In The Beginning.....Chicken Gyro Meat & Tzatziki Sauce

Do you ever pick up a book, look at the cover and say, "I just want a little sneak peek at how this book is going to end."

Well, that photo up there, that is your sneak peek at how this blog post is going to end.

And just to let you know how good the ending is....This recipe is going to be placed in the fire proof safe.

I have changed my eating, and I wanted to share with you what I have been putting in my body.

1 cup of cooked oatmeal, sweetened with a little pumpkin butter, coffee (I can't give up my coffee), and a Light and Fit yogurt with 1/2 TBS milled flax seed added to it.

This breakfast is a huge achievement for me because I am not a breakfast eater. I have to force myself to eat in the mornings. But to start the metabolism, I have to eat breakfast.

Lunch was a salad with onion, black olives, feta cheese, drizzled with a Greek vinegairette dressing, and ham rolls with cream cheese inside.

Now comes the good stuff.

Are you ready?

Hold on tight, because here we go.....

That is shredded cucumber and garlic. It is laying on paper towels because the cucumber shreds have to be dry to make the Tzatziki sauce.

When the shreds are dry I add them to plain Greek yogurt. Then add salt, and lemon juice.

Let me tell you the story about the first time I tasted Tzatziki sauce....

I was on vacation in Alaska (that's where my big brother lives), and his wonderful son Michael made the sauce for everyone to try. We dipped French bread pieces in it. The Tzatziki sauce that my Nephew made was a true Greek Tzatziki sauce.

I had yet to run across the exact same recipe until I was visiting Sweet Pea's Kitchen (take a look). Her recipe was very close to the one my nephew made. I decided that I just had to try it.

Sweet Pea's recipe didn't call for olive oil though. You have to have olive oil in Tzatziki sauce. So I drizzled about 1 1/2 TBS into my sauce.

I stirred everything together, and lookie there.....Tzatziki sauce. I can now officially call myself Greek.

Since I am watching my carbs, and Sweet Pea made an awesome chicken gyro, I couldn't resist. I am going to eat a chicken gyro without the pita.

Yup, who says you can't plate the innards of a chicken gyro and eat it?

The chicken is marinated in yogurt and seasonings. I cut my chicken in chunks and let it sit in the marinade.

While the chicken is marinading, I got all my veggie toppings and cheese ready.

I packed my George full with the chicken chunks and grilled them.

Doesn't that look delicious???

I enjoyed every last bite without the pita bread. Didn't even miss it. I will eat it again the exact same way. I think I might just go get more....

Does that tell you anything? Delish, Fantastic, Out of this world, Awesome, Amazing!!

Tzatziki Sauce

1 seedless cucumber, shredded (peeled or unpeeled)

1 (16 oz.) container plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice

4 garlic cloves, minced

Drizzle 1 1/2 TBS extra virgin olive oil on top

Shred cucumber. Place in paper towels and squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible. The shreds stick to the paper towels, so you kind of have to shake them off. Place the dry cucumber in a medium bowl, add the Greek yogurt, salt, lemon juice, and garlic. Drizzle olive oil on top and stir. Cover and refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Chicken Gyros

1 1/4 pounds, boneless, skinless chicken breast (I used 3 halves, cut in big chunks)

4 cloves garlic, smashed

juice of one lemon

2 tsp. red wine vinegar

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

2 heaping TBS plain yogurt (all I had on hand was vanilla, it worked)

1 TBS dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

tzatziki sauce

1 tomato, chopped

thin sliced red onion

crumbled feta cheese

In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, and oregano. Add chicken and refrigerate for about an hour, stir occasionally.

Preheat a George Forman grill. Remove chicken chunks from marinade and grill (using chicken cooking time for the George Forman).

Pile chicken chunks on a plate, top with red onion, tomato, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce.

Eat and enjoy!!

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth didn't have any shape. And it was empty. Darkness was over the surface of the ocean. At that time, the ocean covered the earth. The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." Genesis 1:1-2