Greek Chicken Souvlaki is pretty easy to throw together, and quite healthy to boot. The recipe I use (adapted, originally, from Kenji Alt-Lopez @ Serious Eats):
Chicken Souvlaki
[ul]
[li]1.5 lb Chicken Breast Tenders
[/li][li]1/3 cup Lemon Juice
[/li][li]1/4 cup Light Olive Oil
[/li][li]4 cloves Garlic, smashed
[/li][li]1.5 tsp Kosher Salt
[/li][li]1/2 tsp Black Pepper
[/li][li]2 tbsp fresh Oregano (or 2 tsp dried)
[/li][/ul]
Blend everything but the chicken in a miniature food processor, blender, etc. Pour about 2/3 of it over the chicken breasts, reserving the rest in the fridge. Marinate for 1-4 hours, then saute over high heat in a heavy skillet until crisp on both sides and cooked through.
Let it cool a little, then chop into bite-sized pieces. For extra flavor, at this time, you can steep it in the remaining marinade and re-saute the pieces before serving (otherwise, you can reduce the marinade recipe a bit and not save the leftover amount).
It goes well in a few different preparations. Here’s three that I enjoy:
Chicken Zaki
[ul]
[li]1/4 - 1/3 cup Chicken Souvlaki, prepared
[/li][li]1 large Flour or Wheat Burrito Tortilla
[/li][li]2 tsp Basil Pesto or Basil Aoili
[/li][li]1/4 cup Shredded Mozzarella
[/li][li]1 tbsp Crumbled Feta
[/li][li]1-2 tbsp Sun-Dried Tomato, torn/shredded
[/li]li Cooking Spray Oil
[/li][/ul]
Microwave the tortilla for about 20 seconds to soften it. Spread the pesto/aoili over one side, leaving 1.5"-2" uncovered around all the whole edge. Sprinkle on mozzarella, feta, sun dried tomatoes, and the chicken souvlaki, warmed up. Then, fold the tortilla up into a square by first taking two opposite sides and folding them in until they just touch in the middle. Press down, then take the other two sides “flaps” and fold them in toward the middle until they just barely cross. Press down to close and optionally spray with a bit of cooking oil. Toast in a medium-hot skillet or in a panini griddle until golden brown on both sides, slice in half on the diagonal and serve.
Greek Chicken Salad
[ul]
[li]Romaine Lettuce, chopped roughly
[/li][li]Roma Tomatoes, diced
[/li][li]Red Onion, sliced thin and briefly soaked in cold water to reduce pungency
[/li][li]English Cucumber, sliced thin
[/li][li]Feta Cheese, crumbled
[/li][li]Lite Italian Dressing
[/li][li]Kalamata (Greek Black) olives
[/li][li]Chicken Souvlaki, cold
[/li][/ul]
Combine (I like about 2 cups of lettuce, 1/4 cup of each of the other veggies and cheese, ~3 tbsp of dressing, and 1/3-1/2 cup of chicken) ingredients and serve immediately.
Halal Cart Chicken and Rice
The original recipe from Kenji, more or less:
Rice
[ul]
[li]1 cup Basmati Rice
[/li][li]1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
[/li][li]1/2 tsp Turmeric
[/li][li]1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
[/li][li]1 tsp Kosher Salt
[/li][li]1/2 tsp Black Pepper
[/li][li]~1 1/2 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
[/li][/ul]
Melt the butter in a medium-to-large saucepan and add in the turmeric and cumin, frying the spices for about 30 seconds to bloom them. Add in the basmati and cook, stirring regularly, for about 3-4 minutes to toast it slightly. Add the chicken broth, salt, and pepper, stir to combine, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Put a lid on it, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for ~12-15 minutes, until the liquid is fully absorbed. Remove it from heat and let it stand, still covered, for 10 more minutes to finish steaming.
White Sauce
[ul]
[li]1/2 cup Low-Fat Mayonnaise
[/li][li]1/2 cup Low-Fat/No-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
[/li][li]1 Lemon, Juiced
[/li][li]1 tbsp White Vinegar
[/li][li]2 tbsp chopped Parsley
[/li][li]1 clove Garlic, minced finely
[/li][li]1 tsp Kosher Salt
[/li][li]1/2 tsp Black Pepper
[/li][li]1 tbsp Sugar
[/li][/ul]
Combine all ingredients together, stirring vigorously to combine well. Taste for preferences (e.g., can add more lemon or vinegar for more tartness, more sugar for more sweetness, etc.).
To serve, heat rice in a plate or bowl. Add heated chicken on top, then drizzle with white sauce and sriracha/tabasco. Serve with a basic, light salad (e.g., undressed lettuce and tomato) and toasted pita.
In terms of ease, the chicken itself is an absolute breeze to throw together. If your blender’s good enough, you don’t even really have to chop the garlic before adding it in, and you can use lemon juice from a bottle if you really want to shave time off.
If you prep that one night and the rice the next, and keep the rest of the ingredients on hand, you can throw together one of the three serving options in a few minutes easily for the next several days. My gf and I will eat on this (with the addition of falafels, tzatziki sauce, and tahini sauce, plus pita flatbread for “foldover” sandwiches) for about a week at a time.
