F.E.A.S.T.: Chicken Gyros

The last time I posted a meal like this, I called it a Q.E.C.T., which while technically an acronym, has absolutely no panache whatsoever. So, this time I have a shiny new acronym: F.E.A.S.T.! It stands for Fast, Easy, Affordable, and Super Tasty!

I love it.

It explains exactly what I was going for, and it actually spells out a culinarily-related word. It's also got a touch of irony, which appeals to my literary side. And yes, I know "culinarily" isn't really a word, but if an English Major can't make up words, well, who can? I mean, if Shakespeare could do it, why not me? Right?

But I digress.

So I love gyros. They're great sandwiches, loaded with lots of savory, meaty flavor. They remind me of the week I spent in Greece back in college. Unfortunately, since I don't have a vertical rotisserie (aka the rotating meat rack of goodness) like the kind found in Greek restaurants, it's kind of hard to replicate the experience. AB has a method using a normal rotisserie, but alas, I am lacking in one of those too. So, what did I do? I improvised.

Basically, I substituted chicken for the lamb traditionally used. I also sauteed up the accompaniments, just to help meld the flavors. I think it turned out really well too.

THE INGREDIENTS!!! (and prices, rounded to the nearest $0.25 for convenience)
1 17.6oz tub plain Greek yogurt ($3.25)
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded ($0.75)
4tsp (or cloves) chopped garlic (stock item)
1 good pinch kosher salt (stock item)
4tsp olive oil (stock item)
3tsp red wine vinegar (stock item)
A few good shakes of dried mint (or 5-6 fresh leaves if you have it)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (from a $6.50 frozen package)
3 roma tomatoes, seeded ($0.75)
1 medium white onion ($0.75)
1 6oz can pitted black olives ($1.00)
1 5oz package crumbled feta cheese ($2.00)
lemon juice (from a $0.50 lemon or a bottle)
Pita bread ($2.75)

FINAL PRICE: $17.75 to serve 4 people

THE METHOD!!!
First, make the tzatziki sauce. I'm basing this off the AB method, found here.

Drop your peeled and seeded cucumber into a food processor and pulse a few times to finely chop. Then, drop the cucumber into a tea towel and squeeze the heck out of it to remove any excess liquid.

Combine the Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, salt, olive oil, vinegar and mint together in a bowl. Chill and serve. This whole process took about 15 minutes, so I'd say it qualifies as fast, no?

Next, the chicken. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Saute the chicken with a little olive oil, salt and pepper over medium to med-high heat until done.

Meanwhile, slice your onion to your desired size and shape. I prefer half-moons for this, but whatever works for you is fine. Make like with the chicken, and saute with a little olive oil and salt over medium to med-high heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until the onions begin to take on a light golden color.

Drop your seeded tomatoes and olives into your food processor and pulse a few times to chop. When the onions are ready, add the tomatoes and olives and heat for a minute or two or until the tomaotes begin to release their juices. Add your lemon juice and the feta cheese, and heat through until the cheese begins to melt. It won't take but another minute.

Serve on pita bread, hot-dog style.

Like I said, it took about 15 minutes to whip up the tzatziki, and then it took another 30-35 minutes for everything else. And as with last time, I started the timer when I first started pulling out ingredients, so that includes chopping and mixing and what-not. So, under an hour for a good hot meal made with fresh ingredients.

The results? Delicious. The cooked onions, tomatoes, and olives worked quite nicely with the chicken, and the salty sweet feta cheese complimented the whole thing perfectly inside the pita bread. Moreover, the fresh tzatziki really brings the whole thing together to make for a great flavor. Is it a real gyro? No, not really. But it still make for a damn good sandwich in my humble opinion.

So. Let's do our acronym check.

Fast: the whole process from start to finish took less than an hour, so I'd say that qualifies. If you want to get any faster, you'd have to turn to your microwave.

Easy: nothing fancy here. All you need are some basic cooking skills and the ability to properly squeeze a cucumber into oblivion.

Affordable: ok, I'm willing to concede a little bit here, since I have so many "stock" items on the list, and some people may not keep those things on hand as a matter of course. But! Once those things have been acquired, it's a simple and wallet-friendly matter to purchase the last few items.

Super Tasty: Yes. Enough said.

But don't take my word for it. Make up a batch to try for yourself!

As always, thanks for reading!