A Delightful Recipe from the Middle East - Grilled Chicken Shawarma

Do you like snooping? Nosing around when no one's looking? Getting the inside scoop?.....

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........I do, at times, and that's exactly what I've had fun doing this past week. You see, it's time for The Secret Recipe Club once again, a bloggers game that I participate in each month. Each blogger is given the name of another blog and a few weeks to clandestinely "snoop" around, choose a recipe to prepare and present it on a given day. All the participants reveal their recipes on the same day - which this month, happens to be TODAY!

My assignment this week was a delightful blog called A Spoonful of Thyme by Kate. Kate is located in California and believes that" cooking is a wonderful way to bring family and friends together to enjoy food and each other." She says that "with a good recipe and a spoonful of thyme wonderful things can happen"! I agree!

Kate has been blogging and sharing her best recipes for almost three years now so I had a plethora of choices and let me tell you, it wasn't easy! I finally decided on the Chicken Shawarma because, although we have thoroughly enjoyed it at a local Lebanese Restaurant, I've never attempted to make it at home.

Kate actually made this dish a while back as a Secret Recipe Club selection herself, choosing it from  The Cookin' Chemist, who had adapted it from Cooking Light. It was fun for me to see the different renditions of the same recipe. I guess that's one of the things I love most about cooking - you can add your own creative touch to just about any recipe.

I made a double batch of  Chicken Shawarma. I threaded it on wooded skewers making it simple to grill and a fun presentation. I served it on pitas with a scatter of fresh tomatoes, chopped cilantro, cucumbers, Kakamata olives and Feta cheese. I accompanied the pitas with the yummy sauce. I'm planing to serve the chicken for another meal with steamed basmati rice and roasted peppers. We loved this tender, moist and very flavorful chicken - I think you will too!

Grilled Chicken Swarama

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips (2-3 chicken breasts)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced

4 pitas or naans**

chopped tomatoes, cilantro, cucumbers. Kalamata olives and Feta cheese

Ingredients for the sauce:
½ cup Greek yogrut
½ cup sour cream
3 Tbsp. tahini
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
finely grated lemon zest, from 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon crushed coriander
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions for the chicken:
1. In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice, curry powder, olive oil, salt, cumin, and minced garlic. Add chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Remove from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before grilling.

2. Spray grill grates with cooking spray and pre-heat grill. Place chicken strips on the grill (can place on skewers if desired). Grill for 4 minutes on each side or until chicken is fully cooked. Brush each pita lightly with extra virgin olive oil and place on grill rack. Grill for 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Place 1 pita on each plate. Top with chicken and scatter with tomatoes, cilantro, cucumber, Kalamata olives, Feta cheese and sauce.

Directions for the sauce:

In a small bowl combine all sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth.* Serve with chicken and pitas.

Notes:
*This probably will make more sauce than you will need to accompany the chicken but it makes a wonderful dip for raw veggies and/or pita chips.

** You can also prepare you pitas using this method, makes them taste like they're fresh off the pita grill!

Adapted from A Spoonful of Thyme who adapted it from The Cookin' Chemist who adapted it from Cooking Light who adapted it from ............... :)

PRINTABLE RECIPE