The next stop on our
tour of cultural cuisines is Greece. As an island nation located near the
Mediterranean Sea with a proud history, Greece has no shortfall when it comes
to traditions – or food for that matter. Grecian culture is bursting with
flavorful and delicious recipes; however, I chose to prepare a simple, yet
classic Greek staple. Tzatziki sauce is a dip made from yogurt, cucumber, and
other herbs. Traditionally, Tzatziki sauce is used to add flavor to other
dishes such as souvlaki or gyros. In addition to being great as a complement to
an appetizing main dish, this tangy sauce is perfect as a dip on pita chips or
vegetables.
This recipe is easy to
make and the instructions are straightforward, which makes preparation and cleanup
hassle-free. Tzatziki sauce requires only a few ingredients that are common in
grocery stores – this means you won’t have to search for some obscure
ingredient in the “specialty” food aisle only to find that it’s not available.
Honestly, this recipe was so simple that it was quite a relief after the
nightmare that was the Hamantashen recipe I made a few weeks ago. Start with a
cucumber, one clove of garlic, a sixteen ounce container of plain Greek style
yogurt, fresh chopped parsley, mint, and lemon juice. Follow the directions
below and in less than four hours you’ll be enjoying an awesome dip that will
be sure to spice up all your social affairs.
Here is the recipe I
used from All Recipes.com with a few minor improvements:
 |
| Ingredients for Tzatziki Sauce |
Ingredients:
o
1 (16 ounce) container of low-fat plain
Greek yogurt
o
1 cucumber (peeled, seeded, and grated)
o
1 clove of garlic (minced) or ¼ of a
teaspoon of minced garlic in a bottle
o
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley (chopped)
o
1 tablespoon of fresh mint (chopped)
o
1 tablespoon of juice from a fresh lemon
or lemon juice from a bottle
o
Salt and pepper to taste (I personally
didn’t use any…)
o
Optional: Pita chips to eat with the dip
Directions:
o
Peel, cut, and seed cucumber – grate
slices with a cheese grater or mixer attachment
o
Lay grated cucumber on a plate lined
with paper towel; allow to drain for 1 to 2 hours
o
Combine the rest of the ingredients and
the cucumber into a bowl; stir well until evenly mixed
o
Refrigerate sauce for at least 2 hours
prior to serving
 |
| Grated cucumber |
 |
| Seeded cucumber |
 |
| Chopped mint |
Sources:
Photos courtesy of me
It was delicious Ashley! Thanks for bringing it in and submitting the recipie.
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