Greek Gyro Bowl with Cauliflower Rice & Coconut Tzatziki makes for a satisfying low-carb/paleo entree.
Greek Gyro Bowl with Cauliflower Rice
This was inspired, as many of my low-carb creations are, by the consistently superb Kalyn’s Kitchen. I loved her Ground Beef Greek Meatballs as served in lettuce wraps, and decided to play around with the concept of low-carb variations on gyros.
Since I love lamb and it works so well in Greek dishes (especially gyros), I used a mixture of lamb and beef, though you could go all-in with one or the other, too, and served it atop my favorite mainstay: cauliflower rice. And hey, I thought, we’ve come this far without dairy – why not go all the way, full paleo, and make the tzatziki sauce with coconut yogurt? I wondered whether coconut flavor would overpowering, but I found it to work just fine.
GYRO BOWL WITH CAULIFLOWER RICE AND COCONUT YOGURT TZATZIKI
Tzatziki
2-3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon mint
2 cups coconut yogurt
1/2 large cucumber, seeded (save the other half for topping the bowl)
juice of one lemon (save the zest for the meat mixture)
Ground Gyro Mixture
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground lamb
1/2 onion, diced (save the other half for the rice)
1 1/2 tablespoons Greek Seasoning (I used Penzey’s)
1 teaspoon cumin
zest of aforementioned lemon
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Cauliflower Rice
1 tablespoon coconut oil
reserved half onion
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
3-4 cups of riced cauliflower (yield of one head)
Salt and pepper to taste
Start with the tzatziki – that way the flavors get to hang out and do that mellowing/deepening thing they do. Pulse the garlic, salt and mint together in a food processor until becoming a minced consistency. Add the coconut yogurt, cucumber and lemon juice and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat a large skillet over medium high. Add the beef and lamb together, breaking it up as it cooks. Once cooked through, strain off all excess fat except about 1-2 tablespoons. Set the meat mixture aside while you saute the diced onion in the reserved fat, cooking 5-6 minutes until softened and starting to brown. Stir in the Greek seasoning, cumin, lemon zest, and salt, then add the meat mixture back to the pan. Cook everything together for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep hot while you prep the cauliflower rice.
Almost done! Heat one tablespoon coconut oil in medium skillet, then add remaining half of the diced onion. Once softening and becoming golden, add in the riced cauliflower and cook for 6-8 minutes, until tender. Stir in the fresh chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Now put it all together! Spoon the rice into bowls, top with meat, drizzle with the tzatziki, add reserved cucumber and cherry tomatoes, and squeeze a little lemon juice over it all.
- COCONUT YOGURT TZATZIKI
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
- 2 cups coconut yogurt
- ½ large cucumber, seeded (save the other half for topping the bowl)
- juice of ½ lemon (save the zest for the meat mixture)
- GROUND GYRO MIXTURE
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground lamb
- ½ onion, diced (save the other half for the rice)
- 1½ tablespoons Greek Seasoning (I used Penzey's)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- zest of aforementioned lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- juice of remaining half lemon
- CAULIFLOWER RICE:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- reserved half onion
- 3-4 cups of riced cauliflower (yield of one head)
- ½ bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- Start with the tzatziki - that way the flavors get to hang out and do that mellowing/deepening thing they do. Pulse the garlic, salt and mint together in a food processor until becoming a minced consistency. Add the coconut yogurt, cucumber and lemon juice and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high. Add the beef and lamb together, breaking it up as it cooks. Once cooked through, strain off all excess fat except about 1-2 tablespoons. Set the meat mixture aside while you saute the diced onion in the reserved fat, cooking 5-6 minutes until softened and starting to brown. Stir in the Greek seasoning, cumin, lemon zest, and salt, then add the meat mixture back to the pan. Cook everything together for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep hot while you prep the cauliflower rice.
- Almost done! Heat one tablespoon coconut oil in medium skillet, then add remaining half of the diced onion. Once softening and becoming golden, add in the riced cauliflower and cook for 6-8 minutes, until tender. Stir in the fresh chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper.
- Now put it all together! Spoon the rice into bowls, top with meat, drizzle with the tzatziki, add reserved cucumber and cherry tomatoes, and squeeze a little lemon juice over it all.
Greek Gyro Bowl with Cauliflower Rice & Coconut Tzatziki #paleo #dairyfree #gf #lowcarb #5shift
— posted by Anne
