Who remembers Gyro Wrap in the mall food courts from back in the day? My mama and mami used to own one back in the day and we used to eat there all the time. But it was an hour drive for us so we’d only go when we were in town visiting so my mom had to figure out how to make them at home.
Back then there wasn’t Google or anything to hop on to look up how to make a particular recipe so my mom made up her own. As I mentioned in my story, this gyro by no means is authentic at all. You might even think it’s a little strange, the different flavors are a slightly odd but trust me when I say they marry *very* well!! This is my disclaimer so don’t come at me with, “this isn’t a real gyro!” I very much know that it’s not Greek at all but it’s delicious and that’s what matters! It’s one of my favorites of my mom’s, so this one is near and dear to my heart.
So this recipe uses no oil! There’s so many veggies that it just cooks in it’s own juices that they naturally release. It’s basically done when about 95% of the water has cooked out. I like to leave a little so it’s not so dry. I know times are tough so you may not have all the veggies on hand but feel free to use whatever you have! There’s no right or wrong, it’s a good pantry recipe to use up whatever vegetables you have left. I hope you guys love this one as much as I do!
My Mom’s Gyro
Ingredients:
Veggie filling:
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, julienned
1 yellow squash, julienned
1 - 8 oz. pack mushrooms, sliced
2-3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2-3 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot or Texas Pete (any Louisiana-style hot sauce will work - NOT tabasco!)
To assemble:
Pita bread
Lettuce or choice of greens
Tomatoes
Onions (optional)
Cheddar cheese
Ranch dressing
Salsa (I like Old El Paso)
Habanero sauce (optional, I use my moms homemade but Yellowbird is really good too)
Directions:
1. In a wok or sauté pan over medium heat, add soy sauce and hot sauce, then add all veggies and mix well.
2. Sauté on high heat to release the water from veggies and let 95% of the liquid evaporate. Don’t let it get completely dry. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a skillet over medium heat, drizzle a few drops of oil and warm up the pita bread. Add cheese first so it melts then top with veggies. Remove from heat and finish topping with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Drizzle some ranch and salsa, and serve. You can add hot sauce if you want it spicier, tastes best with habanero sauce. Fold it in half and eat like a taco or have it open faced with a fork and knife. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to see your recreation! Please tag me @thecurriedcook or #thecurriedcook so I can see!