Month: August 2020

Greek Chicken Kabobs

Grilled chicken is a summer standard.  But sometimes I want something a bit different than basic barbecued chicken.  My sister had made something much like this and it inspired me to make my own Greek chicken kabobs. I enjoyed with steamed rice and also with a small baked potato. I made it not too garlicky. Up to you how much you put in. FYI: it is naturally gluten free so no special measures required to create a delicious meal for your entire family.

I baked it; it was not a good day to grill and so I baked for 30 minutes and broiled for 2-4 minutes to char it a bit; was moist and perfect. You could certainly grill it for maybe 6 -8 minutes and flip and do another six minutes.

I used boneless chicken thighs but you can do boneless breasts for sure. Just cook for a bit less. Great with a salad of some sort and an iced tea. Enjoy the burst of flavor from the lemon, the herbs, and that garlic!

  • greek chicken kabobs on baking sheet

    Somehow not that attractive but I tend to focus on the taste not the photographs…

  • greek chicken kabob on plate

    Yeap; not too pretty but that sauce! OH MY it was delish!!

Greek Chicken Kabobs

Marinade: ½ cup plain Greek yogurt; preferably whole milk yogurt

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Zest of a half a lemon or a whole one if you want more zing

1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar if you have it; optional

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano leaves

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

4-5 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. fresh ground pepper

Dash to a quarter tsp. red pepper flakes

Chicken: 4 boneless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch chunks

1 large bell pepper cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks

1 medium large red or yellow onion cut into 8ths from top to bottom.

Mix the marinade; add chicken. Let marinade 2-12 hours. Put chicken onto skewers; I used metal ones but you can use bamboo ones soaked in water for an hour. I started with a pepper chunk then 2-3 chunks of chicken; then onion then more chicken and then a pepper on the end to sort of bracket in the raw meat. I lined a sheet pan with aluminum foil and heat ed my oven  to 375 degrees.  I baked the skewers 30 min; turned over half way through. Then I turned to oven to broil and put the tray on the top rack to char for 2-4 minutes tops; watch it closely; burnt is not a goal here! I actually microwaved my leftover marinade for 1 minute; stirred half way through and served it on the rice for more flavor.  It was hot and fairly cooked by that minute but you could do more if you want; just keep it from drying up. 

I served it over brown rice with a tomato salad. Enjoy!

Sheet Pan Chicken with Roasted Eggplant and Raw Veggie Caponata

This heat…I hate to run the oven.  But sometimes it is just worth it. This only bakes 30 minutes tops in a hot (450*) oven. I used boneless thighs. So I did  them a few minutes less than 30. No long marinading although I did put the cubed eggplant in salted water for a couple hours.  I had 3 Japanese eggplants from my garden and ripe  homegrown tomatoes galore. Chicken bought from Aldi’s. I found this recipe on Pinterest. I am so glad I tried it. The freshness of the raw and pickled vegetables in the caponata are what makes it so good. The chicken roasts on the sheet pan surrounded by the eggplant cubes tossed with olive oil.  While it roasts make the raw component. I am not really sure I will make this in the winter as summer tomatoes are just so superior in raw preparations like this delicious dish.

Here below is a link to the recipe. I will give the ingredients below. so you know what is needed to make it.  I promise you will love it.  I used some awesome paprika my goddaughter bought me in Germany.  Superior flavor. I used less red pepper flakes as I like most foods not too spicy.  I served mine with some small roasted potatoes I grew myself. So tasty.

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/sheet_pan_chicken_with_roasted_eggplant_caponata/

tomato caponata salad

This is my slightly different version:

Sheet Pan Chicken with Eggplant and Raw Caponata

Ingredients: 

Chicken: 4 boneless chicken thighs

Rub: 1 tsp. sea salt

1 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil.

Eggplants:

2 lbs of cubed eggplant, 1 Tbsp olive oil

Caponata:

2 cups chunky fresh tomatoes cut in 1/2 inch cubes or sliced cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup sliced green olives

2 stalks celery sliced thin; hearts are best

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley chopped fine

2 Tbsp tiny capers

2 garlic cloves minced

Dressing: 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar; 2 Tbsp. EVOL and  1/2 tsp honey

I loved the fennel seeds in the roasted chicken and the raw salad. Enjoy!

roasted chicken and raw caponata