Sauces, Cucumber

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Yogurt Cucumber Sauce

Use this sauce on falafels and gyros, or with fish.
Course: Sauce
Author: adapted from The Frugal Gourmet on our Immigrant Ancestors

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plain yogurt
  • ½ cucumber peeled, grated, drained
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • tablespoons juice of 1/2 lemon
  • salt and white pepper to taste
  • pinch ground cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • Mix all the ingredients together and serve as a dip or sauce.

Greek Yogurt Cucumber Sauce

Course: Sauce

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Greek yogurt also called Yogurt Cheese, see below for alternative
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice  or juice of one lemon
  • 1 garlic clove  minced
  • 1 large English cucumber  the long, skinny ones, diced
  • 1 tablespoon salt  for salting cucumbers
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill or 1 tablespoon fresh mint or both, depending on preference, or both, depending on preference, chopped
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Peel cucumbers and dice. Put them in a colander and sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt (draws water out). Cover with a plate and sit something heavy on top. Let sit for 30 minute Drain well and wipe dry with a paper towel.
  • In food processor or blender, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill and/or mint, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir into yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend.
  • This will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.

Notes

** If you can’t find the thicker Greek Yogurt Cheese, you can use regular, plain yogurt that is either full fat or low fat. To thicken, spoon yogurt into cheese cloth that has been quadrupled. Draw the corners of the cloth up and tie together. Suspend above a bowl for 2 hours so that water can drip out. The consistency of the yogurt should be like that of sour cream.
You can skip this draining process, if you want, but you will have a moderately messier, runnier result.