Cucumber-Yogurt Dipping Sauce ((made light))

Cucumber-Yogurt Dipping Sauce ((made light))

About 6 weeks ago, I was given a mission…’create a healthier/lightened-up version of Cucumber Yogurt salad dressing’. I finally got a minute to work it out & as a major (purposeful) bonus I pared it with my Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs. ((it was beyond yum)).

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 A few things are important to consider when trying to ‘lighten-up’ a recipe:

  • if you are decreasing the fat – you must increase the flavor
  • if you are decreasing the carbs – you must increase the flavor
  • if you are decreasing the calories – you must make every calorie count

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A few ways to accomplish a successful ‘lighten-up’ recipe session:

  • add texture: creamy, crunchy & chewy are all good in the right circumstance
  • use fresh produce as much as possible
  • use high quality dairy, eggs, meats & grains – there is no substitute for nature’s best
  • season well…this doesn’t mean use a TON of salt. Try new spices, go to specialty grocery stores & don’t be afraid to mess up. If it’s awfully inedible throw it away & eat cereal. Try again & don’t repeat the same mistake ((no biggie))

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Okay, that’s all from the teacher today!! When I was making this sauce, I didn’t have time to allow the flavors to make nice with each other. Enter: Food Processor (fp)- I added the chunky dipping sauce to the fp and BOOM! It all came together. The flavors locked in & a winning recipe was created.

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One thing to keep in mind: because cucumbers are like 97.8% water, puréeing them in the sauce caused the sauce to be very runny. I still love it, it coats the meatballs well & resembles the same thickness as my favorite sauces from Misal etc. However, if you would prefer a thicker sauce & still want to maintain ‘lightened-up’ status, you may want to eliminate buttermilk from the recipe & go with fat-free plain Greek yogurt instead. ((After the sauce sits overnight in the fridge, it does thicken up a bit.))

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You will be pouring this over salad, using it as a dip…& if you have really bad manners (like me) you may just drink it right out of the serving bowl when no one is looking (shh)!

Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing ((lightened-up))
A lightened-up version of cucumber-yogurt sauce, packed full of flavor & still leaving the cucumber as 'king of the flavor hill'. This will be a welcome addition any dish!
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392 calories
65 g
25 g
6 g
22 g
3 g
602 g
559 g
61 g
0 g
2 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
602g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 392
Calories from Fat 51
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6g
9%
Saturated Fat 3g
17%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 25mg
8%
Sodium 559mg
23%
Total Carbohydrates 65g
22%
Dietary Fiber 1g
5%
Sugars 61g
Protein 22g
Vitamin A
13%
Vitamin C
24%
Calcium
75%
Iron
7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
  1. 1 c buttermilk
  2. 1 c plain non-fat Greek yogurt
  3. 1/4 c cilantro
  4. 2 T chives
  5. 1 c cucumber (I used the English variety) diced
  6. 1 T lemon zest
  7. 1/4 t of Serrano chili pepper*
  8. 1/2 t turmeric
  9. 1/4 scant t garam masala
  10. 1/4 t ground coriander
  11. sea salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients (less the sea salt) in a food processor & pulse until sauce is smooth. Taste and add salt according to your preferences. Refrigerate - up to 2 weeks.
Serving suggestions
  1. - use as a dipping sauce for Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs
  2. - use as a flank steak marinade
  3. - use as a salad dressing
Notes
  1. *This particular pepper was insanely hot!! I added an tiny bit - probably too little (I barely detect it). I think heat in this sauce it a good counter-balance to the cool cucumber. So, if you like heat, add more Serrano pepper!
  2. **If you prefer a thicker sauce, eliminate buttermilk from the recipe and use only Greek plain yogurt.
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calories
392
fat
6g
protein
22g
carbs
65g
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Food for a Year: https://foodforayear.com/