dip | Ski Boots in the Kitchen

I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend! We had gorgeous weather in Park City, which was a welcomed change from all the rain and gloomy weather we’ve been having here. I keep telling myself that all this rain now… means LOTS of snow this winter, right? I kicked off my long weekend with a BBQ with some friends, like I am sure many of you did as well. I was looking for a different appetizer to bring to the BBQ than the usual hummus and carrots or veggie platter which are so over done!

We have been getting a lot of cucumbers in our CSA lately so I thought it would be perfect to use some of them up. This recipe for Tzatziki is super light and refreshing- it uses about half the amount of sour cream that most recipes call for, making this the perfect dip or condiment! I also love putting this Tzatziki on my Greek chicken gryo’s (recipe to come!) Serve this dip with some pita chips and enjoy!!

Greek Tzatziki Dip

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon white wine or champagne vinegar
2 gloves garlic, minced or pressed using a garlic press
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
4-5 turns of fresh pepper
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup sour cream
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced (smaller is better)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill (I use freeze dried sometimes too)

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix to combine, set aside.
Peel cucumbers and slice them lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop the seeds from the flesh and discard them. Diced the cucumber into small bite size cubes.
In another medium bowl, use a whisk to blend yogurt with sour cream.
Add the olive oil mixture to the yogurt mixture and stir until none of the oil remains.
Fold in cucumber and dill until fully incorporated. Chill for 1-2 hours before serving.
Serve with pita chips

There are a few recipes that should be a staple in everyone’s home. I think guacamole is one of them. Especially in the summer, there is nothing better than a big bowl of fresh Guac and chips. When making a delicious guacamole, there are a few key things to remember…

#1 make sure the avocados are ripe… but not too ripe! no one likes a brown avocado or one that’s so hard you could bite into it like an apple! When picking avocados at the store, be sure they are slightly soft when you push your thumb into the skin, but not mushy.

#2 Dice your onions small, no one likes a big ol’ bite of bitter onion/bad breath! #3 Don’t over mix/mash your guac and leave a little chunk in your avocado, I think it tastes better and its easier to get more on your chip! Guacamole is great on its own as an appetizer or it’s delicious with tacos, burritos, and even on your breakfast sandwich! Happy Monday, hope you enjoy!

Guacamole (Serves 6)

3 avocados, pitted, pealed and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1/2 red onion, diced small
1 roma (plum) tomato, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Tortilla chips for dipping

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mash avocados and lime juice with a fork, being sure to leave some small chunks of avocado.
Mix in salt, garlic powder, tomato, red onion and cilantro. Mix until fully incorporated.
Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch more salt if desired.
Cut a piece of Saran Wrap just lager than the bowl, press the plastic wrap down onto the guac so there is no air between the plastic wrap and the avocado, refrigerate for 1 hour. This will prevent the guacamole from turning brown while it is chilling. If you don’t have time to chill it… Serve immediately!