Gyro Spiced Lamb Bowl

We took a little cake break, but I’m back at it with the #WhereHasChrissyBeen food tour. Yes, we’re still doing that.  I’m keeping it going with this Gyro Spiced Lamb Bowl and my trip to….Germany?

Yup, you read that right! While you might be expecting me to regale you with the deliciousness of Germany via roasted chicken, strudel, or Linzer cookies, I’m taking it back to Germany, Oktoberfest, circa 2009 and 2010. Yes, we loved it so much the first year we went back for a second. Anyhoo, Oktoberfest 2010 is still one of my favorite vacations ever.  Aside from the dirndls, the oversized beer steins, the sneaking into tents with two of my best girls to dance on tables and sing Frank Sinatra, some of the more memorable moments happened after we left the park.

I’m not sure how it is now, but the Oktoberfest grounds usually closed around 10-10:30 PM and what are three hungry, drunk girls who did not have the forethought to eat AT the fairgrounds (or, wanted to but realized it too late and everything was closed) to do?

Eat at the train station.

Yes, the Munich Haupftbahnhoff is one of the great culinary delicacies that we hit up more than one time on our travels there over the years. It’s where we first ate and fell in love with the OG Linzer cookie, and where spits of meaty smells wafted through the air, calling our drunk asses home to sop up some beer and satiate the late night cravings. Which is why, for Germany, part of my mind wanders to the delicious gyro.

The other part of my mind wanders to roast chicken. See that link above for the telling of that tale.

Anyway, this is not a gyro in the traditional sense, as you can see. This borrows traditional gyro flavors, and I transfer it to bowl form to fit my current appetite. Formatting to fit my tired and true salad combo, I’ve added roasted tomatoes, roasted squash, sautéed red cabbage (in my nod to Germany), feta, parsley and chickpeas for a complete Mediterranean appetite.

The star of this show is the spiced, ground lamb, sautéed stovetop while everything else works in the oven.  The finished components come together nicely and make the perfect meal prep for a week full of tasty lunches or dinner.

So, while this might be a bit of a surprise flavor combo from my memories of my trips to Germany so long ago, I hope at last this inspires you to hit up the smorgasbord that is the Munich train station. Neither it, nor this bowl, will disappoint. 

Gyro Spiced Lamb Bowl

April 2, 2021

Total: 1 hr 30 min

Difficulty: Medium

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This gyro spiced lamb bowl brings together the flavors of a favorite hand held and brings them together in a delicious bowl!

By: Chrissy

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1/2 TB olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp Greek oregano
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2# butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1 cms pieces
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
• 3 TB olive oil
• 4 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 can chick peas, drained
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup or more fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 375F.
• Step 2 On a rimmed cake sheet pan, add the butternut squash, 2 1/2 TB olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.
• Step 3 On a pie plate, add the tomatoes and add 1/2 TB oil.
• Step 4 Bake the squash and tomatoes for approximately one hour.
• Step 5 While the veggies roast, prep the rest. To a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the remaining olive oil and onion. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the lamb and garlic and spices and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is cooked through. Remove from the pan.
• Step 6 To the same pan, without wiping it out, add the garbanzo beans. Mix so that the beans are coated thoroughly in the remaining lamb seasonings. Cook until the beans have dried and have a bit of texture, about 7 minutes. Remove from the pan.
• Step 7 Finally, add the red cabbage and cook until completely wilted, about 10 minutes. Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste if there isn’t enough left in the pan. Add the lemon juice and continue cooking until soft.
• Step 8 Assemble your gyro bowl by dividing all the ingredients into four bowls, making a circular rainbow with the squash, beans, lamb, cabbage, topping it all with the cheese and fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy!