Tzatziki Dip

Ingredients:

2 C. Plain whole yogurt 

1 Medium cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, coarsely grated (or chopped into small pieces)

2-3 Cloves Garlic, finely minced 

2 T. Olive Oil, or a little more 

1 T Dried dillweed 

1 to 2 t. Fresh lemon juice

1/2 t. Salt 

1/4 t. Pepper

 

Additional Olive oil for garnish 

Directions:

  1. Place a piece of cheesecloth in a colander and pour in the yogurt. Place the grated cucumber in another colander and allow both to drain for 3-4 hours. Pat dry the cucumber with a paper towel. 

2. Mix all ingredients, except the oil for garnish, and chill. When ready to serve, pour a little olive oil on top. 

3. Serve with pita bread, crackers, or sliced vegetables. 

Serves 6-8

Note: 

I now use Fage yogurt, which is already strained, so you can skip the part for the yogurt, but you will still need to drain the cucumber.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

 For a recent Cookbook Club dinner, 26 June 2023, one person made this summer salad. This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook. The recipe is posted here: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/creamy-cucumber-salad-recipe-1948542

Ingredients
 
4 hothouse cucumbers, thinly sliced (3 to 4 pounds)
2 small red onions, thinly sliced in half rounds
Kosher salt
4 cups (32 ounces) plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/2 cup minced fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
 
Directions
 
Mix the cucumbers, red onions, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt in a bowl. Pour them into a colander and suspend it over a bowl. Wrap the bowl and colander with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to drain for at least 4 hours or overnight. Discard the liquid that collects in the bowl.
 
Pour the yogurt into a sieve lined with a paper towel and suspend it over another bowl. Wrap the bowl and sieve in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Discard the liquid that collects in the second bowl.
 
When the cucumbers are ready, roll them up in paper towels or a kitchen towel and press the towel lightly to remove most of the liquid. Place the cucumbers and yogurt in a large bowl with the sour cream, vinegar, dill, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper. Toss well and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and serve chilled.
 

Creamy Dill Coleslaw

Our Brunswick Forest cookbook club met on 11 April 2023.  The recipes that everyone selected were from Giada de Laurentiis’s cookbook called, Eat Better, Feel Better: My Recipes for Wellness and Healing, Inside and Out. My friend Candy made this coleslaw.
 

Ingredients

1 medium head of savoy cabbage, quartered, core removed, and sliced fine
1 .T plus 1 t. kosher salt
3/4 C. coconut yogurt, such as COYO
1 T. whole-grain mustard
3 T. cider vinegar
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 C. chopped fresh dill
1 carrot, grated on the large holes of a box grater
 

Directions

In a large container, toss the cabbage with 1 T kosher salt. With your hands, massage the sale into the cabbage for about 3 minutes. Place the colander in the sink and let the cabbage drain for 15 minutes.
 
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, dill, and the remaining 1 t. salt until smooth. Add the carrot and stir to coat. Squeeze out any excess from the cabbage and add the cabbage to the bowl, tossing well combine with the carrots and dressing. Let the slaw stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator to marry the flavors.

Yogurt and Spinach Dip

16 August 2018














Tony and I had a large bag of spinach that needed to be used up before it went bad. He wanted to freeze it but I suggested he make a dip, as we are going to an outdoor concert with friends (BYOB and food).

He found this recipe:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fssl_s2LiU4

Ingredients:

1 C Greek Low-fat Yogurt (we always buy whole plain yogurt, not low-fat)
1 C Frozen Spinach, chopped
1 t. onion powder (Tony chopped some onion instead of using powder)
1 C Mayonnaise 
Dash of Dill
1/4 C feta cheese

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl; refrigerate before serving.

Notes: 

It came out great! It's light and tasty; and with it being nicely chilled, it's perfect to have on a hot summer day.

We didn't have feta in the house, so he used grated parmesan. Also, Tony sauteed the fresh spinach with some garlic; then drained it well.