| Greek souvlaki is found in every corner of | | | | contain lots of salt, something to be avoided |
| Greece today and it is no exaggeration to say | | | | as far as possible. If you're worried about |
| that the younger generations have grown up on | | | | your cholesterol, choose chicken souvlaki, |
| it. Although proponents of a healthy diet | | | | which is much leaner meat with fewer |
| spurn the humble souvlaki, it's actually a | | | | calories. You can also make seafood souvlaki |
| full, nutritious meal. It contains all our | | | | with shrimps or fish fillets, or vegetable |
| daily nutritional requirements: protein from | | | | souvlaki. Mexican souvlakia are made of |
| the meat, carbohydrates from the pitta and | | | | alternating prawn and courgette chunks |
| chips (if included), fibre and vitamins from | | | | threaded on a skewer. For extra taste they |
| the tomato and onion. The oregano and other | | | | are marinated from three to twelve hours in a |
| seasonings are also considered a source of | | | | spice mix and basted with fresh egg-and-lemon |
| valuable antioxidants and trace elements. So | | | | mixed with finely-chopped onion. The |
| is souvlaki healthy? Nobody denies it's | | | | souvlakia are cooked when the shrimps and |
| tasty, but whether it's healthy is open to | | | | vegetables change colour. It's so easy to |
| question. The answer is that souvlaki is | | | | make souvlakia at home that, with a bit of |
| healthy on certain conditions. Made at home, | | | | experimenting, you'll soon achieve your own |
| where we control the ingredients and cooking | | | | personal recipe and impress your friends with |
| method, the souvlaki is a healthy and | | | | your unusual souvlakia. Greek Pork Souvlaki |
| delicious meal. Buy the pitta bread from the | | | | Recipe for 4 500 grams / 1 lb of pork in |
| supermarket, baste it lightly with a spoonful | | | | cubes 8 bamboo skewers ½ cup of olive oil |
| of olive oil and put it under the grill. Use | | | | 1 tablespoon of vinegar (wine vinegar) 1 |
| lean pork and marinate it in wine and vinegar | | | | pinch greek oregano 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 |
| for a few hours to give it taste. Sprinkle | | | | teaspoon black pepper 8 large pita breads |
| with lots of oregano or other herbs and grill | | | | Greek yoghurt or Greek tzatziki Shreaded |
| the souvlaki or, better yet, barbecue it. Add | | | | salad of lettuce, tomatoes, onion, herbs etc. |
| a little fresh tomato and as much onion and | | | | Cut the pork into small cubes and carefully |
| yoghourt as you want, and your souvlaki is | | | | thread onto the skewers. In a bowl place the |
| ready to eat. You can also experiment with | | | | olive oil, the wine vinegar, the oregano, the |
| lettuce instead of - or as well as - tomato, | | | | salt and the black pepper. Place the skewers |
| and mustard instead of yoghourt, but avoid | | | | with the pork in a dish and pour the marinade |
| adding chips to keep the calories down. You | | | | over them. Cover with plastic wrap and |
| can leave out the chips altogether or replace | | | | refrigerate for several hours or ovenight. |
| them with mashed potato or rice. Rice is | | | | Preheat your grill or barbeque. Place the |
| ideally suited to yoghourt, and the yoghourt | | | | souvlaki skewers over a medium heat and cook |
| itself can be low-fat. A souvlaki in pitta | | | | each side. Brush with the marinade and turn |
| bread prepared in this way is unlikely to | | | | to cook evenly. Brush the pita breads with |
| contain more than 300 calories. Even if | | | | olive oil and cook them on the grill. When |
| you're very hungry and eat two, 600 calories | | | | the pita and the souvlaki are ready, pull the |
| won't make you fat. A souvlaki from the | | | | meat off one skewer into the pita, add |
| souvlaki shop, on the other hand, usually | | | | tzatziki or greek yoghurt and the shreaded |
| contains lots of fat if the pitta is fried. | | | | salad. Roll the pita to form a tight cone and |
| Chips up the fat and calories even more, to | | | | wrap it in kitchen or other suitable paper. |
| over 500 calories a portion. It may also | | | | Serve hot. |