Tsatziki Cucumber Yogurt Dip
32 oz. tub of plain yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled and grated (or diced into very tiny cubes)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried dill weed (more or less, depending on your taste)
Salt to taste

I’m typically not a Greek food fan, but their cucumber yogurt dip, “tzatziki,” is phenomenal! I love cucumbers and yogurt! Vegetables and flat bread simply are not as good without it! So if we ordered take-out from Simeon’s, we’d have to get some of this stuff! But of course, there were those days when one or a few of us would crave that luscious dip, and not be able to get it from Simeon’s. We once bought some from the Wal-mart deli, but it really didn’t taste like the real stuff– I think they put too much sour cream in it. So Mom and I would talk about making it ourselves someday. She recently bought a cucumber and a tub of plain yogurt specially for the endeavor, but in the midst of all the crazy stuff happening, none of us got around to looking up the recipe and making it. But New Year’s Day only happens once a year! That’s why I resolved to wait three days afterward to quickly search for a recipe and make this stuff, lol!

I found a basic recipe on e-how, then did something that we will just call my creative custom style– I tweaked it. I think I do this with every single thing I ever make; if I do use a recipe, it’s just my basic outline, like a rough pencil sketch that you add colorful paints and details to. It can make for a beautiful landscape, a diverse melting pot, or a bunch of colors that just don’t match– and flavors that don’t sit the best with the family members. So watch how you tweak!

I started out with what was left, that is, most of, a 32 oz. tub of plain yogurt, an entire cucumber, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and almost a tablespoon of minced garlic.

Having put the yogurt in a glass bowl, I began to prepare the cucumber. I was a little irked that I had to use four different tools to get the job done; I tend to use one tool all around (so it’s not just a guy thing), but if I get into dental hygenics, I guess that’s a habit I will have to break.

First, I peeled the cuke with a vegetable peeler, cut it into quarters, then scooped the seeds out with a spoon. The recipe explained that you may either dice or grate the cucumber, so I decided to try a little of both in the same recipe. The first quarter I diced (but forgot to get a picture; sorry. You see, I was talking to my Mom, and you know what happens when you start talking with your Mom. You get so caught up and distracted you forget what you were doing). The remaining three quarters I grated, as seen.

The smell of cucumbers was driving us absolutely nuts! After stirring in the shredded cuke, I added the lemon juice and minced garlic. Once that was all done, it was time for the spices! The recipe called for parsley and salt to taste. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the parsley, but we did have dill weed, so I added some of that with the salt, and then proceeded with the official tasting-test!

Wow, it was good! But we needed a bit more spice, so I sprinkled in more dill weed and salt, then tested again.

Better, but it still needed some kick. And what do chefs think of when they need kick? Well, I had already used garlic, and knew that wasn’t what it lacked. Of course, paprika! A sprinkling of that with some dried minced onion, then it was time for Test 3. Oooo, that was SO much better! Now what could the next step be? Discover popular opinion! Time to test somebody else! So I got our family Greek food lover/ top chef/ expert taster, Mom! She took the broccoli, dipped it in ever so delicately into the glass bowl covered on the sides by the drips that had resulted from the spills associated with vigorous stirring and multiple recipe alterations.

Verdict? Mom’s approval= it’s a hit. Success! She even decided to make fish and rice for dinner, so that we could enjoy the latest gastronomical creation to it’s fullest.

But this dish does not need to be reserved just for the dinner table; it’s a perfect lunch or snack condiment to accompany vegetables, flat bread, even crackers or sandwiches. I’ll even dip pizza in it. To my knowledge, it’s not incredibly fattening like most dips and dressings out there (or like pizza), so we’ll call it a healthy snack! And best of all: yes, you can try this at home!

Woohoo! How did she do with her first cooking post, huh? Get that gal a blackberry curve or something! Thanks, Alice, for all your hard work. As we speak, the dip is GONE. Told ya it goes fast.

Salads are not just a quick weight loss tool– they are SO nutritious because they incorporate so many varieties of raw foods. Cooked food has enzymes in it, which your body sees as toxic. Your body must work hard to digest the cooked food, and break it down into suitable nutrition. And don’t even ASK about the processed food garbage and what it does to the body!

I’ve been eating a lot less meat and much more salad meals. I usually do in the summer, but I’ve been making a concerted effort to do so. I have found that I eat more salads when there is a lot of vegetable “stuff” hanging out in the fridge. Here are some ideas for making salads– and the possibilities are truly endless–

Collard greens
Swiss chard
Red cabbage, shredded
Kale
Tomatoes (Roma are nice because they slice well and aren’t pulpy)
Red pepper
Raw garlic cloves marinated in olive oil
Snow pea pods
Black olives

Here’s a tip: when you are looking for greens to add to the salad, skip the iceberg lettuce. It has virtually no nutrition. Grab the greens like kale and spinach– much better for you.

Also, if you must add meat or cheese to the salad, try some pre-cooked shrimp or leftover chicken. The shrimp is SO EASY to add- run the frozen bag under cool water, and toss the thawed shrimp on the salad. For cheese, try feta, which is SO yummy with the garlic cloves and olives.

Mmmmmmm.

I’m really looking forward to making (and eating) more salads this summer. The stuff in the stores is so expensive.. almost criminal! I can’t wait to have things fresh.

Here are some of the things we like in our salads right now. The star next to the vegetable is something we are growing in the garden this year.
Raw garlic cloves*
Leeks*
Cucumbers*
Kale*
Iceberg lettuce
Red peppers
Black olives
Red cabbage*
Green cabbage*
Carrots
Romaine lettuce*
Mixed lettuce*
Spinach*
Tomatoes*

So you can see that I’m going to grow my salads this year. I wish I could grow olives, YUMMM. I love them. I also add feta cheese or bits of salmon, if I have it. Fresh food is SOOO good for you! I’m starting to really dislike cooked food, more and more.

There’s everything in that salad, can you see?? Well, maybe not loose diamonds or anything! But those marinated garlic cloves and the Calamari olives come pretty close to it! Wow, this was such a great meal. And I served King Crab Legs, too. They were “OK,” a little too salty. I really liked the salad. This is the bets meal, EVER!

What’s your favorite meal?

1. Think salads!
Salads are great for the summer. We have a garden full of greens– lettuces and spinach of all kinds. It’s a breeze to pluck the leaves and toss into a salad bowl. I usually have just the leaves in a big bowl with shredded carrot. Any other veggies, i serve on individual plates at the table, for everyone to pick and choose to add to their salad: cucumbers; tomatoes; red onions; olives; cubanelle, red bell, and green peppers; chickpeas; crumbled feta cheese or other shredded cheese; raw snow peapods; shredded red cabbage; and more.

2. Grill those veggies!
I do a lot of grilling in the summer, but I don’t do meat as much as I grill the vegetables: white onion slices; eggplant slices; zucchini and yellow squash sliced lengthwise; leftover boiled potatoes, sliced; and more. I sometimes marinade my veggies in a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar before throing on the grill. Yum!

3. Eat Greek style!
I love Greek food, and it’s perfect for summer dining. Serve plates full of lettuce greens, feta cheese, sliced grilled meat (like chicken or lamb) and olives. These combines with flat bread and some table fruits like grapes and watermelon make for a fancy, easy meal.

4. Stir Fry!
Stir fry meals are so easy. I slice the chicken or beef and saute in a large wok with a little olive oil and soy sauce. Once cooked, I throw in every veggie I can find– mushrooms, garlic, sliced carrots, fresh broccoli and cauliflower, and onions. I saute very quickly for about 10 minutes. Serve with hot rice (from the rice cooker) and it’s ready. This meal adapts well to frozen vegetables, too. I often dump a bag of frozen broccoli into the wok instead of chopping up the fresh broccoli. It’s still so yummy!

5. Make ahead meals!
I often make extra of a recipe and freeze it. This makes meals so easy– all I have to do is pull the meal out of the freezer or fridge, thaw it, and cook. I often do this with my Hybrid Lasagna (I’ve never frozen the meal, only refrigerated it), and my Wow Chow meatballs (which freeze very well). The meatballs are great– all you have to do is cook the meatballs in sauce, and boil water for pasta. Easy!

Summertime is when I get more creative with my meals, because fresh vegetables are plentiful. They are so versatile, and there are so many of them (and all so yummy!) that the possibilities are endless! Enjoi.