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Gyros

Here is a wonderful note I recently received from a client.

"Dear Maria,

I have looked everywhere on your site for an e-mail address I finally found this one. I just want to share my story and why I am so thankful for you! I am 25 I was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure shortly after giving birth to my daughter in 2010. As a child I was overweight but then I went on the Atkins diet when I was in the 7th grade and lost a lot of weight. I wasn't heavy until I became pregnant with my daughter and gained nearly 80lbs. After I had her I really struggled with weight loss turning again to Atkins having to watch sugar and carbs because of the diabetes. Atkins is a great program but it was very limiting to me. If I had a sweet tooth I always turned back to regular junk food or Atkins bars which aren't much better. I kept on my Atkins diet through the summer of 2011 and did lose some weight but then Halloween came around and I was right back to the junk food. By the end of October I weighed 140 and I am only 5'2. I found your site through Pinterest looking for low carb recipes and my life has been changed using your recipes and ingredients I have lost 20 pounds and getting close to my ideal weight for my height but more importantly my blood sugar levels are completely normal and my blood pressure is normal as well! If I need something sweet I make one of your recipes and have discovered all the new things I CAN eat! I have become my family's food guide. I make sure my daughter eats very healthy so that hopefully she doesn't acquire the problems that I have had. I am so inspired by you and I honestly feel like you have made the biggest difference in my life. I want to thank you for helping me improve my health!

Thanks,

Amanda"

Here is a photo of one of my herb gardens. They make the most flavorful marinades! Plus herbs and spices should always be organic. One way we save money is growing our own herbs.

"HEALTHIFIED" PITA BREAD

1 1/4 cup blanched almond flour (or 1/2 cup coconut flour)

5 TBS psyllium husk powder (no substitutes)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
3 egg whites (8 egg whites if using coconut flour) ...any fat will cause the bread to be "gummy"
2 1/2 TBS apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup boiling veggie broth OR water (broth adds flavor)

OPTIONAL: 1 tsp garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the almond or coconut flour, psyllium husks, salt, baking powder and spices. Add the eggs and vinegar. Stir continuously as you add the hot broth or water. Combine until very smooth. Separate into 3 even balls of dough. Flatten the dough into 'pita' shapes. Place the pita dough onto a greased cookie sheet (I used THIS coconut oil spray). Bake at 325º for 45-55 minutes or until done throughout (this will depend on how thick the pitas are). Let cool, then cut each pita in 1/2. Use for gyros! Yum! Makes 6 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per pita)

Traditional Pita Bread = 170 calories, 3g fat, 2g protein, 35 carbs, 3g fiber (32 effective carbs)

"Healthified" Almond Flour Pita = 170 calories, 12g fat, 7g protein, 9g carbs, 6g fiber (3 effective carbs)
"Healthified" Coconut Flour Pita = 99 calories, 3.9g fat, 5g protein, 10g carbs, 7g fiber (3 effective carbs)

GYRO MEAT:

1/4 cup macadamia nut or olive oil

2 TBS lemon juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp Celtic sea salt and pepper

1/2 tsp dried marjoram

1/8 tsp ground dried thyme

1/8 tsp ground dried rosemary

1/8 tsp dried oregano

1 lb boneless lamb (or beef) shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes

SAUCE:

1 cup plain yogurt or coconut kefir (click HERE to read about kefir vs yogurt!)

1/2 cucumber, shredded

1 clove garlic, minced

1 TBS lemon juice

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

4 (10 inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes

TOPPINGS:

1 tomato, sliced

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup organic lettuce

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Whisk together the oil, 2 TBS lemon juice, crushed garlic, 1 tsp salt and pepper, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and oregano in a bowl, and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the cubed lamb, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator 12 to 24 hours. Once the meat has finished marinating, remove from the refrigerator, and allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare the tzatziki sauce by whisking together the yogurt (if you use Coconut Kefir, which I recommend, add 1/8 tsp guar gum/xanthan gum to thicken) and cucumber in a mixing bowl along with 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 TBS lemon juice, and 1 tsp salt. Cover the sauce and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 4 inches from the heat source. Remove the lamb cubes from the marinade. Discard the remaining marinade. Spray a broiling pan with cooking spray, thread the meat onto the skewers, and place the skewers onto the prepared pan. Broil under the preheated broiler to your desired degree of doneness, turning every few minutes so the meat cooks evenly. It should take about 10 minutes to cook the meat to medium-well.

To assemble the sandwiches, cut each piece in half, and open up the pockets. Divide the tomato and onion slices among the pocket bread halves. Stuff with lettuce, then fill with the broiled lamb. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese, and top with the tzatziki sauce to serve. Makes 4 sandwiches.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per gyro)

Traditional Gyro = 497 calories, 24g fat, 40.6g protein, 43g carbs, 4g fiber

"Heathified" Gyro using yogurt sauce = 440 calories, 26g fat, 40.6g protein, 14g carbs, 8g fiber
"Healthified" Gyro using kefir sauce = 399 calories, 21g fat, 38g protein, 12.5g carbs, 8g fiber

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