Sunday, April 6, 2008

εύγευστος

Nothing can describe this meal more than the simple Greek word, εύγευστος (for those non-Greek speakers, this means delicious). Having traveled to Greece before, my husband is very fond of Greek dishes. He loves it all: Spanakopita, Kreatopita, Gyros, or really anything covered in Tzatziki sauce! I've been trying to humor him and satisfy his cravings (I'm not as big of a fan - mostly because I don't like Feta cheese or olives) and have recently discovered that I am a fan myself of Tzatziki sauce.

So naturally, when a friend of mine, Leslie, mentions the Gyro Burgers she made for dinner, my ears perked up. The recipe seemed simple enough so I ran it by the hubby (a huge fan of burgers, I couldn't imagine what he'd do when he learned of a Greek burger!) to hear his thoughts. Just as I suspected would happen, he instantly said we HAD to have it for dinner the following night.

The burgers are so simple to make and turn out very tasty. The flavor was very full and the sauce complimented it well. We will definitely be making these again. However, next time, we'll be using flat bread instead of pocket pitas. That way we can get a better balance of all of the ingredients with each bite!



Gyro Burgers

2 (8 oz.) containers plain yogurt, divided
1 (1 oz.) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/4 c. diced onion
6 pita bread rounds (or flat bread)
2 c. torn lettuce leaves (we used shredded lettuce)
1 tomato, seeded and diced

1. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 container of plain yogurt with the envelope of ranch dressing mix. Remove half of the mixture to another bowl.
2. Into one of the bowls, add the remaining container of plain yogurt and diced cucumber; mix well. Cover and refrigerate.
3. Preheat grill and lightly oil grate.
4. Mix ground beef and onion into the remaining half of the yogurt mixture. Shape into 6 hamburger patties.
5. Grill patties on medium heat for about 7 minutes on each side, turning once.
6. Assemble pitas with the burgers, lettuce, tomatoes, and sauce.