Tzatziki - Home Cooked Recipe #70

I have loved Greek food ever since I can remember.  I remember growing up in upstate NY and my favorite restaurant was Symeon's, a delicious Greek place.  My mom used to buy their house seasoning and make us chicken with it, and then make her homemade tzatziki.  A few years ago I looked up the restaurant online and found I could have the seasoning shipped here to FL.  For mother's day I shipped my mom a jar.  And I shipped one for myself!  Thinking about these food memories, I decided to come up with my own homemade Tzatziki recipe.  If you don't know what that is, it is a creamy cucumber dip.  It is delicious as a dip for veggies or pita bread, and it is even more tasty drizzled over Greek seasoned chicken (or pork, or beef, or lamb!).  It's healthier than a mayo or sour cream based dip. Easy to make, try it soon!


Tzatziki

Ingredients:

• 16 oz plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 1 teaspoon dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh, finely chopped)
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• salt and fresh ground black pepper
• ***optional - squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or lemon zest, or mint, finely chopped

Directions:
Grate cucumber.  Place in cheesecloth (or dish towel) in fine mesh sieve and squeeze out extra moisture.  Stir together yogurt and sour cream.  Add in minced garlic and and dill.  Fold in grated and drained cucumber.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with veggies, pita, chicken, or gyro meat.
Enjoy!

Pot Roast - Crock*Pot Cafe 8

I adore pot roast.  Especially during the winter months, and especially when I can just throw it in the slow cooker and let it go.  Tender meat in a savory gravy with a few vegetables?  Very comforting!  This recipe is easy, can feed a lot of people, and is fairly cost effective.  Serve it with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or rice.  Yum!

Crock*Pot Pot Roast

Ingredients:

• 2lb beef stew meat ( you can also use a chuck roast, about 3 lbs)
• 2 packets beef gravy mix (I use store brand but use whichever your prefer)
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• adobo seasoning (optional)
• 3 cups beef stock or broth
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 2 onions, cut into eight chunks each
• ***optional - you can cook potatoes right in this as well if you prefer, just cut 3 or 4 potatoes in to quarters and toss in when you add carrots

Directions:
Preheat a pan on the stovetop over medium high.  Quickly sear beef on all sides until browned.  (About a minute a side.) In slow cooker, pour in two cups of broth/stock and mix in 1 gravy packet.  Season with a dash of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and adobo seasoning.  Stir in both bay leaves.  Add meat, onions, carrots, and garlic.  Give a quick stir and set slow cooker on high for four hours or low for eight hours.When roast is about done, on stove top, mix remaining cup of broth with last gravy packet.  When thick, stir into slow cooker.  Enjoy!