Gyro Rice Bowls

SLOW COOKER GYRO RICE BOWLS

INGREDIENTS

·         1 pound boneless leg of lamb* (see Note) (Melissa Note:  I used chicken)

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

·         1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

·         1/4 cup chopped onion

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         1/4 cup beef stock or broth

·         Brown Rice

·         Tomatoes, pickled red onion, kalamata olives, lettuce, and feta cheese for serving

Tzatziki Sauce

·         3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

·         1/2 cup chopped cucumber, peeled and seeded

·         1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

·         1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill

·         1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1.       In a 6-quart slow cooker, add the lamb. Using a spoon or your hands, rub in the salt, rosemary, and oregano on top. Top with onion and garlic. Pour stock/broth over top.

2.      Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours or until lamb is cooked and easily falls apart with a fork.

3.      Shred the lamb with 2 forks. Stir everything together until the juices are absorbed back into the meat (you may need to let this sit for a few minutes before stirring again).

4.      Cook the rice in the microwave according to package directions. Place rice in the bottom of each serving bowl then top with shredded lamb, tomatoes, pickled red onion, olives, lettuce, feta, and tzatziki sauce (recipe below).

For the tzatziki sauce (can be made ahead of time)

1.       In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, dill, and garlic powder. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Pickled Red Onion

Ingredients

·        1 cup water

·        3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

·        1 tablespoon granulated sugar

·        1 teaspoon salt

·        1 small red onion (roughly 4-5 ounces), cut into slices

INSTRUCTIONS

1.   Whisk together the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and whisk until sugar and salt has dissolved.

2.  Add the onion slices to a heatproof jar or container. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the onions. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

NOTES

Note about buying meat: My local Whole Foods had butterflied leg of lamb pieces where I could easily buy 1 pound. If you’re not as lucky, you can either portion a leg of lamb into future meals or you can substitute a smaller cut of beef, such as chuck roast.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro Lime Rice

CILANTRO LIME RICE

yield: ABOUT 3 CUPS COOKED RICE

prep time: 10 MINUTES

cook time: 20 MINUTES

total time: 30 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

·         1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

·         1 teaspoon oil

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 teaspoon lime zest

·         2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

·         2 cups vegetable broth

·         1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

·         2 teaspoons granulated sugar

·         4 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

1.      In a  saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, lime zest, 2 teaspoons of lime juice, and broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat.

2.      In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, sugar, and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice. Serve warm.

Chicken Fajitas

yield: 6 servings

THE BEST CHICKEN FAJITAS

TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS 25 MINS (INCLUDES MARINATING TIME)

 PREP TIME: 15 MINS

 COOK TIME: 10-12 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

MARINADE:

·         ¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 3-4 limes)

·         1/3 cup water

·         2 tablespoons vegetable oil

·         2 large cloves garlic, minced

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         3 teaspoons apple cider or red wine vinegar

·         2 teaspoons soy sauce

·         ½ teaspoons chili powder

·         ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

·         ½ teaspoon liquid smoke

·         ¼ teaspoon black pepper

·         1/8 teaspoon onion powder

FAJITAS:

·         1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (about 3 large chicken breasts)

·         1 yellow onion, cut into thin strips

·         1 green pepper, cut into thin strips

·         1 red (or orange) pepper, cut into thin strips

·         8 ounces fresh mushrooms, quartered

·         1 teaspoon soy sauce

·         2 tablespoons water

·         ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice (a quick squeeze of a cut lime)

·         dash of salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.        Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour the marinade ingredients over the top. Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator and let marinate for 2-3 hours.

2.        After marinading, take chicken out of the bag and discard the marinade. Grill or broil the chicken 5-7 minutes per side. Remove from grill or pan and tent with foil to keep warm.

3.        In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat and add the onion, mushrooms and peppers. Stir fry until softened but still crisp tender. Add soy sauce, water, lime juice and salt and pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Slice chicken thinly on the diagonal and toss with the vegetables in the skillet. Serve immediately with flour tortillas and top with tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, cheese, sour cream…the options are endless!

NOTES:

Liquid smoke may seem like an unnecessary, optional ingredient but I promise it adds an irreplaceable flavor and smokiness – I keep a bottle of liquid smoke on hand in the refrigerator just to make these fajitas.

Cuban Sandwiches

yield: 6-8 sandwiches, depending on size

CUBAN SANDWICHES {SLOW COOKER OR PRESSURE COOKER}

PREP TIME: 10 MINS

COOK TIME: 8-9 HOURS (SLOW COOKER), 55 MINS (PRESSURE COOKER)

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INGREDIENTS:

PORK:

·         1 tablespoon coarse, kosher salt

·         1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (use less for finely ground black pepper)

·         1 tablespoon ground cumin

·         1 tablespoon dried oregano

·         Pinch of red pepper flakes

·         4 cloves garlic, finely minced

·         Juice of 2 limes (about 3 tablespoons)

·         Juice of 1 large or 2 medium oranges (about 1/2 cup)

·         1/2 cup chicken broth (only needed if using a pressure cooker)

·         3 to 5 pounds boneless pork sirloin roast or pork shoulder roast, excess skin/fat removed, cut into 3- or 4-inch cubes

SANDWICHES:

·         4-inch (or so) soft sub rolls or hoagie buns (see note)

·         Yellow mustard

·         Deli ham slices

·         Swiss cheese slices

·         Dill pickles, thinly sliced

·         Red onions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1.        For the pork, in a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic, lime juice, and orange juice.

2.        FOR THE SLOW COOKER: place the pork in the bottom of the slow cooker and pour the spice mixture over the top, tossing to evenly coat the pork. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours, until the pork is tender and shreds easily.

3.        FOR THE PRESSURE COOKER: place the pork in the bottom of the pressure cooker and pour the spice mixture and chicken broth over the top, tossing to evenly coat the pork. Seal the lid of the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 55 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.

4.        Shred the pork into pieces and return to the slow cooker or pressure cooker (with any remaining juices) to keep warm while assembling the sandwiches.

5.        For the sandwiches, slice each roll/bun in half lengthwise and spread mustard on both cut halves. On the bottom half, layer ham, Swiss cheese, shredded pork, pickles and onions. If desired, the sandwich can be grilled or pressed in a panini griddle for a hot, melty version (if doing so, slap cheese on both halves of the bread before assembling). Serve immediately.

NOTES:

An authentic Cuban sandwich is usually served on Cuban bread, which, thanks to a google search, is soft and often made with lard (so it crisps up without getting super tough and hard). I don’t have a Latin bakery close to me, and I haven’t tried my hand at Cuban bread yet, because these French bread rolls (whole wheat version here) always do the trick for a delicious Cuban sandwich. I make them slightly bigger (about 3 to 3.5 ounces of dough per bun) and longer, similar to a hoagie bun shape. Soft and super delicious. I’m sure a variety of soft, storebought rolls or buns would work here as well. 

Also, if you make the full five pounds of pork, you’ll get a lot more than eight sandwiches. I almost always make a full five pounds for this recipe because the leftover pork freezes so well – which means easy, delicious sandwiches later, OR, we use the leftover pork in tacos, enchiladas, for salads, etc.

Finally, if your slow cooker tends to cook hot (even on the low setting), you might want to add the 1/2 cup chicken broth, intended for the pressure cooker method, so the pork doesn’t dry out while cooking.