Chicken Gyros
After my other two posts this week, I’m sure this one comes as no surprise. What could possibly go well with pita bread and tzatziki sauce? Hm… Oh right, gyros!
Hubby and I LOVE to go to a local Turkish restaurant. It is literally 3 blocks from us and we didn’t try it until we had lived here over two years. Wow it’s amazing. We always get gyro meat because it’s just so darn good.
These gyros aren’t quite the same, but they sure are tasty in their own right. The marinade that the chicken cooks in is just great. We like to use it even when we don’t have gyro fixings in the house. I highly recommend it.
I served these gyros with some fresh tomatoes, sliced red onions, tzatziki sauce and of course fresh pita bread.
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned one of our favorite things about our new kitchen – our griddle top. It came with the stove and replaced the grate over the middle oblong burner. Not sure what you’d ever use that burner for except maybe a griddle pan? So we leave the griddle on there at all times. I love to use it to cook just about anything.
One Year Ago: Square Cake Balls
Two Years Ago: Monster Cookies
Chicken Gyros
Yield: 4
Ingredients:
1.25 lbs. chicken pieces
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tbsp. plain yogurt
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper
tzatziki
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
4 pitas
Directions:
Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, and oregano in a bowl. Add the chicken and rub the marinade in. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
Preheat the broiler (or grill, or pan on the stove). Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and then broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, depending what size/type chicken you are using. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.
Meanwhile, heat your pitas. I have a gas stove, so I just spray them with a little bit of oil and stick them right on the burner for a few seconds per side. Top the pita with the chicken, tzatziki, tomatoes, onions. Roll up and eat!
Recipe adapted from Elly Says Opa!
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I have been looking for a great dip recipe, and this one looks delish! I’m glad you got your brother to share your recipe =)
Spinach and artichoke dip is my very favorite. I don’t make it often, but it’s one of those things my family expects at family events. My goddaughter even made me a special artichoke plate to serve it on!
Lucky you to get to share your brother’s secret recipe. Family recipes are the best.
Love this recipe and the fact that fresh spinach is used and not frozen! I love spinach and artichoke dip, but have always been intimidated to make it…. WHY!?!? It looks so simple. On my to-do list! 🙂
Yum…so trying this one on Sunday!! Thanks!!
One of my all time favorites! Yummy!
Yummy! This dip seems to be a favorite of almost everyone 🙂
Dear bean town baker
I’m afraid this isn’t the best way to cook corned silverside – it’s a very tough cut and needs to be braised in water and vinegar to get it tender. I add a range of aromatics and whole spices to the braising liquid – you can try fennel seeds, mustard seeds, star anise, any pickling spices …. But you are right that traditionally bay, peppercorns, cloves, allspice are the mainstays.
I add celery carrot and whole brown onion. I’ve also tried using ginger ale or coke for the braising liquid as suggested in a few online recipes (American) but I don’t think the expense is justified by the extremely subtle differ action in flavor. This is a dish for when you are low in funds after all.
The cut of silverside you get is also key … my mother would always ask the butcher for a piece of silverside from the H-bone – though todays butchers don’t always know what you are talking about when you ask for this!
Simmer it until the beef floats to the top (timing will depend on the size of the piece of beef but usually 3-5 hours). You pop in the carrots and spuds towards the end, and can also steam sliced cabbage over the pot in a colander which traditionally accompanied the dish. (I retrieve the whole onions from the braising liquid and add these to the cabbage along with butter, seasoning and occasionally a few sultanas). The small spuds, once tender, should be tossed with butter salt and pepper and parsley.
It’s crucial to cut the beef against the grain, and you must keep leftovers in the fridge submerged in the braising liquid or they will dry out.
Traditionally the dish is accompanied by a white sauce made from the braising liquid, cream, Dijon mustard (I also add horseradish) white pepper and (my own addition) a dollop of Mayo along with some parsley. It needs to be quite runny.
I hope this is useful to you. This is the way my family have been preparing corned beef for generations. The leftovers are terrific in sandwiches with mustard pickle and cheese.