Gwinnett Daily Post

gy·ro noun ˈyē-ˌrō, ˈzhir-ō : a sandwich especially of lamb and beef, tomato, onion and yogurt sauce on pita bread

That's the definition according to Merriam-Webster, which means that my recipe is more of a spin-off from the traditional gyro — and I'm OK with that. It gets the job done. One day, when I have more kitchen space I'll buy one of the vertical, double-broiler gyro machines, but until then, this will have to work for me.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef (90 percent lean)

1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with a kitchen towel

1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

1 large tomato, chopped

Fresh spinach

6 oz. fat-free plain yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and pepper

6 pita breads (6-inches), halved (I chose wheat for a little extra fiber.)

Crumbled feta cheese

1) In a large skillet, brown the beef over medium heat. Add the thawed spinach and lemon-pepper seasoning. Set to the side.

2) In a bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Use the salt and pepper to taste.

3) Then, assemble. I toasted my pitas under the broiler, cut them in half and lined them with the fresh spinach — any type of green will work. I filled the bread with the the beef mixture and topped with feta and tomatoes. Really, you can add whatever you want — diced green onions, sliced black olives, anything. Serve with the yogurt sauce and a side salad.

Do you prefer lamb, beef or both for your gyro?