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.

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?