BEET TZATZIKI
by Sepi Z
Sepi Z
Ingredients
Candy striped, red, or golden beets (4-5 golf-ball sized), cooked and shredded 1 cup
Salt as needed
Black pepper, ground as needed
Garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp.
Lemon juice 2 tsp.
Salt 1 tsp.
Yogurt, plain, Sheep’s milk, whole milk or low/reduced fat 1 ½ cups
Extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp.
Dill, chopped 1 Tbsp.
Beets (see note)
Directions
For the Beets: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash the beets and trim the root ends off so that they stand without rolling around. Rub the beets with a little canola oil and place them in a small, heavy roasting pan or skillet.
Sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste, pour in ½ cup of water, and cover them with two layers of foil. Four golf ball-sized beets should take about 45 minutes to roast. They should be fork-tender.
Alternately, you can boil the beets by bringing a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Wash and trim the root end of the beets so they can stand without rolling around.
Add the beets to the boiling water and turn the heat down so that the water is simmering. Cook the beets for 20 minutes. Drain the beets and when they are cool enough to handle, rub the skins off with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel.
Grate the beets using the large holes of a box grater.
Place the garlic in a medium mixing bowl with the lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of salt. Let it stand for about 10 minutes. This should take some of the heat out of the raw garlic.
Stir in the yogurt, olive oil, and black pepper to taste. Fold in the shredded beets and dill, and season again with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.
Serve the sauce cold or at room temperature.
Recipe Note
Roasting vs Boiling Beets:
Roasting beets intensifies their natural sweetness and maintains their deep color. Roasting beets may require more cooking time. Boiling beets does not concentrate their flavor as much as roasting as some of the flavor and color leach into the cooking liquid. It is best to add a little vinegar or lemon juice to the water and cook the beets whole. Continually add more liquid to the pot as the beets cook to ensure that the beets are submerged throughout the cooking process.