Greek Lamb Pitas with Tzatziki Sauce

Val's Version

(Denver, CO)

I have come to terms with the fact that good meat is pricey. And if it's not, it's probably not that good. Oh - I also learned that you should never cut the fat off the meat until it's cooked. The fat tends to add great flavor, therefor, removing it may inhibit it's amazingness. Take all of that into consideration and know that this simple lusciousness is pricey, but explodes with flavor!

Cast of Characters
(most of them)

Boom! Did you notice that my feta is from my 2 for $5 deal last week? Cha ching!

When I say simple, I mean simple. I was able to get this meal prepped and served just under 30 minutes. That included 2 intermissions of me delegating after-school orders to my oldest and putting the littles into highchairs with their "snacky."

Start off by taking 5 and make your creamy goddess!

This little gem - Penzey's Forward - was in a gift box that we received from my sister-in-law over the holidays. I literally put it on everything. It's a combination of bold spices that just enhance whatever it's added to. And it's salt free! I sprinkled this on our fat fries that were baking while I worked the stove top.

Melt your sauté squares and sear your lamb (or desired meat) in a med to high heated skillet. Be ready for the sizzle. Original recipe said 8-10 minutes, but that's if you trim and slice it first. Please refer to my second statement above and agree that you're not supposed to do that if you want maximum flavor. That being said, this part of the process is about 10-12 minutes.

Please note: I did not do but a small taste test prior to taking this picture. That's how much fat I trimmed from 3 lamb steaks. Kinda depressing for $11. But, it stuffed 4 pita pockets and had some extra slices left for the toddler.

I didn't get to thoroughly enjoy my dinner because we were rushing out the door for church, but the combination of seasonings was super delish! The meat was very tender and had just the right amount of juices. Cali kept saying how good it was and she likes lambs. Like, real life baby sheep lambies. The thought of us eating Lamb Chops wasn't forefront, so that's good. She also grew up on "dip-it" with her Mimi, so I think she had a wave of nostalgia sweep over her :)

Jen's Version

(Acworth, GA)

I totally, 100% agree with Val's comment above. With meat - you get what you pay for! That's all - just wanted to agree. 

When Val sent me this recipe, I knew I'd be making modifications. For some reason, I can't find a lot of lamb options near me. There is a lot of ground lamb and lamb that's $25, but that's about it. I've made gyros before where I cooked ground lamb like a meatloaf and I wasn't impressed. I'm sure the $25 lamb would have been delicious BUT chicken will be just find for this thrifty mom :) So I did chicken. I also bought fajita meat - but we won't talk about that...

I cooked this at my mom's and she had gloves! Woo hoo!

The recipe said to "mix" the ingredients for the tzatziki. I am not okay with eating chunky cucumbers so I blended it. This sauce, as much as I try, is NEVER as good as "dip it's". But yet, I continue to try...

I roasted red potatoes, greek style. Really I just seasoned with oregano, salt and pepper. 

I couldn't find the Land O'Lakes thingy, so I used butter with seasonings and garlic. I didn't fall for the Land O'Lakes gimmick. 

The chicken was very tasty though - had a great flavor!

And my lovely toppings bar!

This meal was a quick fix and tasty. I adore Greek food, but I think I will leave it to the professionals :)

Greek Lamb Pita with Tzatziki Sauce

Brought to you by (and adapted from) Elegant Dessert - weird, since it's not dessert :)

Ingredients:

Tzatziki Sauce

6 oz plain Greek Yogurt

1/2 cup cucumber, finely chopped

2 tsp fresh dill, chopped

1 tsp red wine (Jen did not include this - instead she just drank the red wine)

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp onion powder (Jen did not add onion)

dash of dried dill

Lamb

2 Land O Lakes Garlic and Herb Saute Express squares (Jen substituted butter, garlic and seasonings)

1 lb boneless Lamb (Jen substituted chicken because she didn't want to consume Lamb Chops)

4 (6-inch round) flat breads, warmed

Relish

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered (Jen used tomatoes on the vine)

1/4 cup feta cheese
(Jen also had Kalamata olives and cucumbers)

Directions:

Combine all tzatziki sauce ingredients into a bowl and set aside (we chilled). (Jen blended in the Ninja)

Melt sauté express squares into a skillet over low heat until bubbles form. 

Add lamb (chicken); cook 10-12 minutes (flipping halfway) or until desired doneness. Make sure the outside is seared and there is no red juice (gross) flowing when cut down the middle. 

Spread tzatziki sauce over one side of a warmed pita. Stuff with lamb (chicken) and relish. Add more tzatziki cause it's just that good. Serve with FAT FRIES aka Steak Fries or Roasted Red Potatoes.