Tzatziki Meatloaf Rollup

Tzatziki

We  recently had gyros-in-a-kit which came with a serving of tzatziki. Just take a look at the nutrition facts for tzatziki...there isn't a better and more delicious condiment for those of us who are watching our carb intake! By making it at home, I was able to cut down the calories per serving to 18 calories, sodium to 20 mg., cholesterol to 2 mg., total carbs to 1.5 g and sugars to 0 g. This I did by using fat-free Chobani Greek yogurt.

Chobani Greek Yogurt

But what is tzatziki, you ask? It's a staple in Turkish, Greek and other Mediterranean cuisine, made simply by combining yogurt with garlic and cucumber, along with a few other seasonings. In Indian cuisine, it's called cucumber raita. The rich and creamy texture of tzatziki is perfect for dipping raw vegetables, to serve alongside biryani or pulao, grilled meats like kebabs or to use as a sandwich spread. 

Clockwise from top left:
Meatloaf
Tortilla layered with lettuce & tzatziki
Slice of meatloaf
Tzatziki Meatloaf Rollup

For lunch today we had meatloaf sandwiches for which flour tortillas were lined with lettuce, slathered with tzatziki and topped with a slice of meatloaf. It's the best sandwich I've had in a long, long time.

First make the meatloaf.

Ingredients:

1 lb. meatloaf mix (1:1 ground beef, pork and veal) 

1 cup Panko bread crumbs 
1 pkg. Lipton Recipe Secrets Beefy Onion flavour (or any soup mix)

10-15 baby carrots

1 medium onion

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

Pam butter-flavoured spray

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F and coat bottom and sides of bread pan with Pam.
2. Grate carrots and onion in a food processor, add eggs and milk and process for another minute.
3. Combine all ingredients together by hand until thoroughly mixed.
4. Pack into bread pan making sure to fill all nooks and crannies.
5. Bake at 375*F for an hour or until top is golden brown.
6. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes so that residual juices are absorbed.

Serve as a main course with vegetables on the side. Leftovers should be refrigerated and can be used for sandwich fillings.

Meanwhile, make the tzatziki.

Ingredients:

1 (5 oz.) tub Greek yogurt

1 English (seedless) cucumber

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 green chili (to taste), minced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. dried or 1 tsp. fresh dill weed

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Peel cucumber, cut out center to remove seeds and chop roughly.
2. Grate cucumber and chilies in a food processor, sprinkle liberally with salt and drain in a colander for a couple of hours.
3. Combine garlic, oil and salt to taste in a small dish and set aside to develop flavours.
4. Whip yogurt until smooth and creamy, and mix with remaining ingredients.
5. Adjust salt to taste and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and more dill weed.
6. Use as a vegetable dip, serve alongside biryani/pulao, grilled meats or use as a sandwich spread.

To make the rollups, heat a flour tortilla, layer with lettuce, slather on the tzatziki and top with slices of meatloaf.