Other Meaty Mediterranean Style Meals to Savor!
Slow Cooked Chicken and Olives #poultry
Mediterranean Chicken with Butternut Squash #poultry
Pastitsio (Greek style lasagna) #beef #dairyfree
Grilled Lamb #lamb
Bring all the hostages home.
Greek Beef Pitas
Foodie Lit
“I see cats as mysterious, introspective creatures that beg to be given a spiritual nature,” author and artist Robert R. Davis told me when we discussed his novel, The Various Stages of a Garden Well-Kept. The cat, Frieda Kahlo, named after a famous artist, is a wise and eternal cat present in the lives of several generations of the Kagoerge family both in their original country of Greece and later in the United States. The cat with her own narrative voice, moves between the real and spiritual world, bringing illumination to the characters and the readers in this beautfully written novel of 3 generations of a family searching for home and security.
Greek Beef Pitas
Serves 5-6
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced in th
1 small fennel bulbs, thinly sliced or chopped
1 radish, thinly sliced
1 sprig rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried
1 sprig oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
2-3 sprigs thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons red wine, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 pitas
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Over a medium heat, in 1 tablespoon olive oil, nsauté vegetables in a skillet for 5 minutes.
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Add herbs, salt and pepper, then add ground beef. Stir to break up the beef and cook until the beef is browned, stirring occasionally.
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Add 2 tablespoons dry red wine. If you don’t want to use wine, add broth or water. Cover and cook until meat is completely browned and vegetables are soft. Taste and adjust seasoning.
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Toast the pitas.(Important!! Tastes so good this way!!)
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Spread 1/4 cup of the meat mixture over each pita. Top with Cucumber Dill Sauce. Garnish with fresh dill, cucumber slices, olives, a slice of avocado, etc.
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When prepping ahead or seving leftovers, fill the pita with the ground beef mixture. Toast before serving. Drizzle Cucumber Dill Sauce over the pita.
Expandthetable suggestions
Add some heat: Sauté a chili pepper or a jalapeño pepper along with the vegetables. Remove seeds for less heat.
Add other vegetables: Add onions, tomatoes, zucchini and other vegetables of choice, as desired. Fine chop all veggies.
Vegan: Use a vegan meat substitute in place of beef or only vegetables.
Cucumber Dill Sauce
1 small cucumber
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white horseradish
1 teaspoon grated onion (optional for GERD diet)
1 tablespoon dill
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Peel cucumber if not organic. Finely chop cucumber and add to a bowl. Add rest of ingredients and mix together.
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Refrigerate until ready to use. Should last in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. This sauce is also great on fish and grilled vegetables.
The aroma of toasted pita with browned beef and vegetables will draw your family members right into the kitchen! Make it spicy or more delicate, elevate the flavor with a drizzle of Cucumber Dill Sauce and your taste buds will thank you! Prep ahead of time or reheat, this dish will please your family. Make for lunch or dinner, it’s a complete meal by itself. Eat it flat like a pizza, roll it up or fill the pita pocket—either way is totally delish! It’s on my regular menu from now on.
#Beef #Dairyfree #MiddleEastern # Greek
