Greek Layered Dip ♥

Here is a great party pleaser with a greek twist on the traditional taco layered dip...why not greek style with hummus and tzatziki and feta yummy! ♥

Ingredients ♥

• 2 cups tzatziki
• 1 cup diced English cucumber
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1/2 cup olives
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• Tzatziki sauce ♥
  3 cups Greek Yogurt (or regular plain yogurt, strained as described above)
  juice of one lemon (about 3 T)
  1 garlic clove, chopped
  2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced
  about 1 T kosher salt for salting cucumbers
  1 T finely chopped fresh dill (can substitute mint leaves for a slightly different version)
  Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  
  traditional draining of yogurt-Let the yogurt drain on the counter for 2 hours, or until it reaches the thickness you want. If you don't have Greek yogurt, strain plain yogurt as described above. Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Discard seeds. (If you use the small seedless or European cucumbers with few seeds, you can skip this step.) Slice cucumbers, then put in a colander, sprinkle on 1 T salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water. Drain well and wipe dry with a paper towel in food processor with steel blade, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir this mixture into the yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed.chill for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. (This resting time is very important.)
  This will keep for a few days or more in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.

Hummus recipe  ♥

3 cups cooked fresh garbanzo beans or 2 (15 oz) cans cooked beans

1/4 c plus 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 T olive oil

1 head of raw garlic

1 ½ tsp sea salt (start off with 1 tsp and taste it after mixing)

pepper to taste

chili powder to taste

½ tsp cumin

½ onion finely chopped

3 T chopped fresh parsley

3 T chopped fresh dill

1. Preheat oven to 375. Take raw garlic and chop the top off. Place the top and bottom on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap foil completely around garlic creating a packet. Place packet on baking sheet and roast for 35 min. Allow to cool slightly when finished roasting.

2. Pull or squeeze the cloves of roasted garlic out of the skins and toss in the food processor. Then add garbanzo beans, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin in food processor and blend until completely smooth. Taste to see if it needs more lemon or salt.

3. Scrape into a bowl and mix in the finely chopped onion and chopped fresh herbs. Garnish with extra fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.

Instructions ♥

1. In a small bowl combine diced cucumber, sugar, white wine vinegar and a small pinch of salt and pepper; set aside. In another small bowl, combine quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion, ground oregano and a small pinch salt and pepper. Let both of these sit for 15 minutes.
2. To make the dip, grab a large plate or shallow bowl. Start the layering by spreading the hummus on the base of the plate. Next spread the tzatziki sauce over the hummus leaving 1/2 an inch of hummus showing on the ends. Spread the cucumbers and then the tomatoes evenly over the yogurt dip. Finish by sprinkling the dip with feta cheese and chopped olives.
3. Serve the dip with pita chips and sliced bell pepper. enjoy! ♥