#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!

#50 Good morning Pancakelicious Whoopie Pie!

Don't they look delicious? :) They really are! I came across the term "whoopie pie" when my daughter picked up a little Pillsbury cookbook, while we were in line waiting to pay for our groceries. We all know that inescapable spot where we all have to line up, is also where all the grocery stores display all the candies, chocolates, gossip magazines, etc. for sale when we are bored waiting, tickling us to buy! Or are the treats entertainment for children who have to line up with their parents? I wonder ;)  Then I thought, well, she's not asking for a candy or a bar of chocolate,  she wants a small and cute cookbook! so of course I said yes. What's inside is an explosion of colorful desserts. Smart girl. She buys a cookbook so she can get 100+ treats! "Mom, let's make this, let's make that..oh that looks sooo good, when can we make this? Ok, I'll fold this page, I'll get the ingredients from the pantry..you relax". LOL

Whoopie pie is a US baked good also known as gob, BFO (big fat oreo), black and white, bob or black moon. It is considered either a cookie, a cake or a pie, with a sweet filling sandwiched between them. I used a different pancake recipe and  tweaked the filling. We all loved our pancakelicious whoopie pie breakfast! I can't wait to make it again.



PANCAKE WHOOPIE PIE


For the pancake recipe: See our melt-in-your-mouth pancakes

•  I scooped 2 tablespoons of batter to make each tiny pancake. 

For the Filling:


Ingredients:

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 package cream cheese (less fat variety)
2 teaspoon of sugar


Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat ingredients with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. 
2. Spread in between pancakes. Enjoy!

First project from the cookbook, done..many more to go!

New England claims that it is the birthplace of the whoopie pie, however, Pennsylvania and Maine claim it as well.  Maine declared whoopie pie as the official state treat. This little sweet cake is also a Pennsylvania Amish tradition. According to historians, Amish women would bake these desserts and include it in farmer's lunch boxes, and when the farmers find it in their lunch, they would shout "WHOOPIE!". Back in the days, it is called 'hucklebucks' or 'creamy turtles'.  It appears that the predecessor of whoopie pie was brought by German immigrants to the Northeast of the United States. We learned something new again, thanks to my child's boredom + inquisitiveness + smarts. :)

If you want to learn more about the Amish tradition, here are some great photographs of a friend who had a rare opportunity to freely mingle and photograph the unique lifestyle of Amish people in Pennysylvania. Please visit his website at http://randallpersing.com/ where you can buy his prints. Some of his work are being displayed at US embassies.

http://randallpersing.com

#49 Hungary's töltött tojás

 

Hungary's  töltött tojás is stuffed eggs. It is known as deviled eggs in many parts of the world. In Hungary, there are many variations, but this recipe appealed to me the most because of it's healthy ingredients, simple preparation and very delicious taste! If you don't like mayonnaise, which is a common ingredient in many deviled eggs recipes, this is a great alternative.

Töltött Tojás 

Ingredients:

5 ounces spinach

Olive oil

4 eggs

salt

pepper

Directions:

1. Boil eggs. 
2. Wash spinach, remove excess water and chop very finely.
3. Drain water from hard boiled eggs and peel off the shells.
4. Cut all 4 eggs in half length-wise, and remove the cooked yolk (yellow part), set in a bowl. Set the cooked egg whites aside.
5. Using a fork or a spatula, break the cooked egg yolks into small pieces,
6. Add finely chopped spinach and olive oil (as little or more as you like)
7. Add salt and pepper to taste, mix well.
8. Scoop a tablespoonful of the mixture (or more if you like) and place in each egg white.
9. Store covered in a refrigerator. Serve cold.

 It's great. Try it!