The other day I was making some yummy chicken gyros (recipe to follow soon) and I went to look up tzatziki sauce on my blog, with no results. I felt certain I had already posted this delicious and easy recipe, but I guess it slipped through the cracks. I did find a file for it on my computer and guess that I didn’t like the photos enough to post it. Oh well, here it is now!

This cucumber sauce is so refreshing and tasty, and keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days. While it is a must for gyros, I also like it as a topping for sliced tomatoes or even on a tossed salad. I normally use English cucumbers when making this since they have less seeds, but regular cucumbers will work, too — just scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

Ingredients

• ½ large English cucumber (save ¼ cup)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5.3 ounces Greek-style yogurt (I use nonfat)
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon dill weed (if you have fresh dill, increase to 2 tablespoons)
• White ground pepper to taste

Preparation

Peel the cucumber and roughly dice. Place it in a colander or strainer and sprinkle it with the salt.

Place paper towels on top to help soak up some of the moisture (I put something fairly heavy on top of the paper towels to help the process. Let drain for 15-20 minutes and then pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside ¼ cup of the cucumber.

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until well blended, and pour into a bowl.

Finely dice the reserved cucumber and add it to the sauce.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the flavors intensify and the sauce can thicken some.

As mentioned earlier, this is a must topping for gyros!

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!

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