Apple Raisin Chutney

I don't often find myself without anything to say, but...I think it's actually come to this. I think that I cannot correctly sum up how delicious these flavor combinations are. Perhaps pure happiness may be correct, or 'giddy-ness?' Oh what the heck I'll borrow Google's definition of happiness "state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy." Yeah, that might sum it up nicely.

Now whether you prefer Gorgonzola, or cambozola, or brie, or whatever else you'd like, I personally think there is no loser here. This apple raisin chutney was easy to prepare, and I've never made a chutney before-So you should try to! This powerhouse flavor combo includes a nice crusty bread or crostini, apple raisin chutney, oven roasted garlic, and the cheese of your choosing.

I've chosen to only blog about the chutney itself, only because the rest are self evident or rather Google-able (Is that a word now?)

Apple Raisin Chutney (Adapted from Simply Recipes)

2 large tart cooking apples (such as green Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and chopped)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp grated orange peel

1 Tbsp grated fresh or 1/2 Tbsp powdered ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes. If the chutney looks too dry, as in too much liquid has cooked off, add a little apple juice or cider. Uncover and simmer over low heat for a few minutes more to cook off excess liquid if there is any; let cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Makes about 2 cups.

*Note: This chutney would also pair really well with roasted chicken or pork

Beef Stew

A favorite around our house in the fall is the crockpot, it has yet to fail me! Pot Roast is our favorite-So moist and tender, practically falling apart is how we roll. This is my first attempt at beef stew, and since it's pretty similiar, I knew I shouldn't have any trouble with it. This is a great fall go-to favorite!

Beef Stew (From Martha Stewart)

3 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound medium onions (about 2), cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound small white or red new potatoes (about 6), well scrubbed, halved if large
1 pound carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
6 garlic cloves, smashed
2 bay leaves

*This is the crockpot version, for the oven version, please refer back to the original recipe

Load the veggies into the crockpot, and then the garlic, bay leaves, vinegar, flour, tomato paste, the beef and salt and pepper into the pot, cover with lid and set temperature to low for 6-8 hours. Step back and get to crackin on the other things on your to-do list. The work is done for this meal. This shouldn't be complicated, it's beef stew, life's tough enough as it is :)

Apple Tart

Autumn has finally arrived and no one could be happier than I-the leaves, the apples, the pumpkins, I could go on and on. But I won't, I'll save you from that. I needed some saving when it came to this apple dessert. You see, originally it wasn't to be an apple tart, rather an apple tarte tatin, which is actually quite different. A tarte-tatin is actually an upside down apple tart/cake that according to the French is to be served warmed so when the cream hits it, it will instantly melt and pool around the cake. Don't believe me? Check this out, and no it's not from Wiki :)

The trouble I had getting sugars to carmelize led me back to the drawing board, so I looked and there it came out of the blue, was this tasty little number-Enjoy!

Apple Tart (adapted from Martha Stewart)

All-purpose flour, for rolling
1 sheet Puff Pastry
Water, for sprinkling
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Applesauce
2-3 apples, your choice but I used Granny Smith apples and a Zestar apple
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. Nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a large rectangle approximately 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle a baking sheet with a little water.

Transfer pastry to prepared baking sheet, and place in the refrigerator to chill, 30 minutes.
Core the apples and slice them crosswise on a mandoline as thinly as possible, about 1/16 inch thick. I hand sliced mine because I do not have a mandoline. Remove chilled pastry from refrigerator, and use a butter knife to gently make an indentation an inch or so from the edge all the way around. This will look like you’ve drawn a rectangle inside the border. This step helps insure that the inside where the topping will be will not rise as much as the ‘crust’ will

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Spread applesauce evenly over pastry. Place apple slices on the pastry in overlapping rows to cover, leaving a 1-inch margin around the edge. Sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Brush the edges with heavy cream and drizzle any unused cream over the tart filling as to not waste any. Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 33-35 minutes.

Comfort Food: Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes

Sometimes a really tough week just screams for comfort food to really make everything alright, it kinds of smoothes out the bumps and corners to make things easier to deal with. What are your comfort food that you head to when times get a bit stressful? Oh well, these little meatballs are far from gourmet, but they are tasty little bites from some church basement lady cookbook I picked up a while back-they always have the best recipes don't they? I served these with a nice mashed potato and gravy, but you serve them with what you wish.

Traditional Meatballs

2lbs ground beef-I used 1 lb pork and 1lb ground beef
1 cup finely ground saltine crumbs
½ cup finely (minced or grated) onion
2 eggs
1.5 tsp. Salt
1/3 aprox. cup of milk

Mix thoroughly beef, crumbs, onion, eggs, salt, seasonings and milk in a large bowl by hand.

Shape into balls (about 25 depending on size)
Do not shape too tightly-will toughen up

Bake on foil lined baking sheet at 350° for 30-35 minutes, depending on size

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

TheI've heard a bit about the pumpkin shortage in certain parts of the country and am fortunate to report no site of one here yet. Sorry if this applies to you-I can send you some if you'd like. That being mentioned I thought I would get a jump start to fall baking while the pumpkin was available. And boy did I find a good one. Goodthingscatered is a goldmine for wonderful baked treats, check Katie out if you get a chance. The little cookies made the house smell scrumptious and is a wonderful way to kick off the first full day of fall!



Spiced Pumpkin Nut Cookies

2 c. plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
3 Tbsp oil
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 c. pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp applesauce
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c. chopped walnuts
3/4 c. raisins

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment.
-In large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
-Whisk to combine well and set aside.
-In bowl of stand mixer, combine butter oil and sugars.
-Beat on medium speed until fluffy and light in color, about 1 minute.
-Add pumpkin, beating to combine.
-Scrape down sides of bowl and then add applesauce, egg and vanilla, beating to combine well.
-Scrape down sides of bowl then add flour mixture.
-Beat on low until barely combined, or use a wooden spoon to just barely incorporate, do not over mix.
-Remove bowl from mixer.
-Add walnuts and raisins and gently fold into batter.
-Chill the batter, covered in the refrigerator for one hour.
-Using large spoon, spoon 2 inch wide rounds onto baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart.
-Place into oven and bake for 13-15 minutes.
-Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes.
-Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 36 cookies

General Tso Chicken (Light)

Question, is this your take out order or is this what you made for lunch? Hmmm? Yes its what you made for lunch! Its another Martha recipe-I guess I'm becoming a big fan. I have never ordered this at a restaurant, I'm scared to go out of my comfort zone, but trying this has made me think otherwise. This also makes excellent leftovers for work the next day. This is the lighter version of a Chinese dish seen on almost every lunch and dinner special menu around.

I became slightly curious about the origins of the dish, so I did what any smart gal would do and turned to Google (what did we do without Google in the past?) and my search landed me here. It turns out that General Tso had nothing to do with chicken, absolutely nothing. He fought battles while fighting off dysentary and malaria. This recipe is WAY easier than that.

Lighter General Tso’s Chicken (from Martha Stewart)

1 1/4 cups long-grain rice (I used Minute Rice...Tso what!)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 pound snow peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated and peeled
3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 large egg whites
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Add snow peas, garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, and red-pepper flakes; toss to combine, and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together egg whites, remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Lift half the chicken from egg-white mixture (shaking off excess), and add to skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining oil and chicken, and set aside (reserve skillet).

Add snow-pea mixture to skillet. Cover; cook until snow peas are tender and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet (with any juices); toss to coat. Serve with rice.

Thai Corn Chowder

As we near the end of summer we begin to reap the rewards of all the hard work our local farmers do. Fresh local produce is one of the best things of late summer in Minnesota (besides the state fair of course.) To celebrate this I wanted to use as much of this as I possibly could. This soup does just that.

I have never tried fresh corn, cut from the cob, uncooked. I did and it is sweet, like it could be better this way than cooked. Then I came to my senses, but try it sometime, I bet you'll like it. The basil and mint came from my own garden, which now is huge. This is a great way to start putting your hard work out there to your benefit. Plus the jalapeno and ginger add a very nice kick!

Thai Corn Chowder (from the Food Network Kitchen)

4 ears corn
2 cups diced red-skinned potatoes (about 12 ounces)
3/4 cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, smashed
8 black peppercorns
1 stalk lemongrass, cut into thirds
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt
1 red jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk-light
8 fresh basil leaves
8 fresh mint leaves
4 radishes, thinly sliced (I omitted this for fear of radishes in soup, use if you like)
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lime, plus lime wedges for garnish
1 tomato, seeded and diced

Cut off the corn kernels; set aside. Combine the cobs, 1 cup potatoes, 1/2 cup scallions, 1 tablespoon ginger, the garlic, peppercorns and 5 cups water in a pot. Smash the lemongrass, if using, and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.

About 10 minutes before the broth is finished, melt the butter over medium-high heat in a separate pot. Add the remaining 1 cup potatoes, season with salt and cook until slightly soft, 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger and the jalapeno; cook 1 minute. Add the corn kernels; cook until the vegetables are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

Strain the broth, pressing out as much liquid as possible; discard the solids. Add 2 cups of the strained broth to the potatoes and corn; bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk, basil and mint; season with salt. Stir until simmering. Remove from the heat and add the radishes (if using,) cilantro and lime juice. Top with diced tomato and the remaining 1/4 cup scallions and serve with lime wedges.

Chicken Enchiladas

Martha, Martha, Martha! You did it again. I admit I was doubtful at first...Chicken Enchiladas with creamy green sauce? I don't know! But after careful consideration-I knew you wouldn't steer me wrong. This was a debut attempt at Enchiladas and in my opinion they were a huge hit. I was a little wobbly with flavor happiness that I admit, my photography is a bit off..oh well, next time we'll try again.

I did make a few adaptations right off the bat. I wanted more kick to my enchiladas and it worked perfectly for my taste, feel free to adjust it to fit yours.

Enchiladas with Creamy Green Sauce (Adapted from Martha Stewart )

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 jars (16 ounces each) medium green salsa
3/4 cup heavy cream
12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely shredded (3 cups)
1 (4 oz) can of diced jalapenos
2 tsp ground adobo chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground corriander
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

(**Note: Because it was a bit warmer outside, I didn't want to heat the oven and the whole house for longer than I needed to, so I opted to cook the chicken on the grill. This added extra flavor, which payed off hugely. Prepare the chicken how you like.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper; place with garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine salsa, jalapenos, and cream. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, shred meat, discarding skin and bones. In a large bowl, combine chicken and 1/2 cup salsa mixture, adobo chili powder, cumin, and corriander.

Stack tortillas flat, and wrap in damp paper towels; microwave on high for 1 minute to soften. Working with one tortilla at a time, dip in salsa mixture, lay flat, and fill with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Roll up and arrange, seam side down, 8 enchiladas lengthwise and 4 crosswise in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with remaining salsa mixture, then cheese.

Bake until cheese is browned and salsa is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes; let rest 10 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with cilantro, if desired.

This recipe made enough for 17 enchiladas, maybe I didn't put enough filling in each one-but I thought they were a good size. So even better, I put the rest in the freezer for another time.

Nutella Cupcakes

In this case, it took a village to save these little cupcakes, but in the end I was richly rewarded. Unfortunately, I tend to leave things in the oven just a little too long on occasion. This was no different, I was so excited, the house smelled lovely, and out of the oven the 12 perfectly shaped Nutella cupcakes came. I let them cool, took them out of the paper liners, got really excited, and took my first bite. Hmmm...I thought, not quite exactly what I was expecting...kind of dry. Argh, I double checked the baking time, and sure enough, I over did it.

When we got married we registered for this really nice Analon bakeware set, which we gratefully got. However when I started to bake with them I realized that Analon cooks more quickly and gets more hot than your average bakeware. So after much trial and testing I am now almost used to adjusting recipes oven temperature and reduced cooking time. The recipe I am blogging today, the beautiful Nutella cupcakes reflect the actual recipe, and is without the Analon adjustments that I should have made. But if you do bake with Analon, let me know how it goes for you, we should have a support group I think.

So now I have 11 overbaked cupcakes, and was desperate to save them. I reached out for help, and that is exactly what I got. The outpouring support I got was overwhelming. I realize that this was merely flour and butter, and sugar but now this became a challenge. What I decided would be the best remedy for this situation was to use the blunt end of a skewer and poke a bunch of holes on the top of the cupcakes and create an almondy simple syrup. Drizzle it over the top and let the little cakes drink it up. I also used the rest of the nutella up to create a 'light' frosting. I think that did the trick-Lets taste and find out!

**Yes that's our puppy in the background, isn't she cute!

Nutella Cupcakes (found here)


10 tbsp butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup Nutella

Preheat oven to 325F and line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

Cream together butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes. Add in eggs on at a time, until fully incorporated. The batter may not look smooth, this is fine. Add vanilla.

Stir in flour, salt, and baking powder until batter is smooth and all flour is blended. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin liner with batter. Cups should be 3/4 full if you're not using a scoop. Top each cake with 1 1/2 tsp Nutella. Swirl Nutella in with a toothpick, folding a little batter up and over the Nutella as well.Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove to wire rack and allow to cool. Makes 12. While these cooled I prepared the simple syrup.

Flavored Simple Syrup (adapted from here)

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp Cream de Cacao Liqueur (can use any liquer, I wanted to keep with the cocoa flavor theme)


*Use the blunt end of a skewer and literally poke many holes in the top and just let these little cakes drink up the syrup.

World Nutella Day Icing (found here)

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup Nutella
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I used almond extract)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, Nutella, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

So in conclusion whether you overbake your Nutella Cupcakes or not, the addition of the simple syrup and Nutella Icing are a nice treat either way!

Penne with Sauage and Tomato

William-Sonoma has always been a reliable source for finding anything to do with the kitchen, and that includes recipes. Check out their website, there is a plethora of resources there. One that cought my eye one day was their Cavatappi with Sausage and Tomato. This recipe was such a favorite it was quickly gobbled up before a picture was taken, oh well, maybe next time. We tend to like ours a bit spicier and with more fennel-here's my interpretation.

Penne with Sausage and Tomato (Inspired by William-Sonoma)

1 lb. hot Italian sausage
28 oz can of diced plum tomatoes
1 Tbsp fennel seed (can use less if preferred)
1 Tbsp dries garlic (can use less if preferred)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 lb. dried penne (or cavatappi)
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tsp oregono

Grab a big pot and get your water boiling, make sure and generously salt your pasta water. Get your pasta cooking and follow the cooking time on the box for al dente pasta. Once the cooked pasta combines with the finished sauce it will absorb a little more liquid, you don't want mushy pasta do you?

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, brown the sausage. Stir in the tomatoes and let the liquid reduce down slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the fennel, dried garlic, and oregono. Stir in the cream and simmer briefly until the cream thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the grated parmesan and give a quick stir. Add the cooked pasta to the saute pan and stir to coat.

Garnish with a sprinkle of parmesan or chopped parsely and enjoy.

Cheesecake Filled Strawberries

I struggled to come up with a name for these little gems...Inside Out Cheesecake? Blackbottom Strawberries? Oh boy, whatever you choose to call them is up to you. But be warned-they are dangerous! Adapt the number of strawberries to the size of the group you will be dazzling with these beauties!

Cheesecake Filled Strawberries (adapted from The Novice Chef)

16 large strawberries

Cheesecake filling of your choice, I used the easy stuff-Philladelphia Cheesecake filling, premade.

4 oz. Semisweet or Dark Chocolate

1/2 cup Graham Cracker crumbs

Directions

Clean and hollow out strawberries, this can be tricky. Use the smallest spoon you can find. Fo me it was the 1/2 tsp measuring spoon that did the trick. Once that is complete, melt the chocolate by whatever means you see fit, mine was via microwave in a glass measuring cup. If using chocolate bars or squares versus the chips, break into smaller pieces to expedite melting.

Spoon the melted chocolate into strawberries, filling halfway approximately. Lean the partially filled strawberries against the rim of a plate and let set up for about an hour. Continue filling the strawberries with the cheesecake filling and re-lean them against the rim of said dinner plate.

Place graham cracker crumbs in a shallow dish. Coat the exposed cheesecake edge in graham crumbs. For a nice touch, drizzle more melted chocolate across the berries for a finishing touch.

Macadamia Nut Blondies

When I was first introduced to Blondies it was many years a go at Applebees, and it had that buttery, gooey sauce dripping from the heaping scoop of ice cream melting on top of the Blondie. And man was that delicous! Recently I learned that a blondie is a brownie, but without the chocolate. There are countless recipes and combinations for these little darlings, but I love mine with macadamia nuts and white chocolate. Also I use almond extract versus vanilla for a little something different. Enjoy this one bowl wonder.

Macadamia Nut Blondies

7 Tbs butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup Macadamia Nuts
*1/4 cup white chocolate chips optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg.

Add salt, stir in the flour, almond extract and baking powder. Mix in white chocolate chips if using. Pour into prepared pan and use a spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top. Bake for 21-22 minutes or until set in the middle. We generally like things on the lesser done side of things, so if you prefer a more done bar add 2 minutes to cooking time.

Cool on rack before cutting. Then swoon.

Marinated Lamb Kebabs

One of the simple pleasures I have on the weekends is visiting my local Byerly’s meat counter. These guys back there are awesome! Always friendly and helpful! These people are always ready with a grilling or roasting tip to make their products even tastier when you try them at home. Cheers to you people of the meat counters!

I approached the butcher and inquired about lamb (having never bought it before) and he pointed me in the right direction. Since I was only preparing dinner for the two of us I cut the recipe in half, which worked perfectly. I took home one pound of rosemary marinated top round lamb, which the butcher kindly cubed up for me for the kebabs.

Marinated Lamb Kebabs (from Barefoot Contessa)

1 pound plain yogurt (regular or lowfat) (I used half of a 32 oz container)
1/4 cup good olive oil, plus more for brushing grill
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) (I used one to produce between 1/8 to ¼ cup)
5 tablespoons fresh whole rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds top round lamb (I used one pound)
1 red onion

Directions

Combine the yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a large, non-reactive bowl. Add the lamb, making sure it is covered with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days.

Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals. Spread the coals in one tight layer on the grill.
Cut the lamb in 1 1/2-inch cubes. You should have about 20 cubes (I had about 10 since I halved the recipe). Also if cooking with wood skewers, soak them in water for 15 minutes to reduce the chance of them catching fire.

Cut the red onion in 8 pieces and separate each piece into 3 or 4 sections. Loosely thread 3 or 4 pieces of lamb onto skewers alternately with sections of onion. Sprinkle both sides of the lamb cubes with salt and pepper. Place the skewers on the hot grill and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, turning 2 or 3 times, until the lamb is medium-rare.

Easy Tzatziki

When I watched the Barefoot Contessa prepare her Greek inspired menu the other week that inspired me to give it a try also. Recently I visited a local Greek restaurant and tried the lamb, tzatziki, and their eggplant. Ina Garten made it look so easy, I wanted to try and recreate those delicious flavors at home also.

Easy Tzatziki (from Barefoot Contessa)

2 (7-ounce) containers Greek yogurt (recommended: Fage Total, but I couldn’t find this)
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled and seeded
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill (I used dried)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the yogurt in a medium bowl. Grate the cucumber on a box grater and squeeze the grated cucumber with your hand to remove some of the liquid. Add it to the yogurt along with the sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, dill, garlic, salt and pepper and stir. Serve with toasted pita.