Growing up in a Greek restaurant I’ve met my fair share of gyros. Today’s version is one I have never done nor have I seen available anywhere. I love roasting or grilling portabello mushrooms, I use them all time to replace meat in dishes. I was totally craving gyros today and since it was meatless Monday I figured I would try my hand at a new version of this all time favorite. They ended up delicious and even my two year old couldn’t get enough.
For the mushrooms, I just make sure and use a pastry brush to remove any dirt or debris, I DO NOT rinse them. The one’s I found at my store today were local and huge! So I only needed two for four gyros.
I preheated my oven to 375, then on a sheet pan I placed my clean mushrooms, with removed stems. I dosed them heavily with balsamic vinegar, about a half cup, then sprinkle with sea salt, dried oregano, pepper, I used some springs of fresh time I had, and a few cloves of minced garlic. Drizzle lightly with good olive oil and roast 20 minutes or grill five to seven minutes per side. Done…I let them cool a bit then sliced them thinly.
For the pita, I purchased some that are made locally, of spelt flour and they are super delicious. I have made my own and they are great, but I didn’t have the extra hour and half today….so as long as you buying good quality, preservative free pita’s you will be fine. Trader Joe’s also makes a real tasty wheat “flat bread” that are cheap and would work great in a pinch. Ours are from Aladdin’s in Beaverton, OR.
I sliced some red pepper (you can use tomatoes), and a shallot thin to top with. Then I made my tzatziki, this is the crown jewel of any good gyro, I used 1 cup lebni (Greek Sour cream) but you can use Greek Yogurt, I wouldn’t recommend going the “fat free” route since they are basically filled with unnatural thickening agents and don’t give you the right taste…sorry….don’t like fat free dairy…totally gross. I crushed two cloves of garlic into a paste, shredded a local pickling cuc from Washington, and the zest of a lemon, added that to the lebni, chopped some baby dill, and used about half a tsp of dried mint that come from my friend Heidi’s garden. Stir together, and finish with a lil drizzle of good olive oil, can be made a day ahead. Easy, 30 minute, meatless Monday meal, Take that Rachel Ray! Yassou!
Rigatoni with Roasted garlic tomato sauce topped with summer veg
Growing up we ate spaghetti with ground beef, tomato paste, and dried spices at least once a week. I loved my mom’s simple version of a Bolognese with green can, grated parmesan, honestly, I still do! I make my own variation for my fam often, because it’s cheap and a total crowd pleaser. Pasta and some form of red sauce is a favorite of mine, even Mario Batali claims that if he could only eat one thing again it would be pasta and red sauce. It’s summer here and a meat laden pasta isn’t exactly the most appetizing thing when it hot and humid, so I decided to do a vegetarian variation, that’s a bit lighter, and lighter still on the old budget!
• Sauce
1 28 oz can good Italian plum tomatoes
1 head garlic, roasted (cut off the top of the bulb, drizzle with olive oil, bake at 350 till mushy and golden, about 45 minutes) cool, squish outta the bulbs and mash with a fork.
½ cup wine, if you won’t drink it, don’t cook with it
1 shallot, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
In a medium sauce pan heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add shallot and red pepper, cook till shallots are transparent. Add wine, tomatoes (crushed), roasted garlic, salt and pepper. Turn heat to low.
• Veggies
1 small zuchinni sliced thin (I used a mandolin)
1 carrot, sliced think (again I used a mandolin)
2 cups broccoli florets
1 lb rigatoni
2 tsp butter
In a large pan boil salted water for pasta and broccoli, when boiling add pasta, bring back to a boil, add pasta, cook about 9 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Drain, add 2 tsp butter or olive oil (vegan), set aside.
In a small skillet heat a T or so olive oil to medium high, add zucchini and carrots, saute about five minutes.
Top pasta and broccoli with sauce and veggies, I like to finish with pecorino and fresh Italian parsley.
Mange!
Fava time and the living is easy….
Spring is ending and with summer just around the corner, fava beans are again at their peak. I spotted them today at the farmer’s market and knew right away at $2.50 a lb now was the time to buy. They are a bit pesky to prep, but as I was googlin’ I read a post on a foraging site that said that if you add a lil baking soda (1 tbsp for every quart of water) your Fava beans will be super easy to peel. Thought I would pass that awesome tidbit of info along. I think seasonal cooking is much easier in that it take less ingredients to make a dish, if you use a few great veggies in season, a lil cooking, and a touch of sea salt you basically have today’s recipe. I prepped my favas by shelling them, blanching in a bit of water with baking soda, peeled them and added a touch of sea salt. The color alone on these favas was so beautiful, serving them crushed on a slice of baguette would be enough. I roasted one bunch of baby carrots, I just cut them down the middle, no need to peel since they are so small and fresh, coated them lightly in olive oil, and roasted for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees till just fork tender, on the same pan as the carrots I roasted my cleaned morels, for about 10 minutes…so easy! The mushrooms are earthy and hearty. These ingredients together are a wonderful introduction to what our summer bounty has to offer, with minimal oil and salt needed the vegetables own natural flavors and aromas become the star, and not only is this dish delicious it is healthy and can be eaten at any temperature, which makes it easy for a summer barbecue or potlock and can be enjoyed by everyone, including those with dietary restrictions. Add ease to your life by eating seasonally, great ingredients are the key to being a great cook.
