Gyros!

A gyro is a greek sandwich filled with lamb or beef. I am personally not a big fan of lamb, but if you are, feel free to sub in ground lamb for the beef.

4 pita breads

1/2 c. plain yogurt

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh or 1 t. dried mint leaves

1 t. sugar

1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped (3/4 c.)

1 lb. ground beef or lamb

1 Tbsp. water

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. cumin

1/2 t. dried oregano

1/4 t. pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped (1/4 c.)

2 Tbsp. oil

2 c. shredded lettuce

1 med. tomato chopped (3/4 c.)

Create a pocket in your pitas by cutting halfway around the edge with a knife and gently separating the layers. Mix yogurt, mint and sugar in small bowl. Stir in cucumber.

Mix beef water, lemon juice, salt, cumin, oregano, pepper, garlic and onion. Shape mixture into 4 thin patties.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook patties until no longer pink in center. Place cooked patties into pita pockets and top with lettuce, tomato, and yogurt mixture.

**My note: If you don't want to shred your lettuce, just place a leaf or two in each pocket. I also just sliced my tomatoes instead of dicing them.

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Cookbook

The Perfect Boiled Eggs

The perfect boiled egg often eludes people, but it is really quite easy once you know the trick. I still remember making hard-boiled eggs for egg salad, and while I was peeling them, my friends son said, "Aren't the yolks supposed to be grey?" No, indeed they are not! When an egg is cooked to perfection, the yolk remains a creamy yellow. So, here's how you do it:

Put your eggs (shells on) in a pot. Fill pot with cold water, just until all the eggs are covered. Bring the water to a boil over med-high heat. Once it has come to a full rolling boil, turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the burner/element. Set your timer: 5 minutes for soft boiled
10 minutes for hard boiled.

Run them under cold water if you are using them for egg salad. Otherwise, drain the hot water, take out your eggs, and cut them in half with a quick whack, using a sharp knife. Scoop out the eggs with a spoon, and enjoy! I like mine with a dab of butter, salt and pepper.

Chicken Philly over Garlic Toast

Last weekend we went to this dodgy little restaurant at the edge of town where, surprise, surprise, they had the best food. I ordered the chicken philly, and after I had eaten it, and feeling rather satisfied (sigh), I thought, "Hey, I could make this at home!", and maybe, just maybe, make it a little tastier (enter the garlic toast).

Here's my version!

1 whole chicken breast

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 red pepper, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 c. of mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper

1 loaf of garlic bread

Mozzarella cheese, or cheese substitute (enough to cover the bread)

Poach the chicken by placing in a pan of water (careful not to cover the chicken). Cook on medium-high heat until the chicken is done (this doesn't take too long).

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, saute sliced peppers, onions, and mushrooms in olive oil until soft.

Put your garlic toast in the oven to broil. Don't burn it!

Remove cooked chicken and let cool enough that you can handle it. Slice it into strips across the grain.

Take your garlic toast and top it with melted cheese. Place it back in the oven for the cheese to melt.

Put the chicken on the toast, and top with the vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and add another piece of bread to make a sandwich, or leave it open-faced. My husband likes his with Frank's Red Hot Sauce.