A Beef Shawarma sandwich or plate! Yum! It’s one of my favorites. It’s one of the things I always order when I find myself at a Middle Eastern restaurant anywhere in the world.
Shawarma is sort of like the Greek Gyro or Turkish Doner Kebab; it’s a cone of seasoned meat or meats that’s cooked on a vertical spit. Typically beef, lamb, and chicken are combined to form the large hunk of meat which is slowly grilled as it turns on its axis on the vertical spit. Pieces of cooked meat are shaved off and stuffed in a pita with sauces, veggies, and pickles or placed on a plate with a serving of salad, hummus, rice, and pita bread.
I believe Shawarma started out as Middle Eastern street food where the sandwiches can be taken to go and eaten on as you go. But these days you’ll find mixed meats, beef, and chicken shawarma on fast food and restaurant menus throughout the Middle East and beyond.
We love this tasty dish so much that we make it at home since there really aren’t any good Middle Eastern restaurants where we live. Recently I’ve started making Beef Shawarma in my Instant Pot! It’s the easiest and fastest way to make it!
We usually make Beef Shawarma sandwiches but we’ve also made Beef Shawarma plates and bowls. We also use the leftover meat to top hummus, assuming we havhttp://www.savvynana.com/wp-admin/e leftovers that is!
But really the secret to this Beef Shawarma that tastes like you got it from a Middle Eastern restaurant isn’t in the way it’s cooked, the secret’s in the spice mix that’s rubbed on the meat! Marinating the meat overnight ensures that the meat is infused with the exotic flavors of the spices. Cooking it in the Instant Pot just makes the cooking process faster, but you can actually make it in the oven or on a grill if you don’t own this handy dandy electric pressure cooker.
Once you make the Beef Shawarma you can make it into a sandwich and top with your favorite toppings such as hummus, tahini sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, and I love it with Tzatziki sauce! (I know I’m mixing Arabic and Greek foods, but who cares? It tastes great!)
Using a small knife drill 12 holes all over your roast
Stuff a garlic half in each hole
Mix Shawarma Spice Mix with 2 Tbs. ACV and 1 Tbs. Olive Oil
Rub this spice mixture all over the roast then place the meat in a covered dish or ziplock bag and let rest in the fridge for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. I find that overnight works well.
30 minutes before cooking set the meat on the counter and let the temperature go down to room temperature
Place remaining olive oil in instant pot and set pot to saute
Sear the meat on all sides for about 5-8 minutes per side
Add beef broth and remaining ACV to the pot
Cover making sure the valve is set to sealing
Set pot on Manual and adjust time to 60 minutes
When pot turns off allow pressure to release naturally
When pot is completely depressurized carefully open the lid and remove the meat
Shred the meat and place in a bowl or baking sheet. At this point you can use the meat to make sandwiches, plates, or bowls. Or if you prefer you can crisp the ends by sprinkling a bit of the broth over the meat and popping the pan in the oven to broil on high for 10 minutes or just until the ends turn darker brown. If you are crisping it keep a close eye on the meat as it will burn quickly in the broiler.
Store any leftovers with a bit of broth to keep it from drying out. Reheat in the microwave or in the over, drizzle some of the broth over the meat before reheating.
Gyros seem to be getting trendy, even the fast food chains are putting them on their menus. Makes sense I guess since Gyro (pronounced YEE-roh) can be considered fast food meaning you can grab a sandwich and eat it on the go. Gyro meat can be either beef, pork, chicken, lamb, or a combination of these meats. The meat is usually ground up and cooked on a vertical spit then thin slices are shaved off as needed to make plates or sandwiches. Having grown up in New York City gyros have always been a familiar food, I remember seeing the big hunks of meat rotating behind a window at the corner deli or diner. Anyway trendy or not we love Gyros, specially beef gyros!
We always grab a gyro or two when we’re in Greece and sometimes in NYC, I mean it’s not like we’re going to set up a huge vertical spit and roast meat for hours. That’s why the Instant Pot is a great addition to my kitchen! I can make Beef Gyros anytime I have a yen for them. The beef gyros made in my Instant Pot tastes pretty authentic and can be made in about half an hour! Doesn’t beat a trip to Athens or Santorini, but it hits the spot!
The Beef Gyros I make in the Instant Pot are tender, juicy, and tasty; in short perfect! We slather the pita with homemade Tzatziki, a creamy cucumber yogurt sauce, then fill it with meat and veggies, delicious!
Here’s the recipe for Instant Pot Beef Gyros and Tzatziki Sauce, hope you love it as much as we do!
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The Beef
Ingredients:
2 Lbs. Chuck roast sliced into thin strips about 1/4″ long – cut meat against the grain
1 Large White Onion thinly sliced
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tbs. Garlic Powder
1 Tbs. Oregano
1 Tsp. Sea Salt
1 Tsp. Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Beef Broth
Shredded Iceberg or Romaine Lettuce
Sliced Tomatoes
Sliced Purple Onion
Sliced Cucumbers
1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
Fresh Pita Bread or Naan
Directions:
Place all the ingredients except the Pita, Lettuce, and Tomato in the Instant Pot
Cover and make sure the valve is in the “Sealing” position
Turn pot on to Manual – high pressure
Set timer to 30 minutes
Once timer goes off allow the pot to sit for 15 minutes. Then switch the valve to “venting” and allow the pot to depressurize.
Remove cover and stir.
While you’re waiting for the meet to cook make your Tzatziki Sauce and prepare your veggies
Place shredded lettuce, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions on a dish and sprikle with Apple Cider Vinegar then set aside until ready to use
Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Cup Finely chopped cucumbers – remove seeds before chopping
1 Cup plain whole milk yogurt
2 Tbs Fresh Dill chopped
1 Tsp Garlic finely minced
1/4 Tsp Salt
Directions:
Take the cucumbers and squeeze out the liquid. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
Place cucumber in bowl and add in rest of the ingredients and mix very well.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Sandwich assembly:
Cover pita bread with a damp paper towel and warm in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds
Place one pita bread flat on a piece of aluminum foil
Spread bread with Tzatziki Sauce
Place a layer of shredded lettuce over sauce
Remove desired amount of meat from pot and drain liquid then place over lettuce
Add cucumber, onion, and tomato slices on top then add more tzatziki sauce if desired
Roll sandwich and foil, use the foil to hold the sandwich together. Peel off foil as you eat.
You can also make a plate or bowl instead of a sandwich. Any left over tzatziki can be used a dip, just place in a dish or bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Dip pita chips in the sauce for a great snack or appetizer!
Place all the ingredients except the Pita, Lettuce, and Tomato in the Instant Pot
Cover and make sure the valve is in the "Sealing" position
Turn pot on to Manual - high pressure Set timer to 30 minutes
Once timer goes off allow the pot to sit for 15 minutes. Then switch the valve to "venting" and allow the pot to depressurize.
Remove cover and stir.
While you're waiting for the meet to cook make your Tzatziki Sauce and prepare your veggies
Place shredded lettuce, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions on a dish and sprikle with Apple Cider Vinegar then set aside until ready to use
Tzatziki Sauce
Take the cucumbers and squeeze out the liquid. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
Place cucumber in bowl and add in rest of the ingredients and mix very well.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assembly
Cover pita bread with a damp paper towel and warm in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds
Place one pita bread flat on a piece of aluminum foil
Spread bread with Tzatziki Sauce
Place a layer of shredded lettuce over sauce
Remove desired amount of meat from pot and drain liquid then place over lettuce
Add cucumber, onion, and tomato slices on top then add more tzatziki sauce if desired
Roll sandwich and foil, use the foil to hold the sandwich together. Peel off foil as you eat.
I babysit my twin grandbabies 3-4 days a week, and they are adorable handfuls! They keep me so busy that it’s hard to find the time to make dinner, that’s about when they get a wee bit fussy. Many days my husband and son pick-up dinner on their way home, but there’s really nothing like a home cooked meal.
To keep us fed and the twins happy I’ve turned to my crock pot. It makes my life so much easier, it’s a great way to multi-task. I toss ingredients in it in the morning before the twins arrive and have dinner ready in the evening. My crock pot is even big enough to cook food for my son and his wife, so I pack some up to go. I just have to keep reminding them to bring back the containers if they want more home cooked meals!
Beef Stew is one of the best things to cook in a crock pot. The slow cooking process makes the meat tender and tasty so you don’t have to use the more expensive cuts of meat. I’ve made stews on the stove, most of the recipes I’ve come across involves dredging the meat in flour, just an extra messy step in my opinion. My crock pot stew doesn’t involve dredging, I just toss all the ingredients in the pot and my stew comes out just as good, if not better.
Beef stew is just one of those comfort foods that I need every so often, specially when it’s chilly outside. I know that sounds weird if you know I live in Hawaii, but has been getting quite chilly at my house, at least for me. I wear a sweater when the temperature drops to 60!
My family, like most folks in the islands, eat stew with steamed white rice. You can serve this stew with rice, or any other starch you prefer. Hope your family loves it the way my family does! Enjoy!
The Best Crock Pot Beef Stew
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
3 1/2 lbs. chuck roast
1 lb. bag baby carrots
3 large celery stalks
6 small or medium sized potatoes ( I prefer Yukon Gold or the Red Skinned ones)
1 large onion
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbls. rosemary (dried or fresh)
1 tbls. oregano (dried or fresh)
3 tbls. cornstarch
sea salt to taste
Directions:
1. Cut roast into 1″ chunks trimming off fat.
2. Wash celery stalks and slice into 2″ sections.
3. Scrub potatoes well and cut in half, then cut halves into 4 chunks each.
4. Toss everything, including baby carrots, into the crock pot.
5. Sprinkle with spices.
6. Pour vegetable broth and 1 cup beef broth over all.
7. Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup beef broth and pour over all.
8. Stir everything together making sure the cornstarch mixture is well distributed.
9. Cover pot and set on slow cook for 8-10 hours.
Serve when ready. Store leftovers in airtight container in the refrigerator. Believe me you’ll want to make extra just for leftovers, it tastes even better the next day!
Scrub potatoes well and cut in half, then cut halves into 4 chunks each.
Toss everything, including baby carrots, into the crock pot.
Sprinkle with spices.
Pour vegetable broth and 1 cup beef broth over all.
Dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/2 cup beef broth and pour over all.
Stir everything together making sure the cornstarch mixture is well distributed.
Cover pot and set on slow cook for 8-10 hours.
Serve when ready.
Recipe Notes
Store leftovers in airtight container in the refrigerator. Believe me you'll want to make extra just for leftovers, it tastes even better the next day!
If you’ve a yen for some comfort food nothing is more comforting than this Italian Herb Pot Roast. It’s delicious, filling, and oh so easy to make!
I make this Italian Herb Pot Roast in the crockpot. All you have to do is toss in all the ingredients, including the veggies, set the pot to slow cook, and when you come home your dinner’s ready!
What makes my Italian Herb Pot Roast different from all the other pot roast recipes out there? I add lots of garlic and a bit of Balsamic Vinegar to give it extra flavor. And since you’re throwing everything in the pot it’s really a complete meal. Best of all I use chuck roast, one of the least expensive cuts of meat. This meal isn’t only easy to make, it’s easy on the budget too!
Italian Herb Pot Roast is the perfect comfort food for rainy or snowy days. Served with a loaf of fresh crusty bread or even garlic knots it’s simply a delicious meal the whole family will enjoy!
So the next snowy or rainy day, or just because you feel the need for some good old fashioned comfort food haul out your crockpot and make some Italian Herb Pot Roast. Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients:
2-3 Lbs. Chuck Roast
4 Large Potatoes scrubbed clean and cut in quarters
2 Cups Baby Carrots
1 Large Onion cut into large chunks
6 Cloves Garlic finely minced
1 Tbls. Italian Seasoning
1 Tsp. Oregano
1 Tsp. Rosemary
1/2 Tsp. Thyme
2 Cups Beef Broth
1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
Directions:
Toss all the ingredients into a crock pot.
Stir gently making sure to get some of the liquid on top of the roast.
It seems like everyone’s lives are so busy these days, I know mine is. Finding time to cook can be challenging when I’m busy chasing after the 2 year old twins, Harper and Sadi. Actually keeping them safely out of the kitchen so I can cook is the biggest challenge! But now that my daughter Jenny and her sons, Dion and Devon, have moved back home with me preparing meals is a must. I usually cook dinner at least 4 nights a week, but now that they’re back we prepare 3 meals a day almost everyday.
In my life my Slow Cooker or Crock Pot has been a lifesaver! It really makes cooking dinner that much easier, toss everything in the pot in the morning, forget about it, and serve for dinner! One of my family’s favorite slow cooker dinners is Pot Roast.
It’s really the best way to make pot roast in my opinion. You can toss in just about any cut of meat, I like to use chuck roasts, and it turns out tender and juicy. For a bit of variety I like to add different herbs and spices to my pot roast. One of our favorites is this Italian Herb Pot Roast. We eat it with steamed white rice, but really it’s hearty enough to serve by itself, specially if you toss in lots of potatoes and other veggies.
Fresh herbs and Balsamic vinegar is the secret to this tasty pot roast. It’s a great way to use some of the herbs in my kitchen garden! If you don’t grown your own herbs you can buy some at your local farmer’s market or grocery store.
Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients:
3-4 Pound Chuck Roast
3 Cups Beef Broth
1 Cube Beef Broth – crush and stir into the liquid in the pot
2 Cups Baby Carrots
1 Large Onion – cut in chunks
6-8 Small Yukon Gold Potatoes – scrubbed clean, cut in half
A Beef Shawarma sandwich or plate! Yum! It’s one of my favorites. It’s one of the things I always order when I find myself at a Middle Eastern restaurant anywhere in the world.
