Pumpkin and Spice

Kyle has had a little more free time since I've been away- I'm pretty sure I'll arrive home to find the apartment immaculate and spotlessly clean, because he's had more time to clean, and also because I haven't been there to mess things up. That's right- I'm the messy one. (You know what they say- creative minds are rarely organized.) Another thing he's had lots of time for is cooking.

One of his favorite foods is gyros. There's a little Greek joint near where he works, and he and his co-workers get gyros for lunch every Friday. Recently, however, they've been having a "Biggest Loser" weight loss competition at work, so they've all been trying to eat healthier. Inspired by an episode of Good Eats where Alton makes gyros, Kyle decided to try his hand at making a healthier version.

He followed Alton Brown's recipe pretty closely. Alton's recipe uses ground lamb, which is probably most authentic, but Kyle opted for leaner meats- a mix of chicken and lean beef. He noted that the seasoning was really the star of the show and was what made them taste like gyros, and that the meat itself seemed unimportant. (Awww, he's so attentive to food safety- look! He's using my Food Safety cutting mats!)

On the show, Alton makes the gyro meat two different ways- on a homemade rotisserie on his grill, and as a meatloaf. Kyle selected the meatloaf method, as we live in an apartment, and the only grill we have access to is the one by the complex pool, and Kyle didn't want to trick out a grill that didn't belong to us. I've only included directions for the meatloaf method- you can find the rotisserie method at the Food Network website.

(Healthy) Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
From Alton Brown

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1lb ground chicken breast*
• 1lb lean ground sirloin* (Alton uses 2lbs ground lamb)
• 1T garlic, minced
• 1T marjoram
• 1T dried ground rosemary
• 2t kosher salt
• 1/2t ground black pepper

 Preheat oven to 325F. In a food processor, pulse the onions for about 10 seconds. Place the onions in a teatowel or cheesecloth and wring the moisture out of the onions. Put the onion back in the food processor, along with the garlic, meats and seasonings. Process for about a minute, or until the mixture forms a pate-like paste.

Place the mixture in a loaf pan and bake for about 60-70min or until the mixture reaches 165F. Remove from oven and drain any collected fat. Place a brick wrapped in foil (Kyle used some large garden rocks, you could also use cans or other weights) on the top of the meat and allow to sit for 15-20min.

Slice thinly and serve on pita bread with feta and tzatiki sauce (broil or grill meat lightly before serving, if desired.)

 For Tzatziki sauce-

• 16oz plain yogurt or slightly less greek yogurt (Kyle used non-fat)
• 1 med cucumber- peeled, seeded and finely chopped (or grated)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1T olive oil
• 2t red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
• Pinch salt
• 5-6 mint leaves, minced

If using regular yogurt, place in a tea towel, set the tea towel in a sieve in a bowl and allow to drain for at least 2 hours. If using greek, proceed without draining.
Squeeze cucumber in a tea towel or cheesecloth (as for onions) to remove excess moisture. In a bowl, combine yogurt, cucumber and seasonings. Serve as a sauce for gyros.

Kyle brought them into work so he and his co-workers could enjoy a healthy treat. They used whole wheat pitas, feta cheese, red onions and other traditional gyro fixin's.