Paleo Tzatziki And A Fresh Salad

Last week, we had a meal that was loosely inspired by my all time favorite thing in the entire world to eat -- Kebab. Now, this isn't like kebabs that we eat here in America. It doesn't come on a stick. This kebab is Turkish (I think), but we get them at a great little kebab place in Slovenia (a country in Eastern Europe) whenever we go there. Before kids, we went there once a year. It isn't as often now, but we did have the chance to go back in February and you better believe that we made it a point to stop by and have one of these bad boys. I'm sure you can get them around here too, but there is something about this particular little stand that makes them incredible.

The sandwich basically consists of shaved meat (lamb, I believe), lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, a tzatziki type sauce and a sweet and spicy red pepper sauce on the most perfectly crispy sesame flatbread that you've ever had. I wish I could convey to you how good it tastes.

Okay, enough about that because we obviously aren't going to be eating it any time soon and it is also obviously not paleo due to the bread. But last week, we tried a new recipe out of The Primal Blueprint Cookbook -- Turkey Kebabs. Basically ground turkey seasoned with cumin, paprika, salt, cinnamon, cayenne, parsley and mint. They turned out great, although we ditched the skewers and just grilled them up like burgers. When I saw the recipe, it reminded me loosely of kebab, so I decided to make some tzatziki to go with it. We also had some cucumbers and olives and a cucumber, tomato and onion salad to go with it. The salad was inspired by a typical Slovene salad that we often have when we are there. It all turned out so good. Nice and fresh and light, but still so filling.

The tzatziki was easy to make and would be great as a salad dressing too. In fact, I think I prefer it to the homemade ranch that we usually make. It would also be a great dip with a plate of fresh cut up veggies. You could easily take it to a party with a platter of veggies and no one would even complain that it was too "healthy" or something silly like that. Tzatziki is typically made with Greek yogurt, but this version is dairy free.

Paleo Tzatziki

1 cup mayo (homemade is best!)
2 cloves garlic
1 medium cucumber
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp dried dill

Peel and grate cucumber. Drain as much liquid as you can from the cucumber. You can do this by letting it sit in a colander for a while or ringing it out in some cheesecloth. If you are cheap and in a hurry like me, you can squeeze it out in some paper towels a couple of times. A little messier, yes, but it works. In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients until smooth. Chill and serve. If you weren't able to get all of the liquid out of the cucumber like me, it may start to separate a little when it's chilling. Just give it a good stir before you serve it.

Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad

1 medium cucumber
1 medium tomato
1/2 onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper

Slice up cucumber, tomato and onion. The size and shape doesn't really matter, so do whatever suits your fancy. Dice, slice, chop -- whatever makes you happy. Put veggies in bowl and toss with remaining ingredients. Depending on the size of your veggies and your taste preferences, you may want more or less oil and vinegar. Add a little salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!