Homemade Tazikis Firday Special Pasta Food

TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth or paper towel-lined sieve and set it over a bowl. Grate the cucumber and toss it with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt; place it in another sieve, and set it over another bowl. Place both bowls in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours so the yogurt and cucumber can drain.
• Transfer the thickened yogurt to a large bowl. Squeeze as much liquid from the cucumber as you can and add the cucumber to the yogurt. Mix in the sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. You can serve it immediately, but I prefer to allow the tzatziki to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavors to blend. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

HOMEMADE TAZIKI'S "FIRDAY SPECIAL" PASTA

Steps:

• Marinade chicken with teriyaki sauce; set aside for 10-20 minutes.
• Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in pot.
• chop garlic.
• Heat the oil, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small skillet on low heat.
• Cook very slowly until the garlic turns golden, about 3 minutes
• careful not to brown or your sauce will be bitter; remove from heat when done.
• When the water boils, add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta.
• Cook until al dente (9 minutes); drain, letting some of the cooking water cling to the noodles.
• Return the dripping noodles to the pot and toss with the oil mixture, 1/2 cup chopped onion, Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, chopped tomato, and basil.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste; divide among 2 plates with a bed of spinach on each.
• Grill or pan cook teriyaki marinaded chicken until the inside is no longer pink; (if you pan cook: add 2 Tablespoons oil to pan + another 1/2 cup of onions, for flavor).
• Cut chicken into strips; top pasta with 1 chicken breast on each plate.
• sprinkle with Gorgonzola (or Feta) cheese.

TAZIKI'S SIGNATURE PASTA - GREEK CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Place thyme, shallot, balsamic vinegar, lemon, sugar, and Dijon mustard in blender. Pulse a few times. Slowly blend in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• In a large bowl, combine pasta, chopped chicken, feta, tomatoes and fresh basil. Pour dressing over pasta mixture. Toss to fully coat chicken pasta mixture.
• Serve warm or cold.

AUTHENTIC GREEK TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Stir together olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a bowl and let sit while you prepare the cucumber.
• Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthways; scrape out all the seeds. Grate cucumber with a cheese grater into a sieve set over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Strain out as much liquid as possible by pressing down in the sieve with the palm of your hand. Alternately you can wring cucumber out in a clean tea towel. Add cucumber and yogurt to the garlic mixture. Mix until well combined and season with salt to taste.

EASY TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Coarsely grate the cucumber along the length to create long strands, tip into a sieve set over the sink or a bowl, mix in a large pinch of salt and set aside for 10 mins. Tip the yogurt, garlic, vinegar and olive oil into a bowl and season with black pepper.
• Squeeze as much liquid out of the cucumber as you can using your hands, then stir through the yogurt mixture along with the mint, taste for seasoning and serve. Can be made a day ahead and chilled - just give it a good stir before serving.

TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Peel cucumber, cut in half lengthways and de-seed using a teaspoon, then coarsely grate.
• Put grated cucumber into a sieve suspended over a bowl, sprinkle over 1/2 tsp of salt and mix through. Place a plate on top of cucumber and allow cucumber to drain for approximately 1 hour, or until water stops dripping (whichever is first).
• Combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
• The flavours combine better if given time so I prefer to leave it in a sealed container in the refrigerator overnight.
• If Greek yoghurt is not available then you can make your own Greek style from plain yoghurt by suspending a sieve lined with cheesecloth over a bowl, adding the yoghurt and allowing it to drain for 2-3 hours, or longer if thicker yoghurt is preferred, in a refrigerator. A paper coffee filter can be used as an alternative to a cheesecloth, following the above method.

TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Coarsely grate the cucumber, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and squeeze out all the liquid. Tip into a bowl with the yogurt, garlic and mint, and mix well. Great served with slow roast lamb or as a dip.