Tzatziki, Black Olivada and Whole Wheat Pitas

I was looking for more things to dip in yesterday's hummus and decided to give making homemade pitas a shot. They turned out awesome. They are so much tastier than store bought pitas, don't know if I can go back. I couldn't help but think how good they'd taste with tzatziki.

Tzatziki (pronounced, za-ZEE-kee) is spicy garlic tempered with cooling cucumber and thick, creamy yogurt. Yum! It's great with salmon and exceptionally good for dipping these fresh pitas. To compliment a particularly spicy dish, omit the garlic, peel the cucumber, cut into large chunks and serve as a side salad.

I also made some black olive spread. What a super nice dipping trio.

Whole Wheat Pita Recipe

1 (1/4-oz) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup warm water (105–115F)

3 cup whole-wheat flour
2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup warm water (105-115F)

1 teaspoon salt
cornmeal for sprinkling

Mix yeast, honey, and 1/2 cup warm water in a large mixing bowl; let stand until foamy (5-7 minutes). If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.

Meanwhile, stir together flour and vital wheat gluten in another bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup flour mixture into yeast mixture until smooth; cover with a towel and let stand in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).

Stir together oil and remaining 3/4 cup warm water and add to yeast mixture also add salt, and remaining 2 1/2 cups flour mixture until combined.

Use the a mixer fitted with a dough hook or turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes); add additional flour by the Tbsp if dough is too sticky. Form dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (about an hour).

Punch down dough and cut into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten each ball and roll out into a 6 1/2- to 7-inch round on lightly cornmealed surface with a little cornmeal on the rolling pin. Place each round on 1 of 2 baking sheets lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Loosely cover the rolled pitas with clean towels and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500°F.

Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, directly onto oven rack placed in lowest position in the oven. Bake until just puffed and pale golden, about 2 minutes. Turn with tongs and bake 1 minute more. Cool pitas on a wire rack for about 2 minutes, then stack and cover with a towel to keep war until serving. Bake remaining 4 pitas in same manner. Serve warm.

Tzatziki Recipe

2 cups Greek style yogurt*
3 to 5 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
1 large seedless or 2 medium regular cucumber(s)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice or red wine vinegar
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried dill, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried mint, chopped

Trim the ends off cucumber and slice in half lengthwise. Sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt and let sit for an hour. Rinse, pat dry and finely chop or grate.

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

* To make Greek style yogurt place regular yogurt in a coffee filter or cheese cloth lined sieve for a few hours to overnight, until desired consistency.

Black Olivada Recipe

3 Cups Black Olives, pitted (Gaeta, or Kalamata are good)
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Process together the olives and oil until you have a smooth paste. Store in a jar with a tightly fitted lid in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. Add a little layer of extra virgin olive oil to the top to keep olives moist.