Greek Cucumber Dip- another recipe using those negative calorie foods

I like veggies!!  But if I am being honest with myself and you, I like them better with dip. I will force myself to eat celery and carrot sticks because I know it is good for me.  However, if you give me  some french onion dips, ranch dip or whatever with my veggies!!  I will scarf them down.

THE PROBLEM.  Dips are normally pretty high in calories. For just 2 tbsps which is way less then I use on my salads, most dips will be 140-300 calories. So if you are sitting done with 1/2 cup which again is low balling it. Seriously, how many mini containers do you through with you eat wings?

The recipe below makes about 1.5 cups or 12 oz of dip.  The whole thing has less then 300 calories.  So you can sit and eat the WHOLE recipe for the same amount of calories as you would just having 1/4 cup of most dips!  So basically, you can pig out on dip and not feel guilty.

The big ingredient in this is cucumbers!  Besides being a negative calorie food, Cucumbers can help with heart health and give you vitamins A,B,C and D.  Not too shabby.... However, the recipes also uses garlic and lemons which both offer their own great nutritional values..

Here is what you need

1 Cucumber

8 ozs of Greek Yogurt

1 tbsp Greek seasoning

1 tsp of lemon juice (fresh is best but the stuff from the bottle works great too)

1 clove of garlic minced or zested (2 if you want to scare some vampires)

salt to taste

Here is what you do

Begin by peeling your cucumber. I prefer using a potato peeler, but a knife works as well.

Next, slice the cucumbers in half the long way. (See pic on left.)

Scoop out the seeds and place in bowl.  You may need to kinda mash up the seeds to make the membrane around the seeds mix in easier with the yogurt (This is a great job for kids.)

Finely dice the leftover cucumber. (See pic right) Then place this off to the side.

Next add into the bowl, the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice,  and Greek seasoning.  Mix thoroughly.

Add the diced cucumbers.

Then salt to taste.

A little Q and A

What kind of Greek Yogurt should I use?
Honestly, it doesn't matter.  It is a taste preference. Personally, I find the non-fat Greek yogurts a little dry and lacking of flavor.  While using the full fat Greek yogurt is best, that adds more fat and calories.   So i compromise with myself and  use low fat Greek yogurt. I find that the flavor is better and I don't feel as guilty.

Where can I find Greek Seasoning?
You can find it in the spices aisle at your local food store. I have seen it in Wal-mart and Publix here in Tallahassee. Or you can try your hand at making it, click here for link.

What if I don't have fresh garlic?
You can use garlic powder instead! I just tend to prefer fresh options when possible. 

I like my dips smooth.  How can I alter this dip to be so?
I like my dip with texture and crunch.  If you prefer a smoother textures, instead of dicing finely shred the cucumber and/or puree it. This will create a smoother dip.   Pair this with Celery instead of bread or chips for more negative calorie fun

What can I do with the leftover dip?
This dip is great on sandwiches.  Plus, it has way less calories than mayo.  Also, the dip is great as a sauce  for chicken (I love this with simple grilled, boiled, or cooked chicken tenders).  Lastly, if you thin the dip out with water, it becomes a great salad dressing!!!! Use the dress on a regular salad or to be fancy add olives, feta and tomatoes for a twist on a Greek salad.

MORE INFO-For more details on why cucumbers rock, check out whfoods.com.