While his journey has ended on the show, Ted Pappas is still serving up amazing dishes, inspired by his Greek heritage.
Pappas visited ABC7 Chicago to share one of his recipes.
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This recipe makes six Gyro Pita sandwiches:
Gyro Meat mixture
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons chicken base
- 2 tablespoons beef base
- 2 tablespoons Greek oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Filling & finishing
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- 6 pitas
- 2 tablespoons Tzatziki (see recipe below for homemade Tzatziki)
- 3 roma tomatoes - sliced into wedges
- 1 red onion - sliced into thin strips
- Dusting cayenne pepper
- Flat parsley to garnish - rough chopped
- Aluminum foil to wrap
Tzatziki
- 1 English cucumber
- 3 cups full fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
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- 1 tablespoon Greek olive oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Preparation:
Mix meat mixture (by hand or using a stand mixer with a bread attachment). Mix until spices are thoroughly combined.
Put meat mixture in fridge for about 10 minutes to firm up.
Put meat on six separate skewers kofta kebab style, approximately 1" thick.
Cook on flat top griddle or on grill until meat is cooked through.
Once meat is cooked, slide meat from each skewer into pita, top with Tzatziki, onion and tomato.
Garnish with dash of cayenne pepper and chopped parsley.
Wrap in aluminum foil and serve.
Instructions for Tzatziki:
Grate cucumber on large holes of box grater.
Put grated cucumber in cheesecloth and squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible.
In large mixing bowl combine strained cucumber, yogurt, dill, mint, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.