Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Gyros on Garlic Naan Bread

I love gyros! The soft bread, yummy tzatziki sauce and thinly sliced lamb are the perfect combination of flavors. So when I found this recipe for Chicken Gyros over at Annie's Eats I had to give it a try.


Chicken Gyros

Tzatziki sauce:

16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible)
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible.
Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.


Chicken:
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. chicken pieces (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Cook the chicken as desired, with the broiler or on the grill. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips.

You can eat your gyros on tortillas or pita bread, but I found a recipe for garlic naan bread that I wanted to try too, so I decided to serve my gyros on the delicious grilled bread.
Garlic Naan Bread

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted


DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.

At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

The result was outstanding! Brian and I loved the gyros (although his was just chicken and naan) and the kids absolutely loved the naan bread. They ate leftovers just plain as snacks. I will definitely make both recipes again.

For more great recipes check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays.

3 comments:

Lisa@BlessedwithGrace said...

Really looks full of flavor! Thanks.

MadeInCanarias said...

The breads looks so yummy! I have to try it! Thanks for sharing!

Emily @ Marvelous Recipes said...

This will definitely be a new experience for me but it sounds and looks wonderful! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us! :)