Cook for Good

Spicy Yogurt Sauce

This sauce is so fast and easy you'll be willing to make it on the hottest days of summer. It's one of the key sauces for the Cook for Good summer menu, transforming simple bean burritos or cucumber and tomato salad into a complex taste treat.

Active time: 5 minutes. Total time: 10 minutes. Makes 8 servings, 1 tablespoon each.

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 small clove garlic, about 1/2 teaspoon minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste (chipotle hot sauce is especially good)
pinch salt

Method

Put yogurt in a small bowl. Peel garlic and mince very fine or put through a garlic press. Stir garlic, cumin, hot sauce, and salt into yogurt.
Let the flavors to spread through yogurt for five minutes if you have time. Stir just before using, then taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate any extra for up to five days.

Tips and notes

It's best to wait a few minutes to let the flavors develop, but they will do that even after you've served it and before it is eaten. If you put the garlic through a garlic press instead of mincing it by hand, the garlic flavor blends faster but you have to wash the garlic press. Waiting 15 minutes will give the garlic a chance to achieve its full cancer-fighting strength.
When I first made this sauce, I made big batches and used it on everything. Try it on burritos, bean dishes, curries, baked potatoes, salads, or as a dip with raw veggies.
Use low- or no-fat yogurt to create a low-calorie, high-flavor replacement for sour cream or creamy salad dressings without artificial ingredients.