Geek for Greek

I really like Greek food. It has a great balance of fresh, filling flavors. However, the enjoyable chickpea can become like the last guest at your party overstaying its welcome in your meal repertoire sneaking in the hummus and falafel staples of vegan/vegetarian Greek dining. You may crave something new, and your in luck because Viana offers a vegan gyro alternative (seitan) that is available at Whole Foods Market. It's salty, gets a nice crunch when pan-fried and is oh-so-satisfying in a pinch. I will definitely get it again, but wish it was less salty.

I changed up my go-to "greek salad with hummus" by substituting reheated pan-fried Viana gyro seitan for the hummus. I like tzatzki's cooling freshness as an offset to the salty spiciness of gyro, so I made it as a dressing with vegan yogurt, lemon juice, cucumber, loads of fresh dill and garlic. The salad was a big bowl of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers and white onions.

If you can't get your hands on Viana's gyro alternative, you could try this vegan gyro and tzatzki recipe.