Gyros

Gyros or gyro (giros) is a Greek dish, consisting of lamb meat, tomato, onion, and tzatziki sauce, and is served with pita bread. Gyros may also refer to the sandwich, which consists of the same ingredients.

Yield:

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1. For the meat:
2. ===================
3. 1 medium onion, finely chopped or shredded
4. 2 pounds ground lamb
5. 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
6. 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
7. 1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary
8. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
9. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10. .
11. For the Tzatziki Sauce:
12. ====================
13. 16 ounces plain yogurt
14. 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
15. Pinch kosher salt
16. 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
17. 1 tablespoon olive oil
18. 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
19. 5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced
20. .
21. 6-8 pita breads
22. 8-10 leaves of lettuce (to serve)
23. 1 small red onion, sliced (to serve)
24. 1 medium tomatoe, sliced (to serve)
25. feta cheese (to serve)

Directions

1. Place the yogurt in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Serve as a sauce for gyros. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
3. Process the onion in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds and turn out into the center of a tea towel. Gather up the ends of the towel and squeeze until almost all of the juice is removed. Discard juice.
4. Return the onion to the food processor and add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 minute. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl.
5. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
6. Place the mixture into a loaf pan, making sure to press into the sides of the pan. Place the loaf pan into a water bath and bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 to 170 degrees F. Remove from the oven and drain off any fat. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and place a brick wrapped in aluminum foil directly on the surface of the meat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes and feta cheese.

Notes

Curry Crusted Lamb Breasts With Thai Basil Raita

 

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 2 lbs lamb breast
2. .
3. For the rub:
4. ==========
5. 1 tbs minced fresh ginger
6. 3 large cloves garlic
7. 2 tsp kosher salt (or 1 tsp table salt)
8. 1 tsp sugar
9. .
10. For the curry crust:
11. ==========
12. 1 tbs garam masala
13. 1 tsp cinnamon
14. 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
15. black pepper
16. for Thai basil raita
17. 8oz strained yogurt (”Greek” yogurt)
18. 2 Tbs minced Thai basil
19. 1 tsp toasted cumin
20. pinch of salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Mash the garlic, ginger and salt together to make a paste. Rub this all over the lamb breast.
3. Mix the spices together then sprinkle on both sides of the breast.
4. Roast for about 3 hours or until the the meat is fork tender and pulls away from the bones.
5. To make the raita, just whisk the ingredients together and salt to taste.

Notes

Malaysian Stir-Fried Beef Noodles

It is in Malaysia that you find many variants in its food and desserts recipes as Malaysian culinary cuisine is rich in its variety - the result of its multicultural influences.

Yield:

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1. 375 g (3/4 lb)fresh or dried flat rice stick noodles
2. 250 g (1/2 lb) beef tenderloin
3. 1 teaspoon corn starch
4. ¼ teaspoon salt
5. ¼ teaspoon sugar
6. 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
7. 3 tablespoons low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth
8. 1 tablespoon fish sauce
9. 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce and sweet soy sauce
10. 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
11. 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
12. ½ teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce
13. 3 tablespoons canola oil
14. 2 cloves garlic, minced
15. 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
16. 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
17. 1 cup julienned red bell pepper (capsicum)
18. 15 g mung bean sprouts
19. 10 g sliced garlic chives

Directions

1. If using dried rice stick noodles, soak them in warm water to cover for 30 minutes and then drain.
2. Slice the beef across the grain into strips 4 inches long by ¼ inch wide. In a bowl, combine the corn starch, salt, sugar, baking soda, 1 tablespoon water and beef strips and stir to mix. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. In another bowl, stir together the broth, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili ketchup. Set aside.
4. In a wok or large sauté pan over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil until very hot. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, 4-5 seconds. Add the onion and bell pepper and stir-fry until just tender, 3-4 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
5. Return the pan to high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and heat until very hot. Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade.
6. Add the beef to the pan and stir-fry until it just turns opaque, about 2 minutes. Transfer the beef to a colander and let drain.
7. Return the pan to high heat and add the fish sauce mixture. Bring to a boil and add the fresh or reconstituted noodles and the stir-fried vegetables. Cover and simmer until mot of the sauce has been absorbed by the noodles, about 2 minutes for fresh noodles and 4 minutes for dried.
8. Uncover, return the beef to the pan, and add the bean sprouts and garlic chives. Stir-fry until the meat is heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a warmed serving platter and serve at once.

Notes

Chocolate Decadence

This fabulous dessert is a legend in its own time. Although many have claimed to be the creator, it was in fact developed at Narsai’s restaurant in Berkeley, California, by chef Narsai David and pastry chef Janice Feuer. To be completely authentic, you should use Ghirardelli sweet dark chocolate.

Yield:

Makes one 8 or 9-inch cake; serves 12

Ingredients

1. For the raspberry sauce:
2. =====================
3. 2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries or thawed frozen unsweetened raspberries
4. 1/2 cup superfine sugar
5. 1/4 cup framboise or other raspberry-flavored liqueur (optional)
6. .
7. For the cake:
8. =====================
9. 1 lb. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
10. 10 Tbs. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
11. 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
12. 1 Tbs. sugar
13. 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
14. 1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Directions

1. To make the raspberry sauce, place the raspberries, sugar and framboise, if using, in a blender or in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Puree until smooth. If you prefer a seedless sauce, pass the puree through a sieve.
2. To make the cake, position a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat to 425ºF. Butter an 8 or 9-inch springform pan or a layer cake pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper or waxed paper cut to fit precisely. Butter the paper and dust with flour; tap out any excess.
3. Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl or the top pan of a double boiler. Set over a pan of gently simmering water but not touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted and combined completely. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
4. Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat until light, fluffy and tripled in volume, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg mixture into the chocolate to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg mixture, taking care not to deflate the batter. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
5. Bake for exactly 15 minutes. Let cool completely to room temperature. Do not refrigerate or the cake will stick to the pan. Invert the cake onto a flat serving plate and peel off the paper.
6. Cut into small wedges and serve each wedge atop some of the raspberry sauce. Top with whipped cream. Makes one 8 or 9-inch cake; serves 12.

Notes