Tag Archives: yogurt sauce

Herby Yogurt Sauce with Grilled Lamb Chops and Cucumber Couscous Salad

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Did you know that plain yogurt is an excellent base for a marinade? It slowly tenderizes the meat, rendering it juicy, but never meaty or tough; plus it leaves a pleasant tangy flavor behind. In this case, a simple blend of yogurt, shallot, lemon and salt is a perfect match for lamb’s richness.

A portion of the mixture is set aside to purée with tender green herbs and lemon juice for a quick finishing sauce after the lamb is done. The original recipe called for baby lamb chops (aka lollipop chops), but we prefer a meatier cut such as the loin chop, and the ingredients list reflects our changes.

The yogurt sauce mixture not only complimented the meat but benefited the sliced cucumbers as well. Another side was whole wheat pearl couscous cooked in homemade chicken stock for added flavor.

Herby Yogurt Sauce with Grilled Lamb Chops and Cucumber Couscous Salad

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 tsp. grated lemon zest, plus 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, all from 1 lemon
  • 8 loin lamb chops
  • 1 cup packed fresh tender herbs (such as parsley, dill and mint leaves), plus more for serving
  • 1 cup pearl whole wheat couscous, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 cucumber, sliced thin for serving

Directions

  1. Stir together yogurt, shallot, salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Measure 1 cup of the mixture into a large ziploc bag. Cover and refrigerate the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt mixture.
  2. Add lamb chops to ziploc bag; seal bag and turn to coat lamb in sauce. Let marinate in the fridge at least 2 hours, and up to 24. Ours marinated 8 hours.
  3. Preheat grill to high (450°-500°). Scrape off excess marinate from lamb, then discard the bag .
  4. Sprinkle chops evenly with salt and pepper. Arrange chops on oiled grill grates. Grill covered, turning once or twice until browned and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 135° for medium-rare; about 10 minutes total; lollipop chops will take about 5 minutes.
  5. Transfer chops to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, transfer reserved yogurt mixture to a food processor. Add fresh herbs and lemon juice; pulse until smooth, about 20 pulses.
  7. Serve lamb alongside sauce, cooked couscous, cucumbers and additional herbs.

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Adapted from a recipe for Food & Wine Magazine

Zucchini Fritters with Feta and Yogurt Cucumber Dill Sauce

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These crispy zucchini fritters make a wonderful starter or side dish, and they’re a delicious way to use up summer zucchini, because Lord knows, you or your neighbors are likely swamped with it. Of course there is always the local farm market or grocery store…

The word fritter usually conjures up something heavy and deep-fried, but these zucchini fritters are as light as can be. Serve them as a light vegetarian meal or mezze (small plate) with tzatziki and a Greek salad, or as a side dish to any Mediterranean-style fish, chicken or lamb dish.

To eliminate all of the excess moisture in zucchini, shred on a box shredder, salt it and let it drain in a fine mesh strainer for 10 minutes. Finally you want to wrap it tightly in a clean towel and squeeze out any lingering moisture. Do not let the zucchini sit on its own for too long after it’s been squeezed dry or it will turn brown.

Bind the dried zucchini with eggs and a little flour which allows its delicate flavor to shine. In ATK’s The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook where we found this recipe, and the one I followed, it did not mention baking powder as an ingredient. However, online it shows adding 1/2 teaspoon, which makes sense so I listed it below.

Oh, and do yourself a favor and buy a good block of feta cheese, not the pre-crumbled varieties. Odyssey and Mt Vikos are two great brands that contain no preservatives, additives, or calcium chloride and are Non-GMO. Traditional feta is made authentically by small family dairies in central Greece using fresh milk from sheep and goats.

Zucchini Fritters with Feta

  • Servings: 12 fritters
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. zucchini (about 2 medium), trimmed
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 scallions, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. minced fresh dill
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or cornstarch)
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more if necessary
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

  1. Shred the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor fitted with the shredding disk. Transfer the zucchini to a fine mesh strainer and set over a bowl. Toss the zucchini with the salt and let it sit for 10 minutes.
  2. Put zucchini in a clean dish towel and fold and wring out real well with (you may need to repeat with another towel), then set aside.
  3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the dried zucchini, scallions, dill, feta, garlic and black pepper. Sprinkle the flour (or corn starch) and baking powder over mixture and stir until uniformly incorporated.
  4. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Drop 2-tablespoon sized portions into the pan, then use the back of a spoon to gently press the batter into 2-inch-wide fritters. Pan-fry until golden brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat as needed.
  5. Transfer the fritters to a paper towel-lined plate. Add a bit more oil to the pan if necessary, then repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm or room temperature with lemon wedges.

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By Jennifer Segal, adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Yogurt Cucumber Dill Sauce

Not a dill fan? Substitute cilantro, mint, parsley or tarragon instead. Sauce can be made one day ahead.

Yogurt Cucumber Dill Sauce

  • Servings: Yields about 2 cups
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. minced fresh dill
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and shredded
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

  1. Whisk yogurt, oil and garlic together in a medium bowl until combined.
  2. Stir in cucumber and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Refrigerate covered. Take out and leave on counter for 30 minutes before eating.

http://www.lynnandruss.com