Gyro Cucumber Boats

My dearest husband has a street meat addiction. Whenever he is in NYC, he goes to the Middle Eastern food trucks to get a gyro platter. The problem is that afterwards, he gets a tummy ache. So, into the kitchen I went to get the spices just right for my husband’s deconstructed gyro. “Why a deconstructed gyro you ask?” Well, traditionally, Gyros are ground meat molded onto a giant spit and shaved off as it’s cooked. Sigh…I don’t have a giant spit but with 4 kids it might be fun to watch them rotate the darn thing like in the cartoons! Guess how I did my shaved beef? I found 100% sliced Angus that is normally used for cheese steaks. This is a huge time saver for the busy mom!

First Step…Let’s make the Gyro Seasoning.

Ingredients:

2 Tsp. Pink Sea Salt
2 Tsp. Dried Parsley
2 Tsp. Dried Oregano
2 Tsp. Dried Chili Powder
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. Cumin
1 Tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp. Smoked Paprika

Directions:

Combine all the spices and set aside (store) in a jar.

The next step…

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Shaved/Thinly Sliced Beef
1 Tsp. Fresh Garlic
6 Tsp. of Gyro Seasoning
1 Tsp. of Pink Sea Salt to Taste
1 Small Onion Sliced into Half Rings
4 Cucumbers

Directions:

Clean and cut the cucumber laterally.
Remove the seeds with a spoon, when you are done it looks like a little boat.
Heat up the pan over high heat.
Brown the meat in the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and drain the excess liquid and fat out into a heat safe container.
Place the pan back onto the heat and add the fresh garlic and onions to the meat.
Sauté the mixture together for 2 min and add the seasonings to the mixture.
Continue to cook for another 2 min and add the salt to taste. You can add the whole tsp. or a little more or less depending on your tastes.
Remove from the flame.
Serve the beef mixture over the cucumber boats.
OPTIONAL:Top with Greek yogurt or low-fat ranch dressing (for both the yogurt and dressing there are many non-dairy options on the market, such as So Delicious yogurt and Hampton Creek Ranch dressing.