Greek Gyro

INGREDIENTS
Gyro Meat
1 lbs ground beef, medium or lean (not extra lean or the gyro will be dry)  1/2lb
1 lbs ground lamb, or pork, or use all beef  1/2lb
1 onion , large, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks  1/2 minced
6 garlic cloves   3

2 tbsp oregano, dried  1T
1 tbsp thyme, dried  1.5 t
1 tsp rosemary, dried, crushed  1/2t
2 tsp marjoram, dried  1t
2 tsp cumin  1t
3 tsp salt  1t
2 tsp black pepper  1t
Gyro Pitas
Oil, for cooking
Pitas
Lettuce, sliced
Tzatziki
Tomatoes, sliced
Red onions, sliced
Feta cheese, crumbled
French Fries, optional

INSTRUCTIONS
Place onion and garlic in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.

In a stand mixer, mix the ground beef and lamb with the pureed onion, garlic and all the spices. Mix until the meat is a paste like consistency. Or mix by hand in a large bowl.

Optional: refrigerate the meat for 2 hours or up to 24 hours to marinate.

Preheat oven to 325°F

Line a baking tray with foil.

Shape the meat into a log and throw the meat down onto a kitchen counter 2 – 3 times to release any air. This keeps the meat compact while baking so it will not crumble when sliced. Optional: or shape meat into a loaf pan and bake like a regular shaped meatloaf. Cover the loaf pan with foil. Press the meat down to release any air pockets.

Tear a large piece of tin foil and place the meat in the center of the foil. Insert a skewer through the center of the shaped meat. Wrap the tin foil around the meat and squeeze the ends closed around the skewer. Note: be careful not to press or bend the foil into the meat.

Place the foil wrapped gyro onto the prepared baking tray and bake on the middle rack of your oven.

Cook for approximately 1.5 hours, flipping the foil wrapped meat once after 1 hour, until the meat reaches 160°F internal temperature. Note: if baking in a loaf pan just rotate the pan in the oven, do not flip the meat. Remove any excess fat or grease in the loaf pan while cooking.

Remove the meat from the oven and allow to rest 5 minutes before unwrapping the foil. When the skewer is cool enough to handle, stand the meat up using the skewer to hold it up and shave thin slices of meat off the skewer. Optional: if baked in a loaf pan – after baking thinly slice meat.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook shaved gyro for 2-3 minute per side until slightly crispy.

Assemble your gyro pita with warm pita bread, tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onion, feta cheese and some of the gyro meat. Optional: add some French fries for a classic Greek street food!

Roll up the pita tightly, wrap in foil or parchment paper to hold it together and make it easier to eat. Enjoy!

NOTES
Storage
This gyro recipe is the perfect make-ahead meal. You can cook the gyro meat ahead of time then pan fry the slices when you’re ready to eat. Store the cooked gyro meat in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Can you Freeze Gyro Meat?
Yes, you can freeze the cooked gyro meat for 2-3 months. I recommend slicing it before you freeze it, then you can take out as much as you need.
How to Reheat Gyro Meat
To reheat pre-sliced gyro, heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Pan fry the sliced gyros, then build your pita. 

Recipe & picture from fedbysab.com

French Onion Chicken & Rice

4-5 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp all-purpose seasoning blend (salt-free)
1 tsp Mural of Flavor **
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

12 oz beef broth
1 10 oz cans French Onion soup
1 can long-grain rice

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large Ziploc add the olive oil, all-purpose seasoning, dried thyme, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and garlic powder. Use your hands to massage the oil and seasonings into the chicken, making sure to hit the innards you sliced it open to get to as well. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour (3hrs).
Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
Pour your rice, French Onion soup, and broth into the baking dish and stir to combine thoroughly.  Place marinated chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture
Cover the pan tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Uncover and put it back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes. The liquid should be completely absorbed.  You can serve with caramelized onions on top of the chicken.***
Serve hot and enjoy!

**Italian Seasoning blend would work too. 
***Caramelized Onions

3 large Vidalia onions, sliced thin
1 tsp unsalted butter
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp granulated sugar

·      To make the caramelized onions place a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and oil.

·       When the fat is shimmering add in your onions and toss to coat in the oil and melted butter.

·       Reduce the heat to medium-low and let cook, stirring frequently. After about 15 minutes add the sugar and salt. Continue cooking – and stirring – for another 15 minutes. After a while, they may begin to stick to the pan and when they do, you’ll transition to cooking them longer and then scraping them from the bottom of the pan and flipping more than stirring. Pay attention during this part so they don’t burn – you might need to reduce your heat even further.

·       Continue until the onions are a deep dark brown. It usually takes me around 45 minutes to get the color and texture I want. Once they are ready, turn off the heat and stir in the beef broth to deglaze the pan. Remove the onions to a heat-safe container to rest.

 
Recipe created from my mom’s recipe and one found on deepfriedhoney.com

Beef Stroganoff

2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound round steak, cut bite size
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/8 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp salt

In a skillet heat the olive oil. Add round steak, season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook round steak on med heat until tender. Drain any cooking juices. Mix in a drizzle of olive oil then add allspice, nutmeg, garlic powder, onions and mushrooms, stir to mix and cook on med-lo heat until mushrooms are tender.

SAUCE
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups beef broth (Better Than Bouillon-1c sautéed onion broth, 1c roasted garlic broth)
1 cup heavy cream**
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Optional: add10 oz mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons butter then whisk in flour, continue to whisk until it turns brown. Slowly stir in beef broth and heavy cream. Add Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard and bring to a simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
Pour into the round steak skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles.

picture from Betty Crocker

**Heavy Cream Substitutes 

This recipe was created using parts of a Swedish Meatball recipe on The Recipe Critic

The Best Swedish Meatballs

MEATBALLS

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon parsley chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup onion finely chopped
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
⅛ teaspoon Pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
In a medium sized bowl combine ground beef, panko, parsley, allspice, nutmeg, onion, garlic powder, pepper, salt and egg. Mix until combined.
Roll into 12 large meatballs or 20 small meatballs. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter. Add the meatballs and cook turning continuously until brown on each side and cooked throughout. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

SAUCE

1 tbsp. olive oil
5 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups beef broth (Better Than Bouillon-1c sautéed onion broth, 1c roasted garlic broth)
1 cup heavy cream**

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Add 4 Tablespoons butter and flour to the skillet and whisk until it turns brown. Slowly stir in beef broth and heavy cream. Add worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard and bring to a simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add the meatballs back to the skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

**Heavy Cream Substitutes 

Original recipe (in black) and picture from therecipecritic.com