tryHere is our recipe for two Greek appetizers. You can serve them as a dip, a cracker spread, a condiment or a sandwich spread for gyros or wraps. They are a healthy addition to a appetizer menu. Although they are readily available for purchase, they are easy to make fresh and you can flavor them to your taste, like adding roasted garlic or roasted bell pepper to the hummus. Try them and I am sure youll make them regularly.

Tzatziki

2 cups fat free plain yogurt (Greek is best)

1 hot house cucumber (not the waxed kind)

4 cloves garlic, crushed (maybe less if you don't really love garlic)

2 T olive oil

1 T fresh dill weed, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Drain the yogurt in a strainer just made for this because we use cheese all the time. If you don't have one, strain over cheese cloth over a strainer, set over a bowl. Do this at least an hour.

Chop the cucumber, salt and mix well. Drain in a colander.

Mix yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil and dill together well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with Olive Oil when serving. Garnish with a piece of dill.

Hummus

1 8 oz. can garbanzo beans

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 shallot, minced

1/4 cup sesame tahini

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

2 T minced fresh parsley

Mince garlic in food processor. Add shallots, garbanzos, tahini, salt and pepper. Process well. Add enough olive oil to get the consistency to spread. Add parsley and process until mixed. Serve, topped with olive oil. Use as a spread. Excellent on veggie sandwiches or wraps.

Peggy Bloodworth

Peggy Bloodworth is left a high tech sales VP job to cook, create and entertain. She started a small, high-end catering company: Swank Catering where she, along with her business partner, Diane, plans and executes parties and weddings. She is a personal chef and cooking teacher and maintains a large garden and vineyard where she grows herbs, fruits and vegetable and puts them up for consuming year around. Check out the website for more recipes.