Monday, June 8, 2015

Greek Chicken Kabobs with Eggplant Salad

 
Who likes Mondays? Well, having a dinner like we had tonight makes Mondays a bit more bearable. The Kabob recipe was from Better Home and Gardens. I marinated the chicken before I went to work. The chicken was so moist and the Cucumber sauce will be used again later in the week as a salad dressing.

My rendition of  Greek Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients-
Nonstick cooking spray
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins or skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut lengthwise into 1-inch strips
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 6 ounce carton plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup shredded cucumber
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 Greek pita flat breads

Method-
 In a medium bowl whisk together lemon peel, the 3 tablespoons lemon juice, the oregano, oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Add chicken; toss to coat. Thread chicken and tomatoes onto six to eight long metal skewers. Place skewers in the prepared baking pan; drizzle with any remaining lemon mixture.
Grill the skewers. This is where I hand of the dinner to Chris, the grill master.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, the 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Remove chicken and tomatoes from skewers. To serve, spread yogurt mixture on flat breads. Top with chicken and tomatoes.

I think we may have a new favorite salad at our house. This Eggplant Salad was amazing! Eggplant Salad With Peppers, Mint and Caper-Feta Vinaigrette from The New York Times. What a perfect match with the Chicken Kabobs.

Ingredients-
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ¾ pounds eggplant (any kind, or a mixture), trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 2/3 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon capers, chopped
1 pound mixed bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces (I would reduce the amount of peppers)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup fresh mint leaves

Method-
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.Toss eggplant with 1/3 cup vinaigrette, reserving the rest. Arrange on a baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden around edges, about 30 minutes. Let eggplant cool somewhat. (It can be warm but not hot enough to melt feta or wilt mint.)
Whisk feta, garlic and capers into reserved vinaigrette. In a large bowl, combine eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and mint leaves. Toss with vinaigrette, and serve immediately or within several hours. (It holds up all day.)

No comments: