Dill Yogurt Dip

I love vegetable dips. I actually learned to like raw broccoli (well, again - apparently I loved it as a toddler) in high school when I realized it was the perfect vehicle for a nice dip. The problem is that I can't handle that sort of fat in my diet anymore. I'm apparently getting too old to be shoveling full-fat sour cream and mayonnaise down my gullet without my body protesting.

But I have the perfect solution. Last year, I purchased some Greek yogurt for some recipe or other. Now I've never been a huge yogurt fan - I think it's the goopy texture - but this was different. It still has a yogurty tang, but the texture is closer to sour cream. So a lightbulb went off in my head - what if I exchanged the sour cream in my favorite dips for Greek yogurt? A gut-busting indulgence now becomes a healthy snack! It's seriously good and good for me. And it got me to eat tons of raw vegetables this summer - in fact, this was usually my lunch.

This is also a great way to use some dried herbs. What, you don't dry your own herbs? I think this is the easiest do-it-yourself kitchen project. Fresh herbs from the grocery store are expensive and go bad quickly. When I'm compelled to buy some, I use what I need and then hang the rest up to dry. After forgetting about them for a few weeks, I take them down, strip the leaves from the stems and put them into my handy magnetic containers. Below you can see my basil, thyme, dill, marjoram and sage.

I have parsley and rosemary as well, but they're in ceramic pots on my counter (I have more than will fit in the magnetic containers). Most of these came from store-bought herbs. Hopefully by the end of the summer, my own herb garden will be thriving both indoors and out, and I won't need to be buying herbs at the store again any time soon. I'll definitely need plenty of dill on hand for this dip!

Dill Yogurt Dip

1 - 1 1/2 c Greek yogurt

1 tbsp fresh dill (is you're using dried dill, 2 tsp should be plenty)

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp seasoned salt (why? my original recipe called for it - this is actually the only reason I keep it in my pantry!)

1 tsp onion powder

dash garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir (and don't confuse garlic and onion powder like I did - I had to spend some time trying to fish out most of the garlic! That would have been super-strong!).

While you can eat it right away (I certainly did when I made this batch), it's at its best if you put it in the refrigerator for an hour or so to let all the flavors meld. Also, I've found that the Greek yogurt can separate a bit when refrigerated - the herbs and things will all float to the top. There's nothing wrong with it when this happens. Just give it a quick stir and it will be as good as new. Serve with your favorite veggies!