Rachael's Daytime Talk Show
The "Stamos" Gyro Burger With Greek Salad -- 08/28/07

The "Stamos" Gyro Burger With Greek Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground chicken breast or lamb
  • 5 or 6 sprigs (about 2 tablespoons) fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves removed and chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 tablespoon (half a palmful) coriander
  • 1/2 tablespoon (half a palmful) cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped and divided
  • Zest of 2 lemons, divided, and juice of half
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
  • Cavender's Greek Seasoning, a sprinkling
  • 4 crusty rolls
  • 1 cup good quality, thick Greek yogurt or plain yogurt with a dollop of sour cream mixed in
  • 1 large clove garlic, grated over the fine side of a grater or microplane, or finely chopped
  • 1 seedless cucumber, 1/4 of it peeled and finely chopped, the rest chopped into bite-size pieces
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup sliced peperoncini
  • 1/2 cup (about 10) kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
  • 5 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 1/3 pound crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 romaine lettuce hearts, chopped
  • 1 bag of gourmet chips

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

In a bowl, combine the ground chicken with the thyme, oregano, coriander, cumin cayenne pepper, 1/4 cup of the parsley, zest of one lemon, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.

Step

With the side of your hand, score the meat in the bottom of the bowl into 4 equal portions. Form each portion into 4 patties, each about 1-inch thick. Using your palm, make a small indentation in the center of each patty to prevent dreaded burger bulge when they cook up.

Step

Preheat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Sprinkle the patties with a little of the Cavender's Greek Seasoning and cook on each side for 6-7 minutes, or until cooked through.

Step

Place the rolls in the toaster or in the oven and toast until golden brown. While the burgers are cooking make the tzatziki: For the tzatziki, combine the yogurt, garlic and the finely chopped cucumber in a bowl. Add the juice of half a lemon and season with salt and pepper.

Step

For the salad, combine the bite-sized cucumber pieces, peperoncini, olives, tomatoes, red onion, green bell pepper, the remaining parsley, crumbled feta in a bowl. Add the juice of one and half lemons, a little salt and pepper and give it a healthy drizzle of EVOO. Toss to combine.

To serve, place the gyro burgers on top of the toasted buns, top with some lettuce and tzatziki. Serve with the Greek salad and some fancy chips alongside.