Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

Prep time: 10 mins

 

Total time: 10 mins

Tzatziki is a healthy sauce you can serve with chicken, grilled veggies, pita chips, gyros and as a raw veggie dip.

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Skill Level: Easy

Cost To Make: $4-$5

Serving: 3 cups

Ingredients

• ½ English cucumber, peeled
• 16 oz (2 cups) Cold plain Greek yogurt (either full fat or fat free will work)
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed
• ⅓ cup chopped dill, fresh or frozen
• 1½ Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (Juice of ½ lemon; please squeeze a real lemon)
• ½ tsp salt, or to taste
• ⅛ tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. How to Make Tzatziki Sauce:
2. The Cucumber should be peeled, finely diced and strained of it's juices. I squeezed it really tight by the fistful. You can use a cheese cloth if you wish. Getting rid of excess juice is important so that you tzatziki sauce isn't watery the next day.
3. Combine the strained and chopped cucumber with 2 cups plain greek yogurt, 1½ Tbsp lemon juice, 4 pressed garlic cloves, ⅓ cup chopped dill, ½ tsp salt (add more to taste) and ⅛ tsp black pepper.
4. Mix everything together and add more salt to taste if needed. It's best to refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving to let the flavors meld. It tastes even better when refrigerated overnight!

Mediterranean Diet Guidlines

• Eat your veggies and fruits — and switch to whole grains. An abundance and variety of plant foods should make up the majority of your meals. Strive for seven to 10 servings a day of veggies and fruits. Switch to whole-grain bread and cereal, and begin to eat more whole-gain rice and pasta products.
• Go nuts. Keep almonds, cashews, pistachios and walnuts on hand for a quick snack. Choose natural peanut butter, rather than the kind with hydrogenated fat added. Try tahini (blended sesame seeds) as a dip or spread for bread.
• Pass on the butter. Try olive or canola oil as a healthy replacement for butter or margarine. Use it in cooking. Dip bread in flavored olive oil or lightly spread it on whole-grain bread for a tasty alternative to butter. Or try tahini as a dip or spread.
• Spice it up. Herbs and spices make food tasty and are also rich in health-promoting substances. Season your meals with herbs and spices rather than salt.
• Go fish. Eat fish once or twice a week. Fresh or water-packed tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel and herring are healthy choices. Grilled fish tastes good and requires little cleanup. Avoid fried fish, unless it's sauteed in a small amount of canola oil.
• Rein in the red meat. Substitute fish and poultry for red meat. When eaten, make sure it's lean and keep portions small (about the size of a deck of cards). Also avoid sausage, bacon and other high-fat meats.
• Choose low-fat dairy. Limit higher fat dairy products such as whole or 2 percent milk, cheese and ice cream. Switch to skim milk, fat-free yogurt and low-fat cheese.
• Raise a glass to healthy eating. If it's OK with your doctor, have a glass of wine at dinner. If you don't drink alcohol, you don't need to start. Drinking purple grape juice may be an alternative to wine.