Steak Gyro Sandwiches and Tzatziki Sauce (and pictures from Greece!)

I love Greek food. I think I have said that before when I wrote about the Greek salad. One of my dreams in life, based purely on photographs, was to go to Greece. The color of the Mediterranean Sea against the rocky cliffs dotted with the white houses topped with blue domes matching the color of the sea really called to me. I was fortunate enough to be able to see that in person back in 2004, and it is every bit as spectacular and then some more. I don't think pictures can capture the depth of color and they certainly don't capture the smells and sounds and the panoramic beauty. One of our visits was to Rhodes. We rode donkeys that day (I will never do THAT again!) in Lindos up to the Acropolis (see it in the distace?) and went to the Valley of Butterflies. It was breath-takingly beautiful.


View of Lindos and Acropolis in Rhodes


Rhodes


To see some more of the incredible shots (mostly taken by David) go here: http://community.webshots.com/user/szazzy61265

So back to the food. I had a craving for some Greek flavors. While I was grocery shopping I got a great deal on some petite sirloin steaks and had a bright idea for a great knock-off of a gyro (correctly pronounced "year-oh"). They came out quite delicious. Here is the recipe. Enjoy it!

STEAK GYRO SANDWICHES

8 petite sirloin steaks (You can use any steak you like. This is just what was on sale last week)

Marinade:
2 T. olive oil
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper

Combine and pour into gallon-size zip-lock bag. Add steaks, toss and refrigerate 2+ hours - turning occasionally. When you are ready to prepare dinner, grill or broil the steaks to desired doneness, allow to sit for several minutes before slicing into thin slices against the grain.

TZATZIKI SAUCE - this is vital and yummy and works as a great veggie dip or salad dressing, too. Greek yogurt is easily found now in the grocery store, produced by both Dannon and Stonyfield Farms (from Londonderry, NH - one of my best friends in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD lives there practically in the backyard of the house she grew up in and where I spent many many nights... remind me to tell you about the night her hamster slept in my hair)

16 oz. Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt...not vanilla, and certainly NOT blueberry)
1 large cucumber
3 cloves garlic
1 lemon, juiced
1 t. dried dill (or fresh up it to 1 T)
2 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper

Place the yogurt in a bowl. Peel the cucumber and grate it on a box grater using the larger grate as you would for cheese, right into the yogurt. Mince, crush or microplane 3 cloves of garlic into the yogurt and add in the remaining ingredients. Whisk until well combined, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Taste before serving - you may need to add some more salt.

For the sandwiches you will need:
Pita pocket bread
cucumber, sliced thin
tomatoes, sliced thin
red onion, sliced thin
feta cheese
black or kalamata olives

In the pocket bread add your choice of vegetables, top with some of the sliced steak then top with feta, olives and a couple of spoonfuls of tzatziki sauce.

I had teenage girls eat this last night and tell me it was yummy... they are some of the best critics. Teenage boys will eat ANYTHING, so I don't usually trust their palates. The girls ate it all up, so I am satisfied that this is a keeper... plus Kami told me I needed to make it more often. So this time I am grateful for the blog so I know where to find the recipe next time :) I would love it if you would pass the blog posts on to your friends. I am really enjoying doing these on an almost daily basis and hope that you are both inspired to try new things and to cook more often for your friends and family. I would love to see some "followers" who are not my personal friends on facebook, so if you are reading this and not a "follower" sign on and follow me. Also, I love the comments when you post them. Remember, you can post as "anonymous" if you don't have an account. Just tell me who you are :)

It was 4 degrees here this morning. I love winter, really I do. I am just glad to see the sunshine. It has warmed up 20 degrees in less than 3 hours! Until next time, stay WARM and loved, my friends!