Ground Beef Gyro

So the theme this month has been street food from around the world. And I have to tell you I didn't think I would have been so difficult to narrow down the dishes that made me all warm and fuzzy inside but it was. What I also realized was that a lot of our street food favs are international dishes. Tacos, potato tornados, or  dishes like the doner kebab which  are famous in Turkey as well as Germany. A street food fav of the whole family, that is similar is the gyro. Whether chicken, lamb or beef we love gyros. I've been dying to get this recipe right and I think I finally have. It's one thing to introduce a dish that no one has ever tried before. It's a completely different thing to try to make a dish that everybody (even the kids) loves.

When feening for Mediterranean food we typically head to our favorite place downtown. We are particular fans of Adnan food. Adnan is Syrian and  the owner of our favorite falafel place. From the shawarma to the kofta kabob, Adnan has the perfect mixture of spices when it comes to his dishes. Now I know I probably wouldn't be able to make it exactly like his but I've been experimenting with various mixtures of spices off and on for several years. This mixture is the best of them all. So I'm sharing it with you.

Ground Beef Gyro
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon lemon

Sauce
8 ounces yogurt
1/3 cup peeled and finely chopped cucumber
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon sugar

4 Pita bread
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 large tomato chopped
1 red onion sliced

Directions:

Finely chopped cucumber and place in a strainer.

Sprinkle cucumber with salt and allow it to sit out for 20 minutes (salt removes some of the water from the cucumber for a better sauce).

Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a blender/ food processor.

Place sauce in fridge.

For the meat filling place onion, garlic and lemon juice in a blender and combine well.

Add onion mixture to meat with the above seasonings.

Mix well and shape into patties.

Cook patties in a pan/ grill over medium high heat for 10 to 12 minutes.

Cut patties into thin slices.

Add beef slices to pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes and onions.

Top with yogurt sauce. And you're done!!

Feel free to use this combination of spices to make a chicken gyro and let me know what you think.

Chocolate Covered Apples

I needed something sweet this weekend but I thought the rain would keep us from my favorite place, the boardwalk. Of course, I didn't want the family to miss out on the experience. So I decided to create a little bit of the boardwalk at home. Let's be honest one of reasons for going to the boardwalk is the food. There are corn dogs and nachos and potato tornados. But  as I said I needed something sweet. And no wonder, a lot of the dishes I've made lately have been savory. So I figured the post this week should be some type of sweet street food. What to do, what to do? Candied apples also know as toffee apples. It's one of the first treats I wanted whenever I went to the boardwalk as a child. I remember the shop that sold it was all the way at the end of the boardwalk. I would run down that way tasting the salt in the air and craving the sweetness of a caramel or chocolate covered apple.

For most people in New Jersey and New York the summer ritual is to go to the shore/boardwalk. Whether it's Coney Island or Seaside, the end of summer hails as the last hurrah. The weather turned out better than expected, and we celebrated with a street food that's screams New Jersey. If no other dish does, this candy covered apple does since it originates with a candy maker from Newark, New Jersey. Of course, many other countries have a variation of this treat. From Australia to Brazil this sweet treat is the fav of carnivals and street celebrations. So, it's a great way to celebrate the end of summer. Enjoy

Chocolate Covered Apples

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

6 Gala or Fuji apples
1 tablespoon of shortening
2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips
6 popsicles sticks or lollipop sticks
4 ounces of almond slivers/ crushed oreos etc

Directions:

Twist of stems from the apples and push the lollipop/popsicle sticks down to the core.

Put apples in fridge while preparing the chocolate.

Slowly melt chocolate and shortening in a double boiler (glass bowl over pot of water) over hot water or microwave on high for 2 minutes. If microwaving stir halfway through.

Remove chocolate from heat and stir until completely melted and warm.

Dunk each apple into the chocolate. Let excess chocolate drip back into bowl.

Roll apples around in chocolate while turning it with the stick. Use a spoon if needed to cover the entire apple.

Roll apple in coating (of your choice). Make sure apple is covered completely.

Set on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper until chocolate has set.

Yippie... boardwalk food even though we are not at the boardwalk.

What would you cover your apples with?

Chicken Pastel

In honor of the Olympics in Brazil, but still keeping with the street food theme today's recipe is pastel. Pastel is a little bundle of goodness filled with some sort of savory filling. The dish originated from the Chinese egg roll. Many Chinese and Japanese people were brought to Brazil as early as the 16th century. The pastel became even more popular in Sao Paulo in the early to mid 1900s as more Japanese immigrants set up bakeries in the area. Brazil actually has one of the largest populations of Japanese people outside Japan.

I was excited to make this dish to accompany our viewing of the Olympics. Though I found a recipe for the dough, I knew the quickest way to get it done was to use pre-made wonton or egg roll wrappers.  The big difference between the pastel and an empanada is the dough. Because of the dough the pastel is crispier. Either way, I knew this dish would be a crowd pleaser, my family loves empanadas and egg rolls. I was right!! It was a hit. Hey, even though we are not in Brazil that doesn't mean we can't eat like we are while we watch it on TV. It's a win, win.

Chicken Pastel
Makes 50 mini pastels

Ingredients
Wonton wrappers
1 pound of boneless chicken thighs
2 cups of chicken stock
1/4 cup of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of adobo powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 medium onion chopped
2 teaspoons corn starch
2 green onions (white & green parts) chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
vegetable oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Season chicken with adobo (salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, cumin).

Over medium high heat add 2 tablespoons of oil in a sauce pan

Cook chicken for 10 minutes in pan.

Add 2 cups of chicken stock and let chicken cook for an additional 15 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, add 2 tablespoons of oil to a sauce pan over medium heat.

Add onions and sauté until translucent.

Add green onions, garlic, oregano, chile powder and corn starch. Mix well.

Add tomato paste and 1 cup of chicken broth.

Turn heat to low and simmer until mixture slightly thickens.

Using a blender, add chicken and 1/2 cup of chicken stock to shred chicken well.

Add shredded chicken to tomato paste mixture. Add additional chicken broth if necessary

Remove from heat and fold in lime juice.

Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Remove several wontons from wrapper (place a damp paper tower over unused wrapper so they do not dry out)

Place one heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the wonton wrapper.

Use your fingertip to run a little water around the edge of the wonton wrapper.

Fold wrapper over and press edges together using a fork to create a seal.

Heat  2 to 3 inches of oil in a pot over medium-high heat to about 350 F.

Add the sealed pastels and fry until golden brown.

Doesn't this dish make you want to visit Sao Paulo?!?

Mexican Street Corn

After my last post several friends mentioned the street food they love. So, I think August is going to be street food month. And one item that's a summer favorite and a street food fav is corn. It's sweet and delicious. I came across Mexican street corn or elota one summer and haven't looked back.

Corn is the perfect street food because you can eat it with your hands. In Mexico it's skewered which keeps the cheese spread off your hands. The corn is slathered with a creamy, tangy spread that has a hint of heat. Initially, I wasn't sure I would like it. But that tangy spread coupled with the sweetness of the corn was absolutely perfect. Of course, I had to have another one to make sure I really liked it. I did. And the corn was the perfect compliment to a nice taco. In the end, it's a vegetable you won't have to force anyone to eat. Not even your kids.

Note: Sour cream and feta cheese were used because that's what I had in the house.

Mexican Street Corn
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

6 husked ears of corn
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup Mexican creme or sour cream
1/2 cup cotija or feta cheese
2 medium cloves garlic mined
1/4 cup of cilantro
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to season

Directions:
Place corn over medium high heat on a grill or grill pan (if using a pan add a little bit of cooking spray).

Cook for approximately 10 to 12 minutes turning occasionally allowing the kernels to char.

While corn is cooking mix mayo, sour cream, cheese, garlic cilantro and 1/4 teaspoon chili powder.

Add salt and pepper to taste.
(This is a thicker cheese mixture, for a thinner sauce combine ingredients in a blender for 10 to 20 seconds)

Use a spoon to coat the corn with the cheese mixture.

If you choose, add a little additional cheese and chili powder to finish.

And done!!

What's your favorite street food?

Halal Chicken and Rice

I have a love for the food carts in New York City. It's one of the things that makes me miss living in the city especially in the summer. What's interesting is that almost every major city around the world has some type of street food. In New York, there's a long history of immigrants from Greece to Sri Lanka running food carts. The regional distinctions of the owning are sometimes reflected in the food. One of the most well known is the Halal Guys food cart, which is why this post is titled Halal Chicken and Rice.

I was in the mood for a spicy summer dish that didnt feel heavy but was still filling. Since I was looking for spicy but light in flavor I knew it had to be something Mediterranean (the use of citrus helps to balance the spice). Then I thought, it's been a while since I've had some street food. It was something my friends and I would always do in the summer when we had a little more time. Head uptown, get some food and hang out in the park all day. Luckily, I was able to find a recipe for Halal Chicken and Rice from Serious Eats.  I just made a couple of minor adjustments to the recipe so that it worked for my family.

Note: This dish is quick to make once the chicken has marinated.

Halal Chicken and Rice

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Chicken:
2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts cubed
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ onion powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 cloves chopped garlic
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
kosher salt (at least 1/4 teaspoon)
ground black pepper

For the rice:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1½ Basmati rice
2½ chicken broth
salt & pepper

For the white sauce:
1 cup of Greek yogurt
½ cup of mayo
½ tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ fresh parsley
salt
2 tablespoons black pepper

Red Sauce - Sriracha

Directions:

Combine lemon juice, oregano, coriander, cumin, garlic and olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth.

Season mixture with salt and pepper then coat chicken

Place half the mixture in a bowl or food storage bag with the chicken

Allow chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour

Place remaining olive oil mixture in the fridge to use for later.

Remove chicken from olive oil mixture and season with salt and pepper

heat oil in a heavy (cast iron) pan on medium high heat

Add chicken to pan and cook until brown, about 3 to 4 minutes

Reduce heat to medium and flip chicken allowing it to cook through

Remove chicken from heat and allow to cool

Once cooled place chicken in a bowl with the remaining marinade and place in the fridge

Melt butter over medium heat in a dutch oven or a metal pot.

Add turmeric and cumin to pot and cook for approximately 1 minute

Add rice and stir to coat the rice

Continue to stir until coated rice is lightly toasted

Add chicken broth and season with salt and pepper

Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil

Cover pot and reduce heat to simmer

Cook rice for an additional 15 minutes

Remove from heat and allow rice to rest until it is tender


For sauce combine mayo, yogurt, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley and 2 tablespoons of black pepper.

Whisk together and salt to taste

Return chicken marinating in bowl to pan and cook over medium high heat until hot

Pile chicken on a half cup of rice with lettuce and tomato and some pita bread.

Drizzle white sauce and Sriracha if you like spice over chicken and rice. Done!!

I think we need more dishes like this. Quick comforting and reminiscent of summer.

What type of street food do you enjoy?