# Tzatziki sauce cucumber substitute!



## mtbfan101 (Feb 17, 2012)

Hey everybody,

I am a health nut, and I love everything that goes into Tzatziki sauce except one thing: cucumber! I was thinking that red bell pepper might be a good substitute for this. What do you guys think? Any other suggestions?


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

MTB, Welcome to Cheftalk,

Have you ever thought about using zucchini , finely grated ?


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## mtbfan101 (Feb 17, 2012)

petalsandcoco said:


> MTB, Welcome to Cheftalk,
> 
> Have you ever thought about using zucchini , finely grated ?


I like that idea. I can't say that I've had raw zucchini before/img/vbsmilies/smilies/redface.gif. I usually just saute it with squash.


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Well I have to tell you that I am nuts about tzatziki.....

If you finely grate it , it has less water than a cucumber and the texture is not bad at all. I put zucchini in my salads just because it's denser than a cucumber.

Slice your zucchini is half and put them on a grill , drizzle with olive oil, splash of lemon juice , S & P ...heaven ! (You might as well slice a tomato while your at it) Don't have a grill ? Toss them on a sheet pan, oven, broil for a few minutes, lovely.

I am sure there are many things that can go in it....I was trying to match your veggie as close as I could.

Petals.


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## mtbfan101 (Feb 17, 2012)

Haha, I love your enthusiasm. Fortunately for me, I am cooking stuffed peppers, so your food ideas are only fueling my appetite that is soon to be satisfied! I think I'll split the tzatziki batch into two. I'll try one half with your zucchini idea and the other half with a pepper! Thanks for the help .


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## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Stuffed peppers eh ? Nice !

I am sure the color  and taste will be just great.

Petals.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

Just curious......why no cucumber? Seeds? Gas?


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

What is it about the cucumber that you don't like?  Sometimes if it's cut into big chunks I don't like it either.  Usually I grate it finely, toss in some salt and leave it on a sieve.  15minutes later you can ring out a lot of the water so that it doesn't make your tzatziki liquidy.  I can't think of anything that car actually replace cucumber, it's funny.  Maybe some apple?  Or better yet, celery.


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## margcata (Sep 18, 2011)

Since Tzatiziki is made up of Greek Yogurt with garlic, dill and mint, salt and black pepper ... perhaps, if you wish to leave out the cucumber -- one can.

Zucchini is another alternative ...

Another alternative could be:  Tyrosalata:

Feta cheese

olive oil

dried chili pepper finely chopped

lemon juice

bell red pepper

bell green pepper

oregano black pepper

Margcata.


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## mtbfan101 (Feb 17, 2012)

Chefross said:


> Just curious......why no cucumber? Seeds? Gas?


 Quote:


Koukouvagia said:


> What is it about the cucumber that you don't like? Sometimes if it's cut into big chunks I don't like it either. Usually I grate it finely, toss in some salt and leave it on a sieve. 15minutes later you can ring out a lot of the water so that it doesn't make your tzatziki liquidy. I can't think of anything that car actually replace cucumber, it's funny. Maybe some apple? Or better yet, celery.


Cucumber, for whatever reason, just tastes awful to me. I have equated it to people who really hate cilantro. I have a friend who says if there is the smallest bit of cilantro in a dish, she can't eat it. That is how I am with cucumbers. Seriously, if I have a trace of cucumber on a bugger(even if someone put a cucumber slice on top and removed it), I'll taste it and can't eat it haha.

Apple or celery might be kind of interesting. The bagged Dole celery at my store is crisp and refreshing but not very robust; however, the celery sold by the stalk is peppery and especially good for soups. I can imagine a more peppery celery being quite good in a tzatziki sauce!


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## mtbfan101 (Feb 17, 2012)

MARGCATA said:


> Since Tzatiziki is made up of Greek Yogurt with garlic, dill and mint, salt and black pepper ... perhaps, if you wish to leave out the cucumber -- one can.
> 
> Zucchini is another alternative ...
> 
> ...


Feta cheese is a wonderful idea. That way I can still stick to that greekish theme(though to be honest, I was going to make a gyro with homemade whole wheat tortillas to cut carbs--i'm pathetic). And you have now inspired me to look up tyrosalata because i'm not sure I've ever heard of it! Thanks for the post and the suggestions. I'll definitely be experimenting because of you guys.


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## margcata (Sep 18, 2011)

@ Mtb,

Your welcome. Here is my traditional recipe for Classic Tyrosalata:

225 grams ( 1/2 pound ) feta cheese

3 tblsps extra virgin olive oil

1 medium long green pepper seeded and chopped

dried chili pepper ( 2 ) finely chopped

oregano 2 tsps.

salt and blk pep to taste

1 lemon juiced

Purée peppers, feta, oregano, and blk pep in blender or food processer and very slowly add the olive oil

season to taste with lemon juice and serve cold or room temperature

*** warm Pita and a lovely white wine from Greece or Prosecco sparkling wine from Italia

This is quite lovely ...


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## mtbfan101 (Feb 17, 2012)

Margcata,

That sounds pretty boss /img/vbsmilies/smilies/cool.gif. I will definitely be bookmarking that! I do have a question, though. Do you rehydrate the chilis? Also, do you think red pepper flake would be a good substitute? I only ask because I have a boat load of red pepper flake haha.

Thanks a lot,

Pat


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

I've never heard of tzatsiki being used as a sauce.  It is usually served as part of a meze in Greece.


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## mtbfan101 (Feb 17, 2012)

Ishbel said:


> I've never heard of tzatsiki being used as a sauce. It is usually served as part of a meze in Greece.


Around here a lot of people call it cucumber sauce. It's used mostly on gyros.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

Ishbel said:


> I've never heard of tzatsiki being used as a sauce. It is usually served as part of a meze in Greece.


Really? Tzatziki is used extensively here as an accompaniment to Greek Gyros.

Yes it is served by itself as meze in Greek restaurants as well.


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

We call gyros, doner kebabs here in the UK - and tzatsiki isn't used on them.

Interesting how when foods are moved from their native heath, other countries change how they are served


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Ishbel said:


> We call gyros, doner kebabs here in the UK - and tzatsiki isn't used on them.
> 
> Interesting how when foods are moved from their native heath, other countries change how they are served


Oh come now, you've been to Greece. Tzatziki is always used on gyros and souvlaki as a sauce. But it is also served on its own as a meze, most often as a spread. However, it is delectable when eaten with rice - that is quite common. Around my house we use it to dip lamb or meatballs in it too.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

MARGCATA said:


> @ Mtb,
> 
> Your welcome. Here is my traditional recipe for Classic Tyrosalata:
> 
> ...


Why can't your recipe's just say "my" recipe? Why must they always include the words traditional and classic?


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## mtbfan101 (Feb 17, 2012)

Koukouvagia said:


> Oh come now, you've been to Greece. Tzatziki is always used on gyros and souvlaki as a sauce. But it is also served on its own as a meze, most often as a spread. However, it is delectable when eaten with rice - that is quite common. Around my house we use it to dip lamb or meatballs in it too.


Ahhh, great idea! Meatballs dipped in tzatziki sauce? That's protein central!


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## margcata (Sep 18, 2011)

Yes of course you can use red cayenne flakes.

Have a nice Sunday. When I was in Greece, many tavern and restaurant owners, put a bowl of yogurt and cucumber as a side to rich roast lamb dishes to refreshen palate.

Margcata


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## ov03 (Jun 15, 2012)

Ishbel said:


> We call gyros, doner kebabs here in the UK - and tzatsiki isn't used on them.
> 
> Interesting how when foods are moved from their native heath, other countries change how they are served


A donair, doner kebob, __?__kabob, swarma etc. are not gyros, therefore they have diffrent sauces and or toppings.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

ov03 said:


> A donair, doner kebob, __?__kabob, swarma etc. are not gyros, therefore they have diffrent sauces and or toppings.


The word "gyro" doesn't refer to what type of meat it is, it refers to being cooked on a vertical rotisserie. In Greece, if you buy meat that is cooked in this way you can call it whatever you darn well please. But it will be served with tzatziki no matter what you call it.


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## ov03 (Jun 15, 2012)

I believe that someone missed the point to my post....even if I were in greece and was in a lebanese restaurant, ordering a swarma or a turkish restaurant ordering a doner or kebap, or if I were in a mexican taqueria ordering a taco al pastor I would not have tsatziki, I would have tahini, hummus, sour cream etc. (In eastern north america I would have a disgusting sweet sauce called donair sauce...yuk!). None of these dishes are of greek origin. They are regional dishes, and if the greek term for them is gyros, that still does not make them greek and therefore they do not have the greek dressing tsatziki on them.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Going back to the original question, fennel bulb might be a reasonable substitute for the crunchy freshness of cucumber.

mjb.


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## wtdedula (Feb 25, 2007)

Hi All;

You guys are making me hungry. I have a few things - first, what does the original poster have against cucumbers? I absolutely love them and in salad bars take nothing but cucumbers. Also, I love tzatsiki sauce on gyros but I can also see it being used as a sauce and dip for so many other things. I see one response suggested it as a dip for meatballs and this actually sounds good to me - I'll have to try it sometime.

Tim


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

jicama....

joey


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

ov03 said:


> I believe that someone missed the point to my post....even if I were in greece and was in a lebanese restaurant, ordering a swarma or a turkish restaurant ordering a doner or kebap, or if I were in a mexican taqueria ordering a taco al pastor I would not have tsatziki, I would have tahini, hummus, sour cream etc. (In eastern north america I would have a disgusting sweet sauce called donair sauce...yuk!). None of these dishes are of greek origin. They are regional dishes, and if the greek term for them is gyros, that still does not make them greek and therefore they do not have the greek dressing tsatziki on them.


There is no lebanese restaurant in Greece unfortunately. Greeks only eat greek food, or what they think is greek food. Tzatziki is not a "greek dressing." Most people like what they like, there is no limitation on what you can pair with tzatziki. I like putting a dollop of tzatziki on asian-style fried rice. Cold yogurt that accompanies a hot dish can be seen in Greece, throughout the Middle East and in India.

Fennel, now that's a good idea!


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