Juicy Marbles

Greek Lamb Pita

with Suvlaki-Style Meaty Meat, tzatziki and all the other fixings

It’s hard to believe there once existed a world without pita. Twas a wretched world. A world where bread and meat and cheese and yogurt passed each other by, like ships in the night. Bread went unstuffed. Veggies went uncradled by its warm, doughy embrace. Who knows how long this went on. But then, on a glorious day in Greece, one visionary bastard noticed that a precious, tiny air pocket had formed inside a morsel of flat bread. Drawn to the immense possibilities of such a pocket, they took everything that wasn’t nailed down and shoved it in. They stuffed it with tender chunks of juicy lamb, with crunchy vegetables, briny olives, big, glorious crumbs of feta cheese, and sprigs of bitter greenery (because one must even out the flavor profile). Imagine their first bite. The sun on their cheeks, breeze in their hair, and not a single email in sight. Carefree, golden, in the moment. We will never know this person. But one thing is for sure. We can honor their legacy by making this glorious adaptation. Wow. What a segue.

Ingredients

Suvlaki-style Lamb
• 1 Meaty Meat Lamb
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp dried Oregano
• ½ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Pepper

‍Tatziki
• 150 g Vegan greek style yogurt
• 400 g Cucumber (1 medium sized cucumber)
• ½ tsp salt for cucumber
• 1 Garlic clove
• 2 tsp Dill (fresh or dried)
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Pepper

Other
• 3 Pita breads
• Vegan Feta
• ½ Red onion
• 100 g Tomato
• A handful of arugula
• 20g Kalamata olives

30 MIN / SERVES 5-6 SANDWICHES

preparation

Souvlaki-style Lamb
1. Make a marinade by mixing 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp lemon juice, the zest of one lemon, 2 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper.
2. Chop the lamb into your desired shape and size. Place it in a bowl and let it marinate for 10–15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. When ready, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and pan-fry the lamb for 7–10 minutes, until nicely browned on all sides. Don’t forget to stir occasionally to prevent burning.

Tzatziki
1. Grate a cucumber, season with ½ tsp salt, and let it sit for 10 minutes to draw out the moisture. Squeeze it well to remove as much water as possible. You can use a dishcloth or a colander for this.
2. Peel and grate or press a garlic clove, and finely dice dill if using fresh.
3. Mix the grated cucumber, garlic, dill, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Place the mixture in the fridge to chill while you prepare the rest.

Sandwich Assembly
1. Prepare the rest of your ingredients: crumble feta cheese, thinly slice ½ a red onion, chop a tomato, wash the arugula, and pit the Kalamata olives.
2. To assemble the sandwich, slice the pita bread in half and generously stuff it with all the components—so full that it might qualify as a carry-on bag. Seriously, pack it until it’s groaning under the weight of its deliciously absurd cargo, because moderation is for yoga retreats, not lunch.