Throughout this whole pandemic, food has been an important escape for most of us. We are truly blessed here in San Diego with access to excellent, fresh, locally grown produce year round! I, like everyone, have been doing a lot of cooking at home over the last year and being able to source fantastic fruits and vegetables as well as locally caught seafood has been a bright spot in a difficult year. At the start of this pandemic I had the foresight to get a brand new charcoal grill installed in our backyard. I must say it has been getting heavy use! Some simple vegetables, meat, and fish grilled over hardwood charcoal is about all it takes to make me happy! So, for our recipe this week I have a super simple yogurt sauce that will pair with just about anything you may be cooking up from meat to fish to vegetables. It can also be used as a crudité dip! We actually use a version of this sauce almost every day in our kitchen as we pair it with our pan seared salmon for our Family Meals. While it only takes a few minutes to whip up, the real key is if you can mix the sauce the day before you plan to use it, as the time in the fridge really lets the flavors combine and deepen. It really makes all the difference! You can use either fresh garlic, pasted with a little salt and the back of a knife, or granulated garlic. Enjoy!
Yogurt Herb Sauce
1 Cup Whole Milk Yogurt
2 Tablespoons Parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon Cilantro, chopped
1 Tablespoon Dill, chopped
2 Garlic cloves or 2 teaspoons Granulated garlic
Salt to taste
Procedure
Line a strainer with a coffee filter or cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Place the yogurt in the strainer and allow the excess water to drain for at least 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, if using fresh garlic, mince it. Put a pinch of salt on the garlic (this acts as an abrasive) and use the back of a knife to rub the garlic into a paste. Set aside.
Once yogurt has been drained and is thickened, scrape it into a mixing bowl.
Add the garlic along with the chopped herbs and salt to taste.
You can use the yogurt sauce at this point but it will be way better if you can allow it to sit until the next day!