#51 The Best Tzatziki Sauce Recipe - Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce

This was first introduced to me as a sauce to a gyros sandwich, and I cannot forget how good it was! It took me a while to make it because I really didn't care that much for yogurt. But lately I have been wanting to add more protein to our diet and Greek yogurt is an excellent source. It has twice the amount of protein than the regular yogurt, low in fat, has less sugar and carbohydrates too. So when I bought the yogurt this weekend, I decided I will make that delicious yogurt cucumber sauce that I once tried. Now I know what it is called. Tzatziki. :) I like how that sounds, pronounced as: /zɑːdˈziːki/. It is a Greek appetizer or sauce, and is always served chilled. It can be enjoyed with a pita bread, as a sauce to your meat sandwich, or as a dip for your favorite vegetables. I love the smell of fresh dill, and how it adds that wonderful flavor to the yogurt. Add some fresh squeezed lemon juice, cucumbers, minced garlic, salt and pepper.. Wow, tastes great! The original recipe called for 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar,  but I didn't have it so, I just doubled the amount of  lemon juice. I chopped the cucumber instead of grating it, because I like the chunkiness in every bite. It was a great dip for my raw celery sticks. I still have a full bowl of Tzatziki  left overs and it will be enjoyed down to the last spoonful. :)



TZATZIKI 


Ingredients:

2 cups Plain Greek Yogurt
1 large Hothouse or English Cucumber
1 teaspoon of salt- (add half first and see if that is enough saltiness for you)
Pinch (1/4 tsp.) Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
2 Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced 
4 teaspoons Minced Fresh Dill Weed (no stalks)


Directions: 

1. Peel cucumber. Discard seeds, and chop finely.
2. Put yogurt in a large bowl, add lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill,  salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Add chopped cucumbers, mix until well blended.
3. Best if chilled for a few hours before serving. Enjoy!  

All this time I thought Greek yogurt is a yogurt made only and originated in Greece. It turns out that it is simply called Greek yogurt because this variety of yogurt was made popular by the Greek brand FAGE. Greek yogurt is a yogurt which has been strained, the whey has been removed so it has that thick, rich and creamy consistency. Because it has been filtered, much of the fat has been removed and it has a lower amount of carbohydrates and sugar than the regular unstrained yogurt. You can make Greek yogurt anywhere you are :) I will make it one of these days. I am so lucky I know somebody who knows how to make Greek Yogurt, also called "Labneh" or "Yogurt Cheese". I plan to make it soon after I finish the  jar full of  homemade labneh marinated in pure olive oil sitting in the fridge. It was given to me by a dear good friend. I didn't know those ones were Greek yogurt! I knew it was called Labneh. :) Thank you, Aola for introducing me to Mediterranean dishes and for the jars filled with Labneh and Hummus. We love it!