By Irene Hayton

• 1 large cucumber
• 2 cups (500 ml) low-fat plain yogurt (see Notes)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) or more, minced fresh dill (optional)
• unprocessed sea salt, to taste

Peel the cucumber, cut it in half, and remove the seeds; grate it and then drain it in a sieve. Combine the grated cucumber, yogurt, garlic, and dill, if using. Season to taste with sea salt. Mix well and refrigerate. Serve with warm pita bread or tortillas, steamed vegetables, fish, chicken, beef, or lamb.

Notes:

For a thicker sauce, buy an extra-thick variety of yogurt or strain regular yogurt to make it thicker. Place 3 cups (750 ml) of yogurt into a sieve lined with cheesecloth, and set it over a bowl; cover and refrigerate. Let it drain for 2 to 3 hours, or until you have 2 cups (500 ml) of strained yogurt. If you don’t have cheesecloth, you can use a clean tea towel and decrease the amount of time that you drain the yogurt. For smaller amounts of yogurt, you can drain it in a coffee filter.

Substitute ¼ to ½ cup (50 to 125 ml) of light sour cream for the same amount of yogurt.