We are going to start off this post with a phonetics lesson: Gy-ro (pronouned "yee-row") is a "sandwich especially of lamb and beef, tomato, onion and yogurt sauce on pita bread," thanks, Mariam-Webster. One of my biggest pet peeves is people mispronouncing this word; it is not "guy-row" or "gui-row". Period. End of story. If you're one of these annoying people just know you are the worst and you have now been taught how to correctly pronounce this word. Stop mispronouncing it. Like now.
Anyway, Greek food, specifically gyros are my absolute favorite! Actually, funny story, I was a vegetarian for 4 years and it was a gyro that broke my resolve...I can't help it! The amazing combo of beef and lamb with those incredible Greek spices, married with the cool and creamy tzatziki sauce, fresh vegetables, and fluffy pita were enough to make me forget that I hadn't eaten any meat in 1460 days. And can we just talk about how awesome it is that the meat is cooked on a vertical spit? I mean is there anything better than a cone of meat?
The correct answer to that question is "no".
Well, considering I (regrettably) do not own a vertical spit (it's already on my Christmas list) nor do I know how to obtain a cone of meat (again, Christmas is only a few months away); but I did have a can of chickpeas. So, I went with a vegetarian alternative that tasted pretty damn good.
Roasted Chickpea Gyros
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp salt
1 1/2 Tsp pepper
1 Tsp paprika
1/2 Tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 Tsp oregano
1 Tsp lemon juice
4 fresh pita
Tzatziki sauce
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1/2 tomato, sliced thin
2 lettuce leaves
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
After you drain your chickpeas, rinse them with water, pat dry, and gently peel the skins off. This part is a pain, believe me. It took me a good 10 minutes to get the stupid skins off but the end result will be worth your hard labor. Work for your food, people!
In a bowl, combine the chickpeas with olive oil, seasonings and lemon juice. Toss together and spread out in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake the chickpeas for 20 minutes (they will smell heavenly!)
Meanwhile, slice your tomato, and onion and prepare your pita with a healthy layer of tzatziki sauce. My recommendation to you is GO TO A MIDDLE EASTERN MARKET. You want the ingredients that Greeks actually use? Buy them from the source. I got made in-house pita and freshly made tzatziki sauce and it will make all the difference in this dish.
I paired these gyros with a fresh Greek salad (with freshly made salad dressing), Dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves), and tabouli (a salad with parsley, tomatoes, bulgur, mint, and onion seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice). Nate and I both thought these gyros had a very similar flavor to their meatier cousins and should be put into regular meal rotation.
TRY THEM! Believe me you won't be disappointed at all!
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