Lamb meatball pitas with tzatziki sauce

One of my resolutions for the year is to not only cook more, but cook outside my comfort zone.  Usually that translates to making ethnic food: foods I love to eat when I go out but am usually too afraid to attempt myself.  For Christmas, my sister got me a lovely gift basket filled with a variety of culinary delights including four different spice mixes.  One of those mixes was a Greek seasoning.  The other day it caught my eye and the first thing I thought of was gyros.  And once the idea was planted, it could no longer be removed, even by the Inception crew.  The only problem was how to tackle the protein.  Lamb in such an iconic dish needs to be prepared perfectly in order for the dish to be successful and I wasn't feeling THAT ambitious.  Instead I decided to dumb it down and create something even the most amateur cook is capable of doing: meatballs.  And really, who doesn't love a meatball sandwich in any context?  The result, well, it was spectacular.  The lamb meatballs were moist and flavorful and went perfectly with the warm pita, crunchy red onions and zesty tzatziki sauce. If you're a gyro fan, there's no reason not to make this dish for yourself.  It's quick, easy, and will satisfy just like the real thing.  

Recipe (makes 4)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Meatballs:

1 lb. ground lamb
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
3 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons of Greek seasoning (or 1 tsp each of ground coriander, cumin and cinnamon)
1 egg
1/2 cup panko or breadcrumbs
pinch of salt & pepper

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil for five minutes.  Let cool then add onion mixture to food processor and blend.  Add mixture to a large bowl along with all other ingredients and form into 1-1.5 inch meatballs.  Place on baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are fully cooked through.

Tzatziki sauce

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup light sour cream
1 English cucumber, peeled and grated (once grated, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over cucumber, let sit in colander for 10 minutes, then put it in cloth or paper towel and squeeze as much liquid out as possible)
3 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dried oregano or thyme
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. fresh mint
salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in food processor.  Adjust seasonings if needed.

Extras:

4 pitas
sliced red onion
sliced tomato
mint leaves for garnish

Spread a layer of tzatziki sauce onto pita then add meatballs, extra toppings, and more sauce.

...and if you're like me, you'll slather the final product with ketchup. Yep.