Greek · Authentic-ish Greek
Souvlaki
364 kcal a serving, against 567 for the traditional version. That is 203 kcal off, or 36%, with 51.8g of protein. Serves 4. 45 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Generous chunks of lean pork steeped for hours in a massive bath of olive oil, lemon and dried herbs. Skewered, grilled over spitting hot coals, and served with a thick, heavy slick of full-fat yoghurt dip.
What changed, and what each change costs
120g of marinade oil down to a 15g splash
Olive oil tastes brilliant, but you don't need a swimming pool of it to carry flavour into the meat. The acid in the lemon juice and the punch of the garlic do all the actual flavour work. Cutting the oil strips out a massive amount of fat.
What it costs you. The meat won't self-baste on the grill quite as much. You have to watch the skewers closely so the pork doesn't dry out.
250g of full-fat Greek yoghurt down to 0% fat Greek yoghurt
Tzatziki is basically a cucumber and garlic delivery system. A 0% fat yoghurt provides the exact same cooling contrast and sharp tang, while cutting a massive chunk of the dairy fat.
What it costs you. A sharper and thinner sauce, then. Not a luscious, creamy dip, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. You lose that thick, coating mouthfeel that full-fat dairy brings to the plate.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 567 | 364 |
| Protein | 51.1g | 51.8g |
| Fat | 34.8g | 11.7g |
| Saturated fat | 7.1g | 2.9g |
| Carbohydrate | 12g | 11.8g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 9g | 14.2g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Greek prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk.
The method is in the book
This is exactly the kind of food you want on a hot summer evening. The sharp, garlicky pork hits the cooling yoghurt perfectly. You miss the rich, fatty edges from the street food original, but you gain a sharp, fresh dinner. It delivers all the smoke and tang of a Greek holiday without leaving you feeling weighed down.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Greek, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback