Tzatziki

Great sauce to serve with marinated chicken breasts. Tasty on pita chips, too!

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped into chunks

1 tsp. salt

2 (5.3 oz) containers plain Greek yogurt

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried)

salt and pepper to taste

Place diced cucumber in a mesh strainer or colander and sprinkle with salt, toss to evenly coat  then allow to rest 30 minutes at room temperature.

Rinse cucumbers and place over several layers of paper towels.  Squeeze some of the liquid from the cucumbers (almost as if wringing moisture from a cloth). Place cucumbers in food processor and pulse to chop fine or chop fine by hand.  Drain off any excess liquid.

Place cucumbers into a mixing bowl and add greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, and dill.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk to combine.  Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

Marinated Greek Chicken Kebobs

This marinade works well with boneless chicken breasts as well as kebobs. Tzatziki is a nice addition to the meal.

1½- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

¼ plus olive oil

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp ground coriander

salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

2 large red peppers, diced into 1¼ “ pieces

3 small zucchini, sliced into rounds about ½” thick

1 large red onion, diced into 1¼” wedges

In a bowl, whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, basil , thyme, coriander and salt and pepper to taste.  Place chicken in a gallon size resealable bag, pour olive oil mixture over chicken and press chicken into marinade.  Seal bag and refrigerate 45 to 2 hours (no longer than 2 hours due to acidic ingredients).

Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Thread chicken on skewers,  If desired, toss a red bell pepper, red onion and zucchini with 2 tbsp oil and thread on skewers. Grill chicken, about 7-9 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking.

Tabbouleh

Most tabbouleh recipes call for less bulgur and more parsley than my adaptation. Use this recipe as a guide to make a healthy, tasty salad to your liking.

1 cup bulgur

1½ cups boiling water

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

2 medium tomatoes, cut into ¼” pieces

½ seedless cucumber, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼ pieces

¼ cup chopped scallions

¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint (optional)

Place bulgur in a heatproof bowl.  Pour boiling water over bulgur, then cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand 30 minutes. If necessary, drain in a sieve press pressing on bulgur to remove any excess liquid.

Stir in lemon juice, oil and salt and pepper. and chill for 2-3 hours. Add parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, scallions and if desired, fresh mint.