Tzatziki

Making Tzatziki is so simple.  It is such a great staple for Greek food.  My family absolutely loves it.  All I have to do is grill some chicken, add it to a pita or a salad and pair it with the Tzatziki.  You can literally prepare your Tzatziki in 5 minutes.  A true Tzatziki, though, calls for draining the cucumbers.  This step will take a good hour but is worth it.  Especially, if you plan to eat the Tzatziki the next day.  Cucumbers hold a lot of liquid and that will end up in your Tzatziki if it is not drained.

Ingredients:

• 2 English cucumbers, in a small dice
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 quart fat free plain yogurt
• 2 – 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 – 4 tbsp of olive oil (preferably Greek)
• 6 – 8 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp Oregano
• 2 – 3 tsp fresh dill, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

After dicing the cucumbers, place in a strainer with the Kosher salt and let them drain for an hour.

In a large bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients.

The reason for the ranges of size in the ingredients is to give you flexibility to find the right profile for you.  So what I normally do is start with less of the oil and lemon juice and add a little more as I go.  I also do that with the salt and pepper.  I add the oregano which is not in most recipes you find but I like it.  Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.  Enjoy!