times i added some honey, vanilla bean AND fresh finely chopped ROSEMARY...YUM !
NOTE...the consistency should NOT be grainy like cottage cheese...stir or whisk until smooth.  if it is too thick you can stir in some of the whey or beat in a little cream and sugar for a richer, sweeter treat.

i hope my long instructions don't turn you away from trying to make your own skyr.  it really IS EASIER than it sounds.  once you get it down i bet you'll enjoy it more than regular or Greek yogurt. here are a few more links that i found helpful.

Jo's Icelandic Recipes
European Cuisines
Recipezaar...Icelandic curds
Wikipedia-Skyr
Icecook...Icelandic Cooking Recipes and Food