Tackling Tzatziki

Hello all! Sorry I have been such an MIA blogger. No real excuse. Just laziness combined with a  little busy-ness. I have joined a new gym and have been making an effort to go almost daily. I am also getting back to my oil painting. Between that and daily emailing, Facebooking, Pinteresting, and house cleaning I guess my blog is suffering a little. Unlike my blog I always make time for cooking. No one will ever go hungry in my house!  Today for What's Cookin' Wednesday I decided to tackle tzatziki!

This traditional Greek appetizer/condiment is a cucumber yogurt sauce made to accompany a variety of foods from grilled meats and fish to bread and veggies. Back in the states, I would normally grab a readymade container of tzatziki in the store, but because I have the time I thought I have given it a go.

Simple ingredients: yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, parsley, mint, and lemon.

 The most important thing when it comes to making your own tzatziki is straining! You can certainly go without straining off all the excess water in the cucumber and yogurt, but then you run the risk of having runny tzatziki. So I like to spoon the yogurt into a sieve or colander lined with a paper towel, muslin, or a coffee filter and allow it to rest in the fridge for a minimum of an hour. I also do the same with my diced cucumber to allow some of the water to strain off.  Lightly salting the cucumber helps to draw the water out. 

Straining the whey is the key to tzatziki success!

Make sure to remove the seeds from the cucumber!

Fresh herbs left to right:  parsley, mint, dill

Mix it all up, chill and serve with your favorite food!

I served my homemade yogurt dip with grilled chicken, couscous, and the best  zuchini fritter recipe I have come across! Totally forgot to snap a final photo, but the outcome:  tasty, terrific, tongue-tantalizing, tzatziki!

• 1 pint plain greek style yogurt 
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled and seeded cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh mint
• Pinch of salt and pepper
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