going greek

My parents just left for Turks & Caicos and left me and my sister at home… RUDE, I know. But while they’re gone I’m babysitting (my 17 yr old sister) and staying at home, where there’s a GRILL! One downside to apartment living is the total lack of backyard BBQs and grilling experiments. So naturally, I’d been thinking about what to grill… since last Tuesday.

What to do?! Steaks, meh; burgers, too easy; fish, well I ate tuna the night before. Chicken souvlakis! Sound like Greek to you? That’s because it is. Delicious skewers of chicken marinated in amazing Greek flavors served with warm pita bread and crisp tzatziki sauce. I also added a Greek salad, which ended up being and enormous amount of food. But who cares! It was all incredibly healthy and so so so so good!

I haven’t been to Greece, but while I ate I closed my eyes and imagined myself sitting in Santorini… can’t you see the white washed building with bright blue roofs? Ok, so maybe I’m crazy, but I like food that gives me a mental vacation.

And for now, that’s as close as I’ll be getting to Greece.

Chicken Souvlakis

• 1 lb. of chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-in. cubes
• 5 pita breads or naan bread

Marinade:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ small red onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

In a large Ziploc, mix the ingredients well and add chicken. Make sure chicken is coated. Let marinate overnight or at least for 3 hours. Thread chicken onto 5 skewers and grill until done, but not overcooked.Warm pita or naan bread over the grill as well until warm and pliable. Top pita/naan bread with a skewer of chicken and a spoonful (or three) of tzatziki sauce.

Tzatziki Sauce

• ½ c. nonfat Greek yogurt, plain
• ½ c. cucumber, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 ½ tsp fresh mint, chopped fine
• 1 ½ tsp fresh dill, chopped
• S & P to taste

After dicing cucumber sprinkle with salt and let sit for 15-20 minutes then squeeze excess liquid out of it. This will keep your sauce from getting watery. Mix ingredients, season to taste and let chill until ready to eat.