Tzatziki Recipe with 5 Real Ingredients

I am someone who cooks as a hobby, but I can appreciate how cooking can sometimes be intimidating. So many ingredients! Unclear directions! Where to begin? But, take heart — if you can read, you can cook. And what better place to start than with a recipe with 5 real ingredients? This recipe is for tzatziki, a traditional Greek dip made from strained, plain yogurt. It packs an impressive nutritional punch — big on flavor and low in calories and fat. Trust me when I say the hardest part of this recipe is waiting for it to be finished! This versatile side dish is a simple way to build your cooking repertoire. Here’s the tzatziki recipe:

Ingredients (makes six servings):

16 ounces plain Greek yogurt (low-fat, rather than non-fat or full-fat, is best)
3/4 cup shredded cucumber, peeled and seeded
1/4 cup dill, finely chopped
2-3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon, juiced
Good olive oil for drizzling
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl fitted with a strainer, empty yogurt into the strainer and place in the refrigerator, covered with a paper towel, at least 4 hours. You want the excess liquid to drain off the yogurt so it thickens.
Peel, de-seed and shred cucumber with a handheld grater
In another medium sized bowl fitted with another strainer, place shredded cucumber in the strainer and press with a spoon to release any liquid. Place in the refrigerator, covered with a paper towel, at least 4 hours (this works best if you place a small weight over it — a large apple or a can of soup works well)
When 4 hours have elapsed, prepare the garlic, lemon and dill, set aside
In a large bowl, combine yogurt and cucumber, mix with garlic, lemon juice and dill
Taste and season to your liking with salt and pepper
7. Drizzle your best olive oil over the top of the yogurt and serve very cold with pita chips, crackers or crudités

Nutritional information for one serving: 65 calories, 5g carbohydrates, 2g fat, 8g protein Peel and seed the cucumber Place peeled and seeded cucumber into a strainer and weigh it down with what you have Place everything into a bowl, mix taste and season with salt and pepper Serve with your favorite crunchy snacks Tzatziki gets better everyday, so don’t be afraid to make a big batch and use it all week. It’s great instead of mayonnaise in wraps or on sandwiches. Or can be used as a topping for roasted salmon. The possibilities are endless. And so are your abilities in the kitchen by starting slowly and learning as you go.

Megan Wolf is a New York City based Registered Dietitian and the owner of Megan Wolf Nutrition, a nutrition counseling and consulting private practice. She holds a Masters degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University. She is a speaker, an avid cook, recipe creator and writer for her blog, The Domesticated Wolf– www.thedomesticatedwolf.com. You can follow her for more recipe inspiration and healthy living ideas on Twitter , Instagram, and Facebook.