Apr 26, 2011

Hey is that a chicken gyro in your (pita) pocket or are you just happy to see me?

This meal comes to you courtesy of the subscription my mother gave me to "Real Simple" magazine for Christmas this year. I think she is simultaneously trying to A. be nice, B. encourage my neurotic tendencies and, C. keep me from having a normal social life.
So, a meal in two parts:
Part 1: Making your own tzatziki sauce (also known as "Our Mush, Ourselves).
Part 2: Making gyro style chicken.
You'll need: Tzatziki ingredients (listed below), chicken, spices, some oil, an onion, pita and feta!

Follow the leis!





Tzatsiki Sauce
Ingredients:

1 Cucumber, de seeded and grated on a cheese grater (yeah...)
Juice of half a lemon
8 oz non fat greek yogurt, strained
A few cloves of garlic, grated on a cheese grater
Salt n' pepper

Step 1: Strain the yogurt. This is disgusting, it's okay though. I found it was "easiest" to just put the yogurt in a paper towel in a strainer over a bowl. Stick this in the fridge while you do everything else so it can drain.
2: Peel the cucumber and de-seed it (the "easiest" way to do this is to just quarter it around the seedy part in the middle). Grate it on a cheese grater. I made a video of this because this is a ridiculous thing to have to do for a recipe:
If it looks like this you're doing it right.
Step 3: Combine the yogurt, cucumber mush, lemon juice, salt, pepper and grated garlic in a bowl. Stir well and place, covered in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors, what's that word again? ...mix.
Aw, cute!
Part Two: 
Gyro-style chicken
Ingredients
Chicken (this was an awkward mix of different frozen chicken I had...use your own judgment when it comes to quantity and part of the bird)
Seasonings: not very authentic, but rather what I had on hand. Cayenne, Red Pepper, "Italian Seasonings", minced garlic, salt, pepper, dried basil, a little cumin and a little curry.

1. Coat the chicken well with the "spice rub" and pat it to make sure it stays on. Place in a frying pan that has some HOT OIL in it. Be careful, the oil is hot.
2. Really be patient and don't move it around too much. Just remember we're trying to get a GOOD SEAR on this chicken. Leave it on one side for 5 or 6 minutes before flipping it. Use good judgment depending on how thick the chicken is.




Place the pita bread in a little tin foil tent and put in the oven on 325 for about 5-8 minutes, until it's warm. Meanwhile, chop up some onion and/or tomato if you're so inclined. Also, FETA!

WOW this is so good I forgot how to act like a person!

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