Souvlaki and Taztziki sauce Recipe

Having once been married to a Greek who hated Greek food, I for one love it, especially a well-cooked Souvlaki that is cook correctly. While many restaurants today add French fries to a souvlaki sandwich, the real Greek restaurants would never include them in their dishes. You see most people don’t know the difference between real Greek food and food established on the Greek Islands after the takeover by the Turks. Not only did I learn the history of Greek food, but also which foods were created under and changed by the Turks during their occupation. I also learned how to cook a variety of dishes from my former father-in-law, and perfected from a true Greek Chef. Now I don’t have to seek out a true Greek restaurant in my area to enjoy real Greek food. Although there are no real Greek or Italian restaurants in the heartland to enjoy real food, you have to make it yourself. Glad I know how to cook a variety of European, Mediterranean and Asian dishes to satisfy my various food cravings.    

To make a good souvlaki dish it starts off with a good marinade.  After cutting up cubes of pork loin I place them in either a Ziplock bag or air tight container overnight in a mixture of virgin olive oil, minced red onion, fresh garlic finely chopped, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and Greek oregano. Best to marinade for 24 hours for best results and taste.

I then slice up a white or yellow onion and sauté them in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil and slab of butter until golden brown. Then I throw in the pork and marinade into the pan and sauté up until the meat is also golden brown. Once cooked, I set it aside while I cut up some lettuce and tomato to add to my Souvlaki sandwich or dish.  The sandwich consists of white pita bread, lettuce, place the pork mixture on top, add cubed or sliced tomatoes on top. The Souvlaki just wouldn't be the same without freshly made tzatziki sauce drizzled on top.  

 

Tzatziki sauce Recipe:

1 Small English Cucumber Grated and Drained to remove excess liquid

Kosher Salt pinch

Garlic minced 2 tablespoons

White Vinegar ½ teaspoon

Virgin Olive Oil ½ teaspoon

Plain Greek Yogart or Sour Cream 1 cup

White Pepper pinch

Fresh Dill to taste

In a large bowl, combine your minced garlic with the white vinegar and a little olive oil and mix. Add the drained cucumber mixture to a large bowl, Greek yogurt, pinch of kosher salt, a pinch of white black pepper, and chopped dill. Stir to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving

Serve Souvlaki over pita as stated above, but remember to add wedges of fresh lemon on the side. The freshness of the lemon on the dish makes it that much better. You can serve the meat  and onions over rice with a salad on the side to make this a dinner meal, versus a lunch sandwich.

As they say in Greece, απολαμβάνω which means Enjoy!

Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, journalist. business professional, and creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a Masters in Criminology and a BS in Business Management who stepped out of the loop for a while, but who is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel, photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.