Beet Veggie Burger Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

I’m not going to sit here and tell you I’ve been craving meat less and veggies more these days (I have). I’m not going to sit here and say I wasn’t in search of a way to showcase my favorite vegetable, the beet (I was). And I’m certainly not going to sit here and tell you I’ve been mentally preparing to sneak a meat-free dinner onto my husband’s plate (I have).

Alright. Guilty as charged.

I don’t know what it is with me lately. I blame Providence, RI for my sudden shift toward vegetarian and vegan delights. You see, when I lived in Syracuse most of the restaurants snubbed the vegetarian/vegan eater with pasta primavera or marinated portobello mushrooms. That’s all well and good, I suppose, but at some point I imagine that gets very boring. And to me – the die hard meat eater- pasta and mushrooms aren’t enough to sway me to the dark (or light?) side of vegetarianism. That’s where Providence comes in. Maybe it’s the fact that Johnson & Wales University manufactures amazing chefs by the hundoes each year, or maybe it’s just that Providence gets it. Whatever the case, every restaurant I’ve been to in Providence offers really creative vegetarian and vegan entrees. I mean, how can you stick your nose up at a spicy sweet potato and black bean burger, or a ridiculously good winter vegetable stir fry with peanut sauce? You can’t. Or at least I couldn’t. For the first time(s) in my life I’ve given up steak in favor of vegetables. TWICE.

On my life’s journey with food, I’ve found my identity as a home cook through certain defining food moments: The filet Oscar I scarfed down on the line while waiting tables at the Big Moose Inn twenty years ago; My mother-in-law’s mixed greens salad topped with fruit sixteen years ago; the Caribbean seafood stew I indulged in at The Seventh Lake House at our anniversary dinner five years ago; and now the cauliflower dip I ordered on a waitress recommendation from Julian’s Restaurant in Providence last month. Each of these experiences shifted my paradigm about food, almost transcendentally. From someone else’s creations I was emboldened to cook something new, something different, something opposite of what I’ve created with food prior. I was – and still am – very much like Ratatouille’s Remi in that regard.

Ever since my last (two) times at Julian’s where I ordered an entirely vegan meal by desire, I’ve been wracking my brain to find ways to create a vegetarian meal at home. Enter the bundle of beets I had in the fridge last week. I’d purchased them with the idea that I would roast them and put them in a soup. I recognized shortly thereafter that the beautiful reddish-purple hue of the beets that I love so much would leak out into the soup and make it look like blood. Yuck! No, thanks. Luckily, I was smart enough to think of that tidbit before diving into my inane idea.

But I was left with the predicament of a bundle of beets in need of a recipe. In my mind, everyone roasts them; that’s not very creative, despite its deliciousness. I could have taken the easy route and pickled them because pickled beets are amazing on everything. I’ve done that before and didn’t want to go down that road again just yet. Pickling season is, to me, in the fall. That left me with one last idea – a beet burger “gyro”! In my mind, the purple color of the beet would contrast nicely with a white tzatziki sauce and green lettuce (and if you haven’t noticed yet, I cook with a color palette in mind). The only caveat was that I’ve never in my life crafted a veggie burger and had absolutely no idea how to start my concoction. I needed a little help, so I looked to the Minimalist Baker for some guidance. The essence of the beet burger (below) is her recipe. To make this taste like a gyro, I had to change the spices in her original recipe. Otherwise, what you see in the burger is hers, just manipulated differently in the end. And man…it was absolutely delicious! It was also the first time everinmylife that I was able to get Adam to eat a meatless meal. And he loved it! In fact, since first making these, he’s asked me to make them again. Never did I think I’d see the day.

I’d love for you to try these for yourself. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! They are perfectly savory while maintaining a freshness you typically associate with Mediterranean foods. Give me a shout out if you make these! Facebook message me, comment below, or share your food pics with me on Instagram (@simplyrhody). I’d love to hear from you!

Beet Veggie Burger Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Serves: 6
Level: Easy

Ingredients:

2 – 4 oz. container plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 English cucumber, finely diced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. mint, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 c. cooked quinoa
1 – 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. beets, raw and grated
1 c. baby Bella mushrooms, finely chopped
3/4 c. red onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs or ground walnuts (for gluten free)
2 tsp. gyro spice mix (*see note below)
6 Greek pocketless pitas
6 Tbsp. hummus, for garnish
1/2 c. halved grape tomatoes, for garnish
1/2 c. red onion, finely sliced, for garnish
6 leaves of Romaine lettuce, for garnish

Directions:

Combine first five ingredients (yogurt, lemon juice, cucumber, salt, mint) and stir together until incorporated. Refrigerate tzatziki sauce for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-heat, and then saute onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and continue cooking until mushrooms soften and slightly brown, about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and combine with black beans into a large mixing bowl. Roughly mash the black bean mixture, and let cool slightly. Add quinoa, beets, gyro spice mix and panko breadcrumbs (or ground walnuts). Use a clean hand to incorporate the ingredients together (Watch out! Your hand will turn purple. You may want to wear a glove!).

Once the ingredients are all well-incporporated, take 9 palm-size handfuls of the burger mixture and roll them into balls. Flatten and shape out the balls to about 1/4″-1/2″ thickness. Using the same skillet you used to saute the onions and mushrooms, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear both sides of the beet burger, approximately 2 minutes each side. Transfer seared burgers to an aluminum foil-lined pan lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray. Place in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, carefully flipping them about halfway through the cooking process. Cook longer for a crispier burger if desired.

Arrange flatbreads on plates. Spread 1 tablespoon of hummus on each flatbread. Top with sliced onions, a small handful of halved tomatoes and 1 leaf of Romaine lettuce per flatbread. Cut beet burgers in half and place 1-1/2 beet burgers on top of the garnish on each flatbread. Spread 1-2 tablespoons of tzatziki sauce over the top. Fold the flatbread in half and serve.

An excellent complement to this dish is an arugula salad with sliced strawberries and walnuts on top.

** Gyro Spice Mix

I absolutely love this mix, though when I make it, I bite the bullet and make a small spice jar full of the stuff. Because I use a lot of spices in my cooking, I’ve found this nice to have on hand if I create an impromptu Greek dish. It’s simple – just measure out the spices and mix up in a bowl. Store in an airtight container until you need it and voila!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. hot cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. ground cinnamon