Meze with cottage cheese tzatziki

Ingredients:

• 450 g low-fat fine-grained cottage cheese (about 1 and 3/4 cups)
• 1 cucumber, grated (squeeze out excess liquid)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 0.5 tbsp dried mint, crushed between fingers
• 1 cup pita chips (about 10 pcs.)
• 0.5 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 4 vegetarian dolmas, cut in half diagonally
• 12 kalamata olives, pitted
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/4 cup fresh dill

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, cucumber, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, mint, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the juices to combine. The tzatziki can be made and refrigerated for up to the next day.
2. Divide the tzatziki into 4 bowls. Divide the pita chips, tomatoes, dolma, and olives evenly around the tzatziki bowls. Mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil with lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and black pepper to taste and drizzle over all tzatziki servings and appetizers. Sprinkle with dill.