Deanna's Daughter

I was craving something like this to go with the Yogurt Chicken so I combined a couple of recipes that I found on the internet.  Some call for half sour cream, half yogurt, I chose to stick with only yogurt and I was very happy with how it turned out.

Tzatziki Sauce

2 c. thick, full-fat plain yogurt

1 head of garlic, cleaned and finely minced

1 English cucumber, washed – half grated, half diced – all of it left to drain and dry on paper towels for about a half hour

1 T. olive oil

2 t. lemon juice

1/2 t. salt

Combine the oil and lemon juice in a medium bowl and then slowly fold in the yogurt, making sure that it mixes completely with the oil.

Add the garlic and the grated, dried cucumber.  Stir well and chill – the longer it’s chilled before serving the more intense the garlic will become.  I added the diced cucumber right before serving.

Sometimes meals are painfully slow in our house, and as a way to encourage the girls to eat (without starting a competition), sometimes we’ll check each bowl or plate and say something like, ‘Good job, you’re getting there!’.  Waverly peeked into my oatmeal bowl one morning and exclaimed, ‘Wow Mom, you’re almost done, good job! but that’s because you have a big mouth’.  Thanks kid.

I’ve seen (and tried) this recipe a few times now but since I needed one to follow so that I could post it, I used this one from Everyday Food.  We use 4 to 6 chicken breasts, but drumsticks or thighs would work fine too.

Yogurt Marinated Chicken

1 onion, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

3 T. lemon juice

3 T. finely minced fresh ginger

1 c. full fat plain yogurt

1 t. garam masala

2 t. salt

1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

4 to 6 chicken breasts

If you’re hand-chopping, stir all ingredients, except the chicken, together in a glass bowl, making sure all is well combined.  Alternatively, use a food processor or blender and blend together the onion, garlic, lemon juice and ginger, then transfer to a glass bowl and stir in the yogurt, garam masala, salt and pepper.

Add the chicken, toss to coat, cover the bowl tightly and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours – preferably overnight.

Heat the barbecue to medium, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and grill on clean grates until cooked through – 12 to 15 minutes.  Unfortunately the marinade can’t be saved here, but it’s definitely worth it for the flavor.

We enjoyed this with warmed naan bread, tzatziki sauce and grilled asparagus.

Flashback #7 – Waverly – At a little over the age of 2 1/2, we could already tell that Wavey was into sports.  I had bought them both a large, colorful, soft ball and when I got them out to show the girls, Wavey yelled, ‘Yay! It’s catch ball time!’.

My friend Renee brought this to a preschool party and adults and kids alike all loved it.  We enjoy it with nacho chips but I can see how it would make a great little salad as well – and I haven’t yet made it with the jalapeno because I don’t want to turn off the girls.

Black Bean Salsa (or Salad)

1 can (19 oz/540 mL) black beans, rinsed and drained well

1/2 – 1 c. canned kernel corn

2 medium tomatoes, chopped and squeezed of some of their juice

3-4 green onions, finely chopped

1-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1/3 – 1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 large red, orange or yellow pepper, seeded and chopped (I use one half of 2 kinds to add more color)

1 small jalapeno pepper, finely minced (optional, use as much as you’d like, leave in the seeds for more heat)

3 T. balsamic vinegar

1/2 t. sugar

salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl, adding the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper last – to taste.  Stir well and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving to allow the flavors to come together – cold is best!  Be sure to give it another good stir before serving as well.

This also makes for a very healthy snack to have on hand in the fridge – enjoy!