The other day I posted a recipe for my twist on the traditional jambalaya. With the addition of cumin and saffron the flavor reminded me of Middle Eastern food. So I decided to serve it with something cool and refreshing that would complement the flavors of the dish.
If you've eaten a Gyro (spoken by many as Jyro, but traditionally pronounced Yeero) before or had a mezze at a Greek restaurant you have tried this dip. The traditional contains Greek yougurt, cucumbers, mint, dill, lemon, salt and pepper.
I had all of those ingredients, except for the dill, so I decided to pair the dish with my own version of tzatziki. It was a perfectly refreshing accompaniment to a spicy and flavorful dish.
Here is what you will need:
- 2 cups chopped cucumber
- 1 tbsp chopped mint
- 1 tbsp chopped basil
- 6 oz of non fat yogurt
- The juice of 1 meyer lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Mix everything together (except for salt and pepper) and mix well. Add salt and pepper to your liking. You can serve immediately, but I think tzatziki tastes better after setting in the refrigerator for a few hours.
Tzatziki goes great with grilled meats or as an appetizer dip served with toasted pita.