I don't know about you, but I love the Mediterranean classic, Gyros. People disagree on the correct pronunciation. Is it Gi-row, is it guero, or is the g silent and pronounced Euro? I personally pronounce it "Year-ro" but that is my personal preference. Never the less, I had a pound of ground beef that I didn't know what to do with. I didn't want the usual go-to's like spaghetti, meat loaf, burgers, etc. I was looking around online for an idea and I found someone had done Gyros with ground beef! Truly inspired idea since I don't regularly have lamb-on-a-spic on hand. I looked up a few more recipes for Gyro meat to see what spices they had in common and if they matched ones I had in the spice rack (yes, I'm attacking that spice rack to see what uses I can come up with for some of those less used items like marjoram and thyme used in this recipe.) If you are looking for something with a lot of spices you don't regularly use, this is as good as any. Sometimes we all need to get out of the week night dinner rut because, let's face it, we all have a string of go-to recipes when things get busy. This one is delicious, quick, and easy.
I also decided to make a salad with the Gyro meet because I'm trying to up my leafy green intake. I'm trying to replace bread with leafy greens but it's going to be a struggle. I liken my love for bread to those of chocoholics. I, Devon, am a breadaholic. I cannot resist the smell of fresh baked bread and just want to grab a loaf and rip a fresh piece off to dip in butter. I also cannot resist the feeling of tearing into a crusty French baguette. There, I admit it. First step is to try and replace it with something else, hence the salads. I digress, back to dinner.
Brown one pound of ground beef with the following:
1/2 small onion diced
1 tbs minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
Onion salt to taste
After thoroughly browned, add 1/4 c water and let simmer for 10 minutes
Meanwhile mix 8 oz. of plain Greek yogurt with 1 1/2 tsp dried dill, 2 tsp olive oil, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp minced onion, 1 tsp minced cucumber without skin, 1 tbs lemon juice, and onion salt and pepper to taste. This is the Tzaziki Sauce that goes on Gyros. If you like it thick then make ahead and let it sit overnight. Otherwise the runniness is a good consistency for a salad dressing and is how we used it.
For the main event, the salad, we used a leafy lettuce. In a side note, most people know that the greener the leaf the better for you but, did you know why? Well, the exposure to the sun makes the leaf turn greener to protect itself, much like a tan I would think. With the over production of produce that goes on today the fruits and vegetables are less likely to be kissed by the sun and get those dark colors. Gala apples for instance, we all know to be a light pink, however, they should be a darker red but don't get decent exposure anymore! So, moral of the soap box rant, get fruits and veggies deep in color. They are better for you and carry in their sun-kissed skin the nutrients we need!!
In the salad we added kalmatta olives, cucumber, tomatoes, and onions.
Finally, we are ready for assembly! Add meat to the top of the salad, then dressing, then feta cheese. It was superb, really. Kind of like a taco salad but with a Mediterranean twist. You could obviously put it all into a pita if you so desire. I'm really liking deconstructing foods into salads. I'll probably continue to do it so I hope you are along for the ride!
