Tzatziki

I channeled my inner Mediterranean this week and whipped up some fresh tzatziki to go with some yummy pita and frozen falafel I picked up on my Trader Joe’s run.

DF Denisse (who really is of Greek descent and not just a poseur like I am) told me how easy it is to use up an extra cucumber with just a couple of ingredients I already had on hand to make tzatziki.

Tzatziki is a refreshing yogurt-based dip made with shredded cucumber, salt, olive oil, garlic, and herbs.  Yep, that’s it.  And with just a few minutes’ work, you can have a dip as good as in a Greek restaurant.

Here’s what I did.

Greek Yogurt

I have plain Greek yogurt on hand so I used a five-ounce container.

Cucumber

My cuc was not as green and sweet as I like, so shredding it up and using it in a recipe took the bitterness out of it. 

I used my super-duper Pampered Chef grater and yep, I took off a hunk of my palm.  It’s the tiniest little wound, but I bled like a stuff pig for the next half hour.  I had to make my recipe with a paper towel bandage waiting for the bleeding to stop long enough to dress it.  MASH unit in my kitchen.

Garlic

I skipped the garlic.  I’m not tolerating it lately and didn’t want a flare up.  I recommend using a clove though.

Oil

I used avocado oil because it’s open and on hand.  I love that stuff.

Lemon juice

I juiced a tiny more than the tablespoon I should have used.  And it’s a bit too sour.  Even for me.  And that’s saying a lot.  Don’t use more than 1 tablespoon.

Dill

I don’t have fresh, but used about ½ tablespoon of dried dill and it tasted really good.

Slather this stuff on everything and enjoy!

If you’re still enjoying summer where you are, give this recipe a try for a refreshing snack or meal.