Dinner delayed? Go to gyros

  • By Bonnie S. Benwick The Washington Post
  • Thursday, March 20, 2014 7:23pm
  • Life

This is a sandwich to keep in mind when dinner is delayed by soccer practice or working late. The meat can stay warm in loaf form, wrapped in foil; cut it to order just before serving.

Serve with crisp strips of fresh red, orange and yellow peppers.

Adapted from “Cooking Light: Lighten Up, America!” by Allison Fishman Task (Oxmoor House, 2013).

Gyros

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 cloves garlic

1 lemon

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

6 ounces ground lamb

6 ounces lean ground beef (85-15)

Sweet or spicy paprika

3 or 4 whole-wheat pitas or whole-wheat naan

1/2 seedless (English) cucumber

1/2 small red onion

Leaves from 3 stems mint

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt, preferably Greek-style

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element or flame; preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spray the center with cooking oil spray.

Toast the pine nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat for 2 or 3 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden. Shake the pan as needed to avoid scorching. Transfer the nuts to a cutting board to cool, then coarsely chop them.

Mince the garlic; transfer to a mixing bowl. Cut the lemon in half; squeeze 2 teaspoons of juice from one half over the bowl. Add the onion powder, the teaspoon of granulated garlic or garlic powder, the dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, stirring to combine.

Add the chopped, toasted pine nuts and the ground lamb and beef; use your clean hands to blend the mixture, then divide and shape it into two loaves that are 6 inches long by 3 inches wide. Place them on the oiled baking sheet. Broil for a total of 12 to 14 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle the tops lightly with paprika.

Stack the pitas or naan and wrap them in foil; once the oven is turned off, place them inside to warm.

Meanwhile, line a medium bowl with a few layers of paper towels. Cut the cucumber half in half lengthwise. Use the large holes of a box grater to shred the cucumber flesh into the paper towels, guiding the cucumber with your hand pressed against the peel. Discard the peel.

Cut the onion into very thin half-moons and add to the cucumber; reserve a small portion of the onion for garnishing each gyro, if desired. Cover with another layer of paper towels and press lightly. Drain for 5 minutes.

Chop the mint.

Discard the paper towels, letting the cucumber-onion mixture fall back into the bowl; add the yogurt, mint, the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, the remaining 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder and the pepper. Squeeze another 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of juice from the remaining lemon half. Stir to form a sauce.

To serve, cut each meat loaf into very thin slices. Place a pita or naan on each plate, then top with equal portions of the meat and sauce. Garnish with reserved onion, if using. Serve right away.

Makes 3 or 4 servings.

Nutrition Per serving: 460 calories, 30 g protein, 35 g carbohydrates, 24 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 610 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 6 g sugar

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.