The Olive Oil Lady’s (OOL’S) REAL DEAL Tzatziki Recipe
Here’s a simple “real deal” tzatziki recipe that is destined to be an appetizer favourite, because it is SO easy to make, and so true to the original Greek tzatziki found in Greece. You can strain homemade yogurt, if you’re into making your own but I have found the ASTRO brand to be the very best authentic “real deal” Greek yogurt around.
Serves: 4
Time: 4 hours to strain and 15 minutes to prepare
Materials: a fine mesh cheesecloth double layered and a large bowl to collect the whey as it strains
Ingredients:
- 750 g green tub, 3% Astro ORIGINAL Balkan Plain Natural yogourt, no gelatin
- ½ cucumber washed, peeled, (discard any seeds) shredded and strained of all liquid
- ½ cup Olive Oil Lady oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2-4 cloves freshly minced garlic (use less if aiming for a milder taste)
Method:
Empty the entire container of Astro yogurt into your cheesecloth, tie it up (I usually hang
it from one of my kitchen cupboard knobs) and allow it to strain for 4 hours at room temperature. The liquid whey will drip into the bowl that you place underneath the hanging cheesecloth. If you allow for more than 4 hours to strain then your yogurt will release more of the liquid whey and your tzatziki will be extremely thick but will yield a little lesser quantity…you choose.
Take the strained yogurt and to it, add the cucumber, salt, lemon juice and garlic and mix vigorously with a fork. Slowly pour your exquisite Olive Oil Lady oil into the mixture, mixing well.
Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh or dried dill and serve.
Kali Orexi! (Enjoy!)
*NOTE: Don’t discard that nutritious liquid whey: add it to smoothies, as a substitute for buttermilk or water in baked goods or to cook pasta, potatoes, rice.