Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt Cucumber Sauce)

 Tzatziki sauce is a yogurt/cucumber sauce used in Greek cooking, usually on meats, gyros, souvlaki.  It can also be used as a dip for fresh vegetables or even diluted and used as a salad dressing.

This recipe is from Food.com
http://www.food.com/recipe/tzatziki-greek-yogurt-cucumber-sauce-ww-core-312799
and also heavy on the garlic, which I love, but if you don't use one or two cloves instead.

It has a creamy clean garlicky taste and works well with spicy foods.  I have used it on a spicy rice with peppers stuffed in tortilla (although traditionally pitas are the bread of choice).   I also what was left over with a little bit of milk and used it on a salad.

The recipe:

• 1 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt 
• 1 medium or 1/2 of a large cucumber
  
• 3 cloves garlic 
• Salt
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Dill 
• Pepper

Scoop seeds out of cucumber with a spoon (the original recipe advises to peel, but I prefer unpeeled).

Grate the cucumber and mince the garlic.

Generously saturate with salt I  used about 25 shakes to and let set for 10 minutes to draw out the moisture and keeps it from becoming soggy.

Strain the mixture in a a strainer or cheesecloth to get out at much of the moisture as you can.












Put back in a bowl and add the Greek yogurt and the dill, mix thoroughly.

Add pepper (I used 6 turns on the pepper mill) and mix.

If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 7-10 days.

GREEK POTATOES

This is a recipe based on the one posted by at Recipezaar http://www.recipezaar.com/Greek-Potatoes-Oven-Roasted-and-Delicious-87782 These would be great for a chilly night due to the baking time being a total of 80 minutes, which gives them a flavorful zing from the spices and garlic flavor seeping and baking into them. This receipe is enough to serve 6 people and I estimate the cost with the ingredients that I used to be around $3, which is cheaper than one fast food sandwich. I loved these, but they were a bit too exotic for Marv and Kyle's tastes and they are just plain old potatoes fans.

Preheat Oven to 440 degrees

Pare around 8 potatoes and cut into wedges (6-7 per potato)and place in a bowl.

Add:4 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup olive or canola oil (I used canola as I did not have any olive oil left)

1 tbps Oregano

2 tbsp Lemon Pepper or juice of 1 lemon and 1 tsp pepper

Few dashes of Sicilian spices (optional)

Few dashes Sea Salt or Kosher Salt

Few dashes pepper

The toss until well blended.

Pour into baking pan lined with aluminum foil(optional, but makes clean up easier)Then pour the 1 cup water into the baking pan and distribute the potatoes evenly the place in oven and bake for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, take the pan out and stir the potatoes and will probably need to add an additional 1/2 water, then place back in the oven for another 40 minutes.

Take out and they will look look like the first picture and they are ready to serve!