Go Greek

I love Greek food! My hubby & I went to Greece a few years ago and we've been hooked ever since. The problem is... American Greek food just isn't the same. For starters, people here pronounce the word Gyro all wrong ... Jy-Ro - no no no... it's Year-Ro. Anyways... we MAKE them different here, too.

So, I've never attempted to make my own variation of the masterpeice meals they create in their homeland, but I've been CRAVING a delicious pita. Since hopping on a plane & flying to Santorini wasn't an option... I got creative.

This beef souvlaki pita was awesome. I was even impressed with myself ;-). My hubby & I loved loved it! I'll admit it's not necassarily authentic, but it cured the craving & left us craving more of MY creation.

Here's my recipe for a healthy beef souvlaki pita. Feel free to adjust to your own tastes. In Greece, they throw in a few french fries, which is killer... however not healthy, so I skipped that step.

Beef Souvlaki Pita

makes 4 servings

Beef Meatballs
What you need:
1LB 90/10 lean ground beef (you can use ground turkey, chicken or lamb)
1/4th sweet onion, chopped
2TBSP lemon juice
Seasonings to taste: sea salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, garlic powder (or use fresh chopped garlic)
How to:
Heat broiler on high. Combine all ingredients. Shape into small meatballs (14-16). Coat pan with non-stick spray. Place meatballs on pan. Cook about 5 min, flip & broil another 3-5 minutes.

Sauce
What you need:
1C plain Greek yogurt (I like Kirkland brand or Trader Joe's 2%, they're very low in sugar)
1/4-1/2C cucumber, grated or minced
2TBSP lemon juice
3TBSP fresh mint, chopped
Seasonings to taste: sea salt, pepper, garlic powder or fresh garlic (I personally don't like fresh garlic, so I use powder)
How to:
Combine all ingredients & place in fridge until meatballs are ready.


Pita
What you need:
A delicious packaged pita ;-). I'm picky about my pitas. I don't like those flimsy thin pocket ones. I like Greek flatbread pitas... but use what you like.
How to:
Open package ;-) haha! Warm pitas are the best!! I throw mine in the oven, microwave or on the George Foreman real quick before serving.

Now Assemble...
Smear sauce on the warm pita & add 3-4 meatballs. Top with these options: feta cheese, romaine lettuce, chopped tomato, cucumber, onion.