Steak Pitas with Cucumber-Tomato-Yogurt Sauce

These last few days have been real scorchers, and today is expected to be even worse.  So again, I want to minimalize my time in the kitchen and at the stove.  I put my thinking cap on to come with with a tasty, easy-peasy dish that would also be cool and refreshing on this blistering hot day.  Steak pita sandwiches was my thought for the day.  Besides, I had left over Romanian garlic steak that needed to be used, so this was a perfect choice.  I made some garlic fries and opened a bottle of a smooth red blend, and dinner was served.  I think my husband put to much sauce on his pita, but that’s the way he likes it, so who am I to say any different. And I have to admit, I like my food pretty saucy as well.  Other than frying the French fries in our mini- deep fryer and heating up the meat in the microwave, there was no additional cooking at all today, which is just perfect when the temperature soars and the mercury rises too high.   We added  garlic French fries, and voila, a simple, tasty, easy-peasy meal was served.  We love garlic French fries.  They are super easy to make as well.  Once they are fried, toss them together with minced garlic, salt and parsley while they are still hot.  Make them as garlicky as you dare.  These were an inspiration from the Gott’s restaurants found in Northern California.

 

Making the cucumber-tomato yogurt sauce.

Assembling the pita sandwiches.

These pitas were meant to be stuffed.  There are different kinds of pita breads, so make sure you purchase the “pocket pitas”.  Cut them in half, and fill them with your filling of choice.  I used red leaf lettuce, but you can use whatever type of lettuce you like.  Our pitas were stuffed with the red leaf lettuce, sliced tomatoes, red onions sliced very thin, the steak that I cut into small strips (it was a little under done even for me, and I love a good rare steak, but when we microwaved it, it cooked a bit more as well) and the cucumber-tomato-yogurt sauce.  I also added sliced avocado to mine.  If you like cheese, add cheese.  For this sandwich, and sticking to a Greek or Mediterranean theme, I would recommend using feta cheese, but again, use what you like.

Cucumber-Tomato-Yogurt Sauce

I did not have enough yogurt today, so I used a combination of yogurt and mayonnaise.  Don’t use miracle whip for this, just regular mayonnaise.  When cooking, yogurt and mayonnaise are often interchangeable in recipes.  If you don’t have one, use the other, or use a combination like I did.

3/4 cup yogurt

tomatoes, small dice

cucumber, small dice

1 TBSP garlic

red onion, small dice

1 TBSP lemon juice

black pepper to taste

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1-2 tsp paprika

fresh parsley, chopped fine

lemon verbena, chopped fine (optional)

 

Mix everything together and chill before serving.