Four years ago, Talia and I embarked on a European journey through the Mediterranean. Part of our journey included three Greek Islands: Corfu, Santorini, and Mykonos. It seemed our sole mission was to experience tzatziki at each island and that we did. Each island had its own take on the yogurt-based dip, but each one left us completely and utterly satisfied.

The above picture is of tzatziki we enjoyed in a restaurant in Santorini.

This leads us to this week’s dish… yes, tzatziki paired with curried cauliflower steaks. The tzatziki recipe is my own, the curried cauliflower recipe comes from the January/February 2017 issue of EatingWell. All I have to say about the curried cauliflower, six years later and I still love it!

The first step to making tzatziki…take the time to make it in advance to allow the flavors to marry.

Here’s what you will need:

  • 7 ounce whole-fat Greek yogurt, my favorite brand Fage, once strained 6.25 ounces
  • ¼ cup or 2 mini-cucumbers, seeded and finely minced
  • 1 Tbsp. dill, finely minced
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • Several turns of freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 – 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

  1. You will need to strain your 7 ounces of yogurt by placing a thick cheese cloth filled with yogurt over a sieve. Let it strain for about 30 – 40 minutes. This will produce a thicker yogurt which is more Greek like. The 7 ounces of yogurt will now be 6.25 ounces. I do use a scale.
  2. In the meantime, peel your cucumber, cut into fourths, slice out the seeds and mince finely.
  3. Finely mince the dill.
  4. Once the yogurt has strained, place it into a bowl and mix with the cucumber, dill, salt, pepper, olive oil, and 1 Tbsp. of lemon. Taste and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice as needed.
  5. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marry all flavors.

Now on to the curried cauliflower…

This next step requires careful execution when cutting the cauliflower into steaks…once you have removed the green leaves and evened out the core, your first cut will be down the middle of the cauliflower. Then take each half and cut from the middle a slice that is anywhere from a 1” to a 1 ½’ wide. You will then do that with the other half. The remaining cauliflower can be cut into florets. The rest of the recipe is easy…mixing the curry mixture and then brushing it on all pieces.

Here’s is what you will need:

  • 1 medium head of cauliflower, mine weighed slightly more than 2 lbs.
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp. curry powder
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • ½ tsp. salt.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, curry powder, lemon juice, and salt.
  3. Place the steaks and florets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Brush both sides with the curry mixture.
  4. Roast, gently turning halfway through, until the florets and steaks are brown on both sides, 30 – 40 minutes. I like my pieces to be crispy.

This recipe is slightly modified from the recipe found in the Eatingwell issue.

I have made this simple dish countless times in my kitchen and it never fails to satisfy.

From my kitchen to yours…enjoy and bon appétit