Meatball Gyros

This morning I did a few of the little things I've been wanting to do, but have been too hurried lately to actually take time for. Besides the usual feeding and watering of all the animals, I took time for holding the newly hatched chicks and growing rabbits, and doling out treats of leftover pancakes for the little piggy, comfrey for the rabbits, and kitchen scraps for the chickens. I also rotated the flock into a fresh pasture, then watered the blueberry bushes, and cleaned all the rabbit trays.



It's been awhile since I baked bread, but after coming back inside, I pulled out my big green bowl I use for making bread. I added Bob's Red Mill 5-grain rolled cereal to the basic ingredients of yeast, water, buttermilk, honey, egg, and flour, mixed and kneaded it all into a soft bread dough, and then left it to rise. We have a small radiant heat panel mounted on the wall in a closet where a small bed barely fits. It is a funky little extra sleeping space with a tiny window that some visitors find absolutely charming -and others find claustrophobic. It is the perfect spot for raising bread dough...



...and keeping newly hatched chicks like these (click here) for their first few days (we have nine so far this morning!). Of course, I don't brood chicks, proof bread, AND sleep guests all at the same time in it -it's a VERY small space- but I did put my bread dough in the warm closet with the wee little peeping chicks this morning.



I cut up a chicken and put the pieces and marinade ingredients for Chicken Marbella (click here) into a gallon Ziploc bag to marinate in the fridge for a few days. I also cut duck breast into strips and put them into a (different) Ziploc bag to marinate for Sesame-Hoisin Wraps tonight, and I made and froze some beef meatballs for making these gyros for tomorrow night (or possibly this weekend in which case they will go into yet another Ziploc bag). If I ignore my to-do list that gets longer with each passing day, and all the weeding and housecleaning left undone, I ALMOST feel as if I'm on top of things here! ALMOST.



Meatball Gyros
1 to 1 1/4 lbs ground beef or lamb
1/2 finely minced onion'
4 pressed garlic cloves
1 egg
2 T. yogurt and whey
2-3 T. olive oil
1 T. each lemon juice, dried oregano, mint and parsley
1/2 c. Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. ground black pepper
Combine, form meatballs, and freeze overnight. Put into a gallon Ziploc bag if not using right away.

To cook, line a baking sheet with foil, spray or oil and arrange meatballs on pan and bake 425 degrees for 15-25 minutes or until done, OR pan fry in a caste iron skillet.
To serve, tuck a few meatballs into a pita bread along with a few tomato and cucumber slices, a bit of diced onion, and some shredded lettuce. Drizzle with Greek Yogurt Sauce (Tzatsiki) and top with crumbled feta.



Greek Yogurt Sauce
Combine:
1 1/2 c. plain yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated
1 pressed garlic clove
1-2 T. minced fresh dill weed
1-2 T. red wine vinegar or lemon juice
1-2 T. olive oil
1/2 - 1 t. salt