Cooking with Kids: Scrambled Eggs Recipe

Minty Cucumber Dip

Difficulty Level: Medium

Yield: 2-1/2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups plain yogurt
1 cucumber
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon dried mustard
Salt
Black pepper (to taste)

Peel the cucumber with a vegetable peeler. To start, place the cucumber on a cutting board and slice off the top and bottom with a small knife and discard. Holding one end of the cucumber in one hand and the vegetable peeler in the other, slide the peeler down the length of the cucumber away from you. Rotate the cucumber and peel another section. Continue doing this until the skin is all peeled.

Using your knife, cut the cucumber lengthwise in half. Then cut each half lengthwise again. The cucumber should now be in four spears. Run your knife down the inner side of each spear to cut away the seeds. Throw the seeds and peel away. Then slice the spears crossways into small pieces, about 1/4-inch apart. Lightly salt the cucumber pieces and place them in a colander in the sink to drain for 20 minutes (a colander is what you use to drain spaghetti; it's like a bowl with lots of holes in it).

Meanwhile, place the mint leaves on the cutting board and, using a straight edged knife, chop them as finely as you can.

Using a whisk, whip the yogurt for two minutes, or until light and fluffy. (Remember the whisk? We used it in WHISKERS.) Add the mustard, chopped mint leaves and the pepper then whip the mixture again, just long enough to blend. When the cucumber has drained, pour it out onto two layers of paper towels and pat dry. Stir the cucumber into the yogurt mixture and chill for 5 minutes or more to let the flavors come together. This dip is great with raw vegetables and slices of pita bread.