Chicken, Sauce, Lettuce Make A Hot Gyro Sandwich

Gyro sandwiches have been a hot topic in recent years, but a good recipe has been hard to find. When Pat Stuart of Seattle contacted us about the version at Kafe Neo in Edmonds, we jumped at the chance to try it.

Sofeea Koures-Huffman's recipe centers around succulent skewers of marinated chicken or lamb, creamy tzatziki sauce and tart seasoned lettuce.

Koures-Huffman suggests using the fluffiest pita bread available.

Gyro

4 servings

Meat:

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts (see note)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Wooden or metal skewers

Tzatziki sauce:

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 small clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated

Seasoned lettuce:

2 cups finely chopped iceberg lettuce

About 2 tablespoons vinegar

About 1/4 teaspoon salt

About 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

Olive oil spray

4 pita bread, as fresh as possible

About 1/4 cup feta cheese

1. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and put into a bowl. Combine the lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, olive oil and oregano. Pour over the chicken and marinate at least 15 minutes; refrigerate for longer marination.

2. To prepare the tzatziki sauce: Whisk the yogurt until smooth and creamy. Whisk in the garlic, add the cucumber and mix until blended. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. To prepare the seasoned lettuce: Season the lettuce with the vinegar, salt and oregano. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

4. Prepare the onion and tomatoes; set aside.

5. Spray both sides of the pita bread with olive oil spray. Fry in a pan until golden on each side, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.

6. Push the meat onto skewers and broil or grill until done.

7. To assemble the gyro: Put a skewer of chicken in freshly grilled pita. Add a couple tablespoons tzatziki sauce and a couple of teaspoons each chopped onion and tomatoes, some seasoned lettuce and about 1 tablespoon grated feta. Wrap like a burrito and serve.

Note: The traditional gyro meat is not usually sold in retail grocery stores. Boneless lamb can also be used; marinate as specified for the chicken.

Data per serving Calories 477 Protein 44g Fat 19g Carbohydrates 32g Sodium 1093mg Saturated fat 7g Monounsaturated fat 8g Polyunsaturated fat 2g Cholesterol 115mg