Potato Gyros

Y'all.

YOU ALL.

Last night's dinner was a supreme victory. Refreshing, filling, delicious, cheap.

AND I actually (sort of) made a recipe I pinned on Pinterest. Aren't you proud of me?

Let me tell you that the biggest problem with these vegetarian gyros is that they will make you want a real gyro. There's just something about that weird lamb-loaf meat in a good gyro that beats vegetables every time.

Still, if you lack a rotating vertical spit and a giant hunk of mysterious meat, try these babies with whatever summer vegetables you have lying around.

Perhaps not the most flattering picture. But trust me.

You can think me later when you're mouth's not full.

Potato Gyros
Adapted from this recipe at Offbeat Home, which looks delicious just the way it is.

Take some potatoes. The original recipe called for four medium-sized white potatoes; as you can see, I'm using a few more but smaller red potatoes. Any potatoes will do, though thicker-skinned baking potatoes may need to be peeled.

Potatoes.

Place them in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil about twenty minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.

Drain and let dry.

While potatoes are cooking (or afterward if you decide to go fold laundry take a nap instead), preheat your grill (if you plan to add grilled vegetables to your gyros) and make your tzatziki (cucumber yogurt sauce).

In a medium bowl, add 1 cup yogurt or generous 1/2 cup Greek yogurt,

A little more than 1/2 cup Greek yogurt.

1/3 cucumber (grated),

For reference: whole cucumber.

How much I grated, on the coarse side of the box grater.

1-3 cloves garlic (Note: I like raw garlic. A lot. I used three cloves. But my Facebook status the next day was "I love the feeling of garlic seeping from my pores." So if you don't love that lovely feeling, just use one or two cloves),

Vampires, beware!

1 Tbs. lemon juice, (and a teaspoon of zest if you're using a fresh lemon), and salt and pepper to taste.

Almost tzatziki.

Mix well.




Finished tzatziki.

If you would like to top your gyros with the traditional tomatoes and onions, I advise you slice them around now.

We branched out (no tomatoes yet in Tulsa) and grilled up some summer squash:

Slice summer squash or zucchini lengthwise so it can go in your gyro like a pickle.

Squash spears.

Coat in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Seasoned squash spears.

Either pop them in your grill basket or wipe your grill grates down with olive oil and stick the squash directly on the grate. Cook on the preheated grill at about medium/medium-high heat for about ten minutes.

Just about any grilled vegetable would go well here: summer squash/zucchini, cherry tomatoes, corn, onions. Toss what you've got on the grill and give it a try.

Once your potatoes are done cooking, drained, and dryish, you want to season them.

In a large bowl, gather your potato seasonings: 3-4 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled,

Not-yet-crumbled feta.

parsley to taste (I used a mix of fresh and dried; fresh obviously has a stronger flavor),

Parsley.

To give you an idea how much I used.

1-3 cloves garlic (see note, above), approximately 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.

Pepper, salt, garlic, cayenne.

Mix those all together, making sure the feta is well crumbled.

Crumbled feta mixture.

Add your potatoes.

Potatoes.

Mash potatoes into mixture until thoroughly combined.

These would be great just as mashed potatoes, actually.

Take a tortilla or pita bread. Scoop a few tablespoons of potato mixture onto the tortilla. Add a couple slices of squash or your other grilled/fresh vegetables. Top with a liberal dollop of tzatziki.

Topped tortilla.

Roll and enjoy.

Dinner is served.

Okay, this is a vegetarian meal, so that means: What did the DDH think?

Well, first he kept saying that it tasted fine, but now he just wanted a real gyro. By the time he got to his second, though, he said that once you got over that, the potato gyros were quite delicious as their own dish. He thought two of them were reasonably filling, and he didn't follow it up with a bowl of cereal.

Definitely a keeper (the recipe. and the husband).