Category — Low calorie

Do you like gyros made with lamb? These sandwiches can be very tasty but I don’t like the idea of eating lamb for many reasons so coming across this recipe for turkey gyros with apples was a welcome find.

Each pita pocket turkey apple gyro will have about 260 calories and 5 grams of dietary fiber.

Turkey Apple Gyros

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 medium apple cored and thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 cup thinly sliced onion

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 tsp. olive oil

8 ounces cooked turkey breast, cut into strips

6 whole wheat pita rounds, lightly toasted and partly sliced open (for receiving the meat filling)

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 garlic clove minced

Directions:

1. Toss apple with lemon juice and set aside.

2. In a large nonstick skillet saute onion and peppers in hot oil, stirring frequently until crisp tender.

3. Add turkey to skillet and stir until heated through.

4. Stir in the apple mixture.

5. Add the garlic to the yogurt and mix.

6. Fill the pita “pockets” with the turkey mixture and drizzle with the yogurt.

Another tasty option for using leftover turkey meat is to quickly and easily prepare single serve pizzas. Try using 4-inch whole wheat pitas as is or maybe 1/2 of a six inch pita for very thin crust pizza servings to keep the calorie count down. Another possibility might be to use whole wheat english muffins.

Each pita round pizza will have about 280 calories and 4 grams of dietary fiber.

(The original recipe was published in the November 2002 issue of Cooking Light Magazine. I’ve modified the recipe for improved nutrition and ease of preparation.)

Turkey Pizza

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 14 ounce can canned crushed tomatoes

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 1 1/2 tsp. dried)

2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves (or 2 tsp. dried)

6 whole wheat pitas (4-inches in diameter)

Cooking spray

2 cups chopped skinless cooked turkey

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella chees

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for about 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley and basil. Remove from heat. Cool.

3. Spread tomato sauce over pita rounds leaving a slight border. Top with the chopped turkey and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until a golden.