Yia Yia’s Tziki

Yia Yia’s Tziki sauce is made with grated cucumber, smooth and tangy Greek yogurt, feta cheese, garlic, dill, fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.

Most of my Greek recipes come from the heart of my Yia Yia’s kitchen. So when I visit Greece I feel like I’ve stepped back in time to enjoy all those wonderful dishes she makes. She is a very simple “chef”. Not a lot of ingredients, not too many spices (if any) but a lot of flavor. I remember asking her for her Tziki recipe and when I was writing the ingredients down I thought to myself, that’s it? No way! But I don’t dare question this beautiful lady who has far more cooking experience than I do so, I didn’t say a word. Not a peep!

YIA YIA’S TZIKI INGREDIENTS

Shredded cucumber
Greek yogurt
Dill weed
Garlic clove
Lemon juice
Feta cheese (optional)
Olive Oil

Yia Yia’s tziki is quite perfect just the way it is. Of course there is always some other ingredients that can elevate a dish even more. One of those ingredients is feta cheese. Feta cheese, I find, is either loved or hated. It is a very salty cheese with a distinct taste to it. I love salt so no issues with me! I grew up eating feta practically every day.

TYPES OF FETA CHEESE

GREEK FETA: Made from sheep’s milk and has a sharp, salty, tangy bite. Somewhat creamy and easy to crumble. Also, some are kept in a salt brine.

BULGARIAN FETA: Made from sheep’s milk and is very salty. More creamier than feta, but still firm.

FRENCH FETA: Made from sheep’s milk and is not only mild tasting but the least salty and creamy.

ALL ABOUT THAT CUCUMBER

Now that we’ve gotten past the feta, let’s start making the tziki. The first step is to grate 1/2 of an English cucumber. Once grated, put it into a colander and sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt, letting it sit for 30 minutes. By doing this you are helping the cucumber release moisture, although it’s nearly impossible to get all the excess liquid out. Take a dish towel and put the grated cucumber in it. Over the sink, squeeze the cucumber to finish removing the excess liquid.

YIA YIA’S TIZIKI FINALE

Now in a small bowl, add the Greek yogurt and the grated cucumber. If the feta cheese you purchased is not crumbled go ahead and grab about 2 ounces of a block of feta and crumble with your fingers and add to the bowl. Grate the garlic clove on top of the yogurt and cucumber.

I wanted to share with you that a a couple of extra ingredients can really elevate a recipe…but please don’t tell my Yia-Yia. I hope you enjoy this recipe with the “additions”. We use this sauce on everything. Gyros, shrimp and rice, stuffed peppers, grilled chicken, grilled lamb chops and even burgers! ~Christina

Yia-Yia’s Tziki

Recipe by Christina Scanlon

Course: CondimentCuisine: GreekDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

5

minutes

Grated cucumbers, smooth and tangy Greek yogurt, feta cheese, garlic, dill, freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil combine together to create creamy sauce that will have you slathering it on anything and everything!

Ingredients

• 1/2 English cucumber grated. No need to peel

• 1 C Greek yogurt

• 1 garlic glove grated

• 2 oz. crumbled feta

• 1/2 lemon, juiced

• 1/4 tsp dried dill weed

• 1/4-1/2 C. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

• Salt and Pepper

Directions

• Grate the cucumber and put into colander. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt all over and let drain for 30 minutes.
• Combine the yogurt, garlic, feta, lemon juice and dill weed until combined.
• Remove any excess liquid that the cucumber still has by pressing with a fork or wrapping in a dish towel and squeezing the remainder liquid out.
• Add drained cucumber and olive oil. Stir until well combined
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

• This recipe can be quite versatile. If you don’t have dill try freshly snipped chives. Eliminate the feta if its not for you.

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Directions