I’m not going to lie. Since switching to a whole food plant based diet, I don’t miss too much, but the one thing that I DO miss is the Greek gyro. The juicy slow cooked lamb seasoned with Greek spices combined with the juices of vegetables, such as tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and cucumbers and tzatziki produce a magical burst of flavor comparable to none other.
How can we recreate these flavors on a plant based diet?
I had heard so much about Trader Joe’s frozen falafels, so I decided to try them for myself to see if they could mimic those incredible flavors of yore. Some might argue that it’s like comparing apples to oranges, but when you give up meat you’ve got to make some compromises and be creative.
Trader Joe’s frozen falafels did not disappoint! Delicious!!!
A nice cucumber salad from the garden and homemade Tzatziki make this wrap pop! 😋
CUCUMBER SALAD
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cucumber
- 1 c chopped cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 c red onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- Feta cheese, vegan
- Italian Basil Dressing
- fresh basil
- salt and pepper
Tzatziki
- 1/2 c yogurt, vegan
- 2 tbs olive oil
- squeeze of fresh lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- sea salt
- 1/2 cucumber chopped
- fresh dill (parsley or mint optional)
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend for twenty seconds. This is the shortcut Tzatziki. No offense to the great chefs out there who rock the original, but this is a quick sandwich 🙂
Get ready! This is a messy sandwich!
METHOD
- Toast your pita
- Cook your falafel. You can either microwave for 2 minutes or put in the oven. (Be careful to not cook it in the microwave too long as it could overcook and get gummy)
- Stuff falafel and cucumber salad into the pita bread.
- Top with tzatziki!!!
Mmmm good !
