Tzatkiki Sauce

I made up a batch of this Tzatkiki sauce. I’ve gotten Jason to switch over to eating Pita Chips and Tzatkiki as a snack instead of Doritos Chips when he gets home from work. I love it as a substitute for mayonnaise on a half a turkey sandwich as a dip for some Nut Thin crackers ( by Blue Diamond ) or as an alternative dip for artichokes. Way less calories than mayonnaise or butter, plus much healthier!

Calorie Count: 1 TBSP = 17 Calories /  1/4 Cup = 68 Calories

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 English (seedless) cucumber, not peeled, seeded and finely chopped plus a few thin slices
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint or dill plus additional sprigs
• 2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation: Spoon yogurt into sieve lined with cheesecloth or coffee filter set over bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight. Transfer drained yogurt to medium bowl and discard liquid.

Meanwhile, in colander set over bowl, toss chopped cucumber with 2 teaspoon salt. Let drain at least 1 hour at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours. In batches, wrap chopped cucumber in kitchen towel and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. Pat dry with paper towels, then add to bowl with yogurt.

With flat side of chef’s knife, mash garlic to a paste with remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Add garlic, chopped mint or dill, oil, wine vinegar, and pepper to yogurt and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 or up to 4 hours. Serve tzatziki sauce chilled or at room temperature, topped with cucumber slices and mint sprigs.

Notes: I used mint, not dill as neither Jason or I are a fan of dill and I probably got a little too much red wine vingar in it the first time around. Might cut that in half on the next batch.